A Failed Empire

“A Failed Empire draw[s] on abundant new primary sources to refine our understanding of the Cold War, turning it from a melodrama into a nuanced tragedy. . . . Rich in new information and fresh interpretation. Zubok reveals the full extent of Stalin’s brutal post-World War II suppression of the Soviet People.”—Washington Post Book World

“Ranks as the new standard work on the Soviet Union’s Cold War— for scholars and students alike. . . . An excellent combination of old and new, offering both a synthetic interpretation of Soviet foreign policy in the latter half of the twentieth century and fresh new material to reconceptualize the factors behind that policy. . . . An important book [and] a standout.”—Journal of American History

“An excellent survey of Soviet foreign policy during the Cold War, one which draws on a wide range of memoirs, secondary literature, and the still-patchy archival record.”—Russian Review

“Makes use of significant new primary sources but also offer[s]a more inclusive approach with respect to the considerations shaping policy on both sides.”—American Historical Review

“Zubok has been prominent amongst those reassessing Soviet foreign policy through the newly available primary sources. . . . [A Failed Empire] extends the story to the end of the Cold War and provides an excellent overview of the whole period.”—International Journal

“This challenging account is perhaps the most complete and compelling yet written of the Soviet side of the Cold War.”—Virginia Quarterly Review

“Fluently and authoritatively told.” —International History Review

“A significant contribution to a field that has long been dominated by West-centric analyses. . . . Highly recommended.”—CHOICE

“Zubok’s book has established an important marker by which future historical studies will be measured.”—Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, H-Diplo Roundtable Reviews

“The first work in English to cover the entire Cold War from the Soviet side . . . provides a history different from those written by the Western victors.”—Ventunesimo Secolo