Reprint, with corrections, of the 1981 edition.

This international bestseller plumbs recently opened archives in the former Soviet bloc to reveal the accomplishments of communism around the world. The book is the first attempt to catalogue and analyse the crimes of communism over 70 years.

A by-product of the amazing changes now taking place within the Soviet Union is a change in rhetoric no less than reality. Under Gorbachev, the Russian language has been changing parallel with "novoe politichaskoe myshenie - "new political thinking - with the effect that such new expressions as have flooded the Russian language clash with the less yielding realities of Soviet economy and society. The purpose of this volume is to clarify this dynamic in Soviet life, in which stagnation and decay confront hopes and expectations for liberalization. Zemtsov argues that the Soviet political language is self-contradictory, fractured into polarities of good and evil and thus depriving the Russian language of its basic subtlety, coherence, and inner logic. This work brings to life the Orwellian world of double-speak in a post-totalitarian environment. The Soviet language has two basic components: fictions which Communist ideology proclaims as reality, and realities that are portrayed in the guise of fictions. In this sense, Zemtsov undertakes to do for the Soviet language what the great H. L. Mencken achieved for the American language -show the reality of Soviet life by making plain the fictive qualities of Soviet ideology. This is a basic library reference work, a volume of indispensable utility for political scientists, area experts, and policy analysts. It offers a taxonomy enriched by a deep, personal knowledge of the Russian language by its author. "Encyclopedia of Soviet Life "is at one and the same time a basic primer of Soviet contemporary politics, a deep portrait of the psychology of totalitarian manipulation, and a sensitive appreciation of the nobler aspirations of the Russian people that is part and parcel of their great language.

A study of the KGB by an official of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

From references to secret agents in The Art of War in 400 B.C.E. to the Bush administration's ongoing War on Terrorism, espionage has always been an essential part of state security policies. This illustrated encyclopedia traces the fascinating stories of spies, intelligence, and counterintelligence throughout history, both internationally and in the United States. Written specifically for students and general readers by scholars, former intelligence officers, and other experts, Encyclopedia of Intelligence and Counterintelligence provides a unique background perspective for viewing history and current events. In easy-to-understand, non-technical language, it explains how espionage works as a function of national policy; traces the roots of national security; profiles key intelligence leaders, agents, and double-agents; discusses intelligence concepts and techniques; and profiles the security organizations and intelligence history and policies of nations around the world. As a special feature, the set also includes forewords by former CIA Director Robert M. Gates and former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin that help clarify the evolution of intelligence and counterintelligence and their crucial roles in world affairs today.

The Soviet Secret Police (1957) depicts the main aspects of the development, structure and functions of the secret police of the Soviet Union. Much of the information contained within comes from the personal testimony of Soviet citizens who had experienced various activities of the secret police, and forms a full and objective study of the secret police and its role in the Soviet system.

Illustrated with more than 100 black-and-white photographs and expertly written, Stalin’s Secret Police is a chilling history of the Soviet secret police from 1917 to the fall of Communism.

The village of Taski, in northern Russia, was home to peace loving families who lived a quiet, simple life uninterrupted by strife or outsiders. When the warriors of Batu Kahn, sitting astride wooden saddles on fast moving ponies rode in, peace was forever shattered. Many of the townspeople were captured and taken prisoner. But the lumberman, Shol, and his followers escaped into the cold mountains to the north, living in caves before seeking a warmer climate near the sea. Later, Shol returned to Taski and made a daring raid into the Mongol camp taking his wife, Kitula to their new home. The Golden Horde followed and the skirmish that ensued left all of Batu's warriors and many villagers, including Shol, lying dead among the ashes of their new homes. Shan leads the survivors into a new land seeking the peace and serenity they held sacred in their fatherland. Trying desperately to hold onto their simple values, babies were born along the way bringing joy and hope and permitting them to retain their desires for a peaceful life somewhere in their new environment. Follow these nomads in their expansive journey through the harsh elements, facing many trials, seeking peace in America.

For much of the 20th century, the Soviet Union was veiled behind an Iron Curtain of secrecy and oppression orchestrated by the Communist party and intelligence services like the KGB. While the public knew of the KGB as a spy agency abroad, few glimpsed its extensive surveillance and suppression of dissent within Soviet borders. This book documents accounts of KGB assassination teams, infiltration operations, staged provocations, planted propaganda, and the capture of double agents abroad. But it also uncovers widespread interference in culture, media, religion, and daily life behind the Soviet border. The aim is not just to recount historical events but to offer an inside story that goes beyond the superficial understanding of covert operations. It is an exploration of the motivations, the betrayals, and the sacrifices made by those who operated in the shadows, shaping the course of history with every classified mission.