Although the academic field of Russian history does not lack for talented and inventive scholars, as a general rule, there aren’t too many professional historians who can produce a book that combines innovative research with an engaging and entertaining narrative.

One of the few exceptions to the rule is Catherine Merridale, Professor of Contemporary History at Queen Mary University of London.

I’ve just finished reading Merridale’s most recent book, Ivan’s War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-1945 which recounts the experiences and emotions of front line soldiers during the Great Patriotic War. As with her earlier (2000) study, Night of Stone: Death and Memory in Russia, Ivan’s War benefits from Merridale’s consummate skill as an oral historian and her enviable ability to produce gripping prose. It is the kind of book that you just can’t put down and that you really wish you had written yourself.

ScP