| The Maisky Diaries - Red Ambassador to the Court of St James's, 1932-1943
(2015)
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| Front Cover |
Book Details |
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| Genre |
Non-Fiction; Biography |
| Subject |
Maĭskiĭ, I. M. (Ivan Mikhaĭlovich), 1884-1975; World War, 1939-1945 - Diplomatic history; Ambassadors - Great Britain - Diaries; Ambassadors - Soviet Union - Diaries; Soviet Union - Foreign relations - 1917-1945; Great Britain - Foreign relations - Soviet Union - Sources; Soviet Union - Foreign relations - Great Britain - Sources |
| Publication Date |
2015 |
| Format |
Hardcover (9.4
mm)
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| Publisher |
Yale Univ Pr |
| Language |
English |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover |
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| Description |
| The terror and purges of Stalin's Russia in the 1930s discouraged Soviet officials from leaving documentary records let alone keeping personal diaries. A remarkable exception is the unique diary assiduously kept by Ivan Maisky, the Soviet ambassador to London between 1932 and 1943. This selection from Maisky's diary, never before published in English, grippingly documents Britain's drift to war during the 1930s, appeasement in the Munich era, negotiations leading to the signature of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, Churchill's rise to power, the German invasion of Russia, and the intense debate over the opening of the second front. Maisky was distinguished by his great sociability and access to the key players in British public life. Among his range of regular contacts were politicians (including Churchill, Chamberlain, Eden, and Halifax), press barons (Beaverbrook), ambassadors (Joseph Kennedy), intellectuals (Keynes, Sidney and Beatrice Webb), writers (George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells), and indeed royalty. His diary further reveals the role personal rivalries within the Kremlin played in the formulation of Soviet policy at the time.Scrupulously edited and checked against a vast range of Russian and Western archival evidence, this extraordinary narrative diary offers a fascinating revision of the events surrounding the Second World War. |
| Personal Details |
| Store |
AbeBooks |
| Purchase Price |
$3.30 |
| Acquire Date |
11/26/2021 |
| Condition |
Very Good/Very Good |
| Rating |
0 |
| Links |
Library of Congress
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| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
D 754.R9.M28 2015 |
| Dewey |
327.470092 |
| ISBN |
9780300180671 |
| No. of Pages |
584 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
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| Notes/Review |
Construction of the book is excellent i.e. Tight spine. No loose pages. Clean pages. No writing, highlighting, marks or underlining on the pages. No page discoloration. Boards are hard and square with minimal wear along the edges and sides of the boards. Dust Jacket is in Good condition and may have more obvious creases and inperfections. This is a good looking book. Light rubbing on the cover.
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What an interesting character!
The subtitle refers to the dates that Maisky was the Ambassador to Great Britain. The diaries themselves cover 1934-1943, and there are significant gaps.
Maisky was clearly a highly intelligent individual. He paid close attention to events, seemed to have excellent instincts in dealing with people, and synthesize his observations into incisive conclusions and predictions.
Given the things he put down in his diary, I find it remarkable that he wasn't a victim of Stalin's purges. (The last two chapters cover his removal from London and his imprisonment. Had Stalin died even a few weeks later, I believe he'd have gotten a bullet in the brain.) Because he was in London, he was able to stay out of Moscow and out of Stalin's view. Even when he was recalled for short visits to Moscow, he tried to stay out of the way. This leads me to believe he knew the injustices of Stalin and the regime. And yet, he often spouts the words of the "true believer", or the kool-aid drinker, depending on your viewpoint.
For me, the most interesting part covered the period between Chamberlain's Munich visit ("Peace in our time") to Germany's invasion of Poland. I've read about these diplomatic events but always through American or English eyes. I think it's important to see things from other viewpoints. Here we get the Soviet view. It makes me a bit more sympathetic, but I still can't help but think of how things might have been different had Stalin trusted the English more than he trusted Hitler. |
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