The Great Fatherland War: The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union (

Discusses the Soviet Union's involvement in World War II, from their non-aggression pact with Germany to their subsequent invasion and eventual defeat, highlighting the hardships endured by the Soviet people during the war years.

Reviewed with Ted Gottfried's The Cold War.

Gr. 7-12. Like the first two titles, The Road to Communism (2002) and The Stalinist Empire (2002), in Gottfried's four-volume Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union series, these two historical accounts are accurate, lively, and compelling. Gottfried presents his subjects with sympathy, even as he reveals the shocking corruption that existed during the time. Especially in Great Fatherland War, the text builds tremendous compassion for the Soviets, who suffered unequaled death and devastation during World War II. Staggering statistics (the U.S and Britain each lost between 300,000 and 400,000 soldiers; Russia's loss exceeded 11 million), highly readable prose, and an attractive layout work together to draw students into this absorbing study of a country that was one of the West's greatest allies--and enemies--during the twentieth century. The information has appropriate depth for high-school research, and chapter subsections divide the text into smaller units that make it manageable for middle-school researchers. Both books include a double-page map, a chronology, and a glossary, as well as careful chapter notes and a bibliography. Roger Leslie
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