Political Elites in the USSR

Rezensionen / Stimmen

'These essays, drawn from writings over the whole of his career, reaffirm Harry Rigby as one of the most thorough, thoughtful, stimulating and innovative analysts of Soviet politics. Old hands will benefit from re-reading these milestone contributions, and the new generation of Sovietologists would do well to start their new studies here.' -- Ronald J. Hill, Trinity College, Ireland 'This collection of T.H. Rigby's excellent essays analyses the changing nature and composition of the CPSU oligarchy which has ruled the USSR since the Bolshevik revolution. The author's substantive focus and methodological orientation are so consistent that this volume has the clarity and coherence of a single monograph even though the essays have been written over a period of more than twenty years.' -- Jonathan Harris, The Russian Review 'For students of the Soviet era this study of the nomenclature system will remain a more important key to understanding how the system worked than any dozen monographs on the dictatorship of the proletariat, the electoral system or the powers of the Soviets.' -- Julian Birch, The Journal of Political Studies 'Professor Rigby is our foremost authority on the history of the Soviet Communist Party as a political institution. His collected papers are essential reading for an understanding of the Stalinist political system and of Gorbachev's efforts to carry out a democratic revolution from above.' -- R.W. Davies, University of Birmingham, UK