... of memory and identitiy. This was no different in Czechloslovakia during the Russian occupation; which took hold after world war 2. In The Book Of Laughter and Forgetting, Kundera elucidates upon the re education or re learning of their own selves and personal/cultural history as the metamorposis ... of the adult into the child. Kundera states, "The basic event of the book is the story of totalitarianism, which deprives people of memory and thus retools them into a nation of children." This being said; the ... only persons who retain their identity among the erasure campaign of totalar...

• Word Count: 917
• Approx Pages: 4

... theme is further solidified by its usage of events which mirror those of the Russian revolution. The theme is fully realized right at the end of the book, when the rest of the animals are segregated from the pigs, who are in the former house of Mr. Jones, drinking alcohol with the humans. ... why one may get a different message from watching the movie is that the endings are completely different. As mentioned previously, it is the ending of the book that really drives Orwell's point home. In the movie, this isn't the case at all. At the end of the movie, animals all over the ... nowhere...

• Word Count: 1435
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the Russian people struggled to throw off the shackles of the old regime, and different groups raced to seize control of the country. The book is a primary source of history. The author had the journalist's eye for detail, he collected bits of newspapers and handbills, listened to ... believed that the rising in Petrograd and the overthrow of the Tsar had presented them with the opportunity of creating a socialist workers state. The book details the struggle between the Bolsheviks and Kerensky's provisional government as both tried to harness the raw emotion of the Russian people. Reed ...

• Word Count: 1279
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... terror shows how life was turned into a nightmare (Fitzpatrick, 1999, 3). Communism and scarcity are forever linked in Stalin's Russia. This is the first book I have ever read on Russia, so while I have nothing else to compare it to, I feel that it has helped my understanding of communism and ... headings that flow in an orderly way to explain what life was really life for average citizens, not elites, during these times. The book was organized topically, starting with a wonderful introduction that helped set out all her points, followed by chapters that were organized to provide in ......

• Word Count: 1652
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography

... initiation of a long term civil war in the country of Spain and had a major role in tearing the emotional boundaries of the state. For any book to be treated seriously it should possess a very strong subject matter that is full of details, ample accurate information and above all, a story presented ... common soldiers in the army and was later on supported and aided by the conservative elements both outside and inside of the country. According to the book, there was not a major success when the coup actually started and actually was looked upon as a big failure for the whole nation. When...

• Word Count: 3751
• Approx Pages: 15
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . As you can notice on the cover, a big portrait of Stalin is shown and behind him and on de sides of the book the communist flag is drawn. ABOUT THE BOOK The bibliography of Stalin, is divided into 7 chapters. The first one, the seminarist and the mythology, gives a general overview of ... 1953, the year when Stalin died. Finally the seventh chapter, the beginning of the end, talks about the after Stalin. In the beginning of the book, a short preface is given to us in order to demonstrate us the importance, for the history, of the archives of Russia that became accessible after ... th...

• Word Count: 1081
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... I feel that Roberts" transformations of different subjects in the same chapter are very well done; despite the fact that I feel he should have divided the book into more chapters. An example of how he makes this transaction is when he talks about the Berlin Airlift, which was when the Americans flew over Berlin ... into talking about China. Chapter six is definitely the best chapter for me. It allows me to read up about modernization in the world. Roberts concludes this book with how no one knows the outcomes of anything and everything is a mystery till then. Nothing is for certain and...

• Word Count: 1114
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... People, who were affected by Joseph Stalin. George Orwell created many characters in his book who are represented in Stalins time. The dogs in George Orwell's book represent Stalin's secret police caught and murdered people, just like the dogs in the book. The secret police had a ruler, Stalin, as for the dogs did, who ... and they murdered more than 3,000 Polish prisoners in panic killings when Germany attacked in June 1941. The book ans events all happened around the samr time, the mid 1900's. A Quote from the book that was used to show that the dogs truly were as bad as they seemed ...

• Word Count: 446
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... are impossible, the writer tells of mass hysteria, destruction, panic, and the launch of missiles by every major country including the China, but the book does have one flaw in its attempt to stay as close to possible realistic outcome, when Pat Frank was writing this novel talk of the star ... of a notice by unnamed Gibson III personnel that nuclear holocaust was upon us, is far less believable and again strays away from Franks attempts to keep his book as "realistic" as possible. But never the less, the following mourning after the late night arrival of Randy's brother's family, war b...

• Word Count: 1812
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... this principal of governing. He used this form of writing to show the worst possible society to avoid using a harsh view of totalitarian life. The book's subject matter starts off with meeting Winston Smith as he traveled home in Airstrip One of Oceania. We are also introduced to Big Brother the main ... antagonist in this book. In the first chapter it is April 4th 1984, Mr. Smith is explaining the dreariness and seemingly destitute city in which he lives in. He ... not alleviated his anger, depression, or rebellion because he still wants to shout profanities at the top of his lungs. He...

