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Stalin: History in an Hour  By  cover art

Stalin: History in an Hour

By: Rupert Colley
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Publisher's summary

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.

Arguably no person in history had such a direct and negative impact on the lives of so many as Joseph Stalin. Under the Red Tsar terror knew no limits, it did not discriminate; no one was safe, no institution, no single town or village was immune. Yet, following his death in 1953, Stalin was deeply mourned. He had "received the country with a wooden plough, and left it with a nuclear missile shield." And no-one else, some claimed, could have led the Soviet Union to victory in the Second World War.

So who was Joseph Stalin, what was his role during the Russian Revolution; how did he come to power, what made him such a destructive tyrant, and how did he impose his will on the Soviet Union for so long? Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour....

©2013 Rupert Colley (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

“If the past is a foreign country, History in an Hour is like a high-class tour operator, offering delightfully enjoyable short breaks in the rich and diverse continent of our shared past.” (Dominic Sandbrook)
“The practice of History is ever-evolving, and the History In An Hour idea brings it back up to date for the digital age.” (Andrew Roberts, Bookseller)
“This is genius.” (MacWorld.com)

What listeners say about Stalin: History in an Hour

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key points

i enjoyed listening. the narrator has a good voice. the story is only 1 hr and yet it covered the main points most of which i already knew. however, it was told in such a way that caused me to *wanna* listen.
I would totally recommend it.🤗

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Stalin’s life covered well

A powerful yet sad part of world history. Stalin and what he made of the USSR, impacted the entire world. It is important to know this sad part of history and this book covers it well in a short time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating & Succinct

I've now listened to three of these books. They never disappoint in content and are further enhance by Mr Keeble's performance.

This short book was wonderful. I knew a bit about Stalin, now I'm quite interested in learning so much more. That's the beauty of this series, it awakens your interest and forces you to go out and learn a bit more

Highly recommend!

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  • JR
  • 07-24-16

informative

it was short and educational. not too bad for an intro to stalin.. the narrator was clear and loud and maybe british. easy listen

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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don't repeat history. know it!

good listen. unfortunately it's true. don't repeat history. ie that's the value of history. to not repeat stupidity

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fine for an Hour; Audible Cliff Notes

What made the experience of listening to Stalin: History in an Hour the most enjoyable?

Good narration.

Would you be willing to try another book from Rupert Colley? Why or why not?

Depends on the subject.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Keeble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Why Would We Make A Film of This?

Any additional comments?

A decent short history.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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UGH!

I get it. "History in an hour". But it was so rushed, so glossed over key points... I ended up screaming at the book more than enjoying it.

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