Stephen J. Lee is Head of History at Bromsgrove School. His many publications include Aspects of European History (in two volumes), Peter the Great and The European Dictatorships, 1918-1945

'Lee, whose lively essays on European history have for decades been staple diet for sixth-formers and undergraduates, brings the same qualities to bear on the Stalin era ... [He] has a rare gift for exposition and covers a vast amount of ground with extraordinary economy.' - Journal of Contemporary History

• Series Preface, Acknowledgements, 1. Stalin’s rise and rule, 2. Stalinist politics and terror, 3. Stalin’s economic policies, 4. Society and culture, 5. Stalin’s foreign policy, 1929–41, 6. The Soviet Union at war, 1941–5, 7. Stalin’s post-war regime, 1945–53, 8. An overall summary, Notes, Bibliography, Index