In the years since Stalin's death his profound influence upon the historical development of Communism has remained elusive and in need of interpretation. Stalinism as his system has become known is a phenomenon which embraced all facets of political and social life. While its effect upon the Soviet Union and other nations today is far less than it was while Stalin lived it is by no means dead. In this landmark volume some of the world's foremost scholars of the subject in a concerted group inquiry present their interpretations of Stalinism and its influence on all areas of comparative Communist studies from history and politics to economics sociology and literary scholarship. The studies contained in this volume are an outgrowth of a conference on Stalinism held in Bellagio Italy sponsored by the American Council of Learned Societies. In his major contribution to this book Leszek Kolakowski calls Stalinism a unified state organism facing atom-like individuals. This extraordinary volume augmented by a revealing new introduction by the editor Robert C. Tucker can be seen as amplifying that remark nearly a half century after the death of Joseph Stalin himself. Contributors to this work are: Wlodzimierz Brus Katerina Clark Stephen F. Cohen Alexander Erlich Leszek Kolakowski Moshe Lewin Robert H. McNeal Mihailo Markovic Roy A. Medvedev T. H. Rigby Robert Sharlet and H. Gordon Skilling. Robert C. Tucker's principle work on Stalin has been described by George F. Kennan as the most significant single contribution made to date anywhere to the history of Soviet power. . Language: English