• Word Count: 1295
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... This is seen in Bill Brugger's China, Liberation and Transformation in which he laments the out datedness of an earlier book, Contemporary China, before it was published: By the time the book appeared, Mao Zedong was dead, the "Gang of Four" had been arrested and China's leaders were engaged in a ... explain the origins of the interpretation and its affect on historiography. The main problem encountered was the relevance of texts to the subject. Li's book, The Private Life of Chairman Mao is a recount of the encounters between Mao and his personal physician. It was of limited use for the ...

• Word Count: 4647
• Approx Pages: 19
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... how they become the equivalent of the Russian government by trying to take over the farm in a Communistic fashion. The similarity between the book and the Russian Revolution can be shown in three major points: the symbolism behind the characters, the correspondence of events, and the usage ... part of the Russian Revolution. To begin with Old Major, the old wise boar that lives on the farm, symbolizes Karl Marx. In the book Old Major describes a perfect animal society and predicts a revolution to create it, but dies before the revolution begins. As shown in the Timeline ... horse, who ...

• Word Count: 929
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

I enjoyed reading Animal Farm. Orwell's creative writing style draws you into the book and it's hard to stop reading. I also enjoyed the characters of the book. As the book progresses and the characters as presented to the reader. The Animals have many similarities to important political figures. The book also presents a theme of hypocrisy and inferiority. The struggle for domination between Leon Trotsky and Joseph ... . The other animals are all inferior to the pigs. The pigs make the rules and the animals follow them and if not the dogs enforce discipline. The animals in the book are fairly ...

• Word Count: 424
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... , the leadership ranks are of those who wish to seek political assylum in the United States--though this is not disclosed until near the end of the book. The remainder of the crew are young and inexperienced and also include one Soviet Party member whose job it is to see that all orders are carried ... a system of deep water canals in the Atlantic on a course directly for the coast of the United States. As Jack Ryan, the key role played in the book, starts to analyze all of the data, he is given to thinking that the submarine is on a course to defect and not to start a neuclear war with ...

• Word Count: 1089
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . With financial success came political involvement. In the 1930s, Joe Sr. became a major backer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, making large donations to the Democratic Party and even penning a book, in 1936, entitled I'm for Roosevelt. Later, his support for some of Roosevelt's more radical fiscal policies cooled, but he remained an enthusiastic Democrat and a famous, if controversial, national figure, holding ... necessary for our survival," Profiles in Courage cemented JFK's reputation as an intellectual, a thinking man's politician, and made him a darling of the New York and...

• Word Count: 8348
• Approx Pages: 33
• Grade Level: High School

... States and World War II was coming to a close. From there on it goes chronologically to the time of John Kennedy's assassination. The book covers the whole history of the Wall from the beginning of the disputes between Khrushev and Kennedy in Vienna to after Kennedy and Khrushev were both ... people from both sides feel after all of the conflict is over and "for Berliners the Wall is now, therefore, normal." (pg. 283) This book was strictly on politics. It explains why a wall separated East Berlin from West Berlin. Refugees were leaving by the thousands to live in Democratic West Berlin...

• Word Count: 714
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... lot of people's freedoms. Back when all the leaders in his country were dealing with other countries that were power-hungry also much like big brother in the book, and that were taking away human rights. Germany was brainwashing their citizens and maybe out of pure fear they followed but they got the citizens of Germany to ... took people and made them the doormats of society. Similar In 1984 Oceania is always at war with other countries and battling for power in the book he Oceania is at war with 2 countries constantly, Eastasia and Eurasia. Germany made the Jews much like the prowls. ...

• Word Count: 518
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... success in predicting Ramius' objective was believable, even though his predictions were so far fetched that they were considered crazy by other characters in the book. The actions of Jack Ryan and normal way of living allowed farther development of plot which was completely acceptable to the reader making the story ... who infiltrated the Soviet Union's military projects Vatutin thought he was going to rise in the ranks. Understanding the circumstances described earlier in the book it would have been a normal human reaction of trying to hold the power like Vatutin did. Most humans woul...

• Word Count: 2281
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... characters, items, and events found in Marxism and the 1917 Russian Revolution. This comparison will be shown by using the symbolism that is in the book with similarities found in the Russian Revolution. Old Major was a prized-boar that belonged to Farmer Jones. The fact that Old Major is himself a ... working class people (or animals) would own all the riches and hold all the power. (Golubeva and Gellerstein 168). Another character represented in the book is Farmer Jones. He represents the symbol of the Czar Nicholas in Russia who treated his people like Farmer Jones treated his animals...

• Word Count: 1545
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... characters, items, and events found in Marxism and the 1917 Russian Revolution. This comparison will be shown by using the symbolism that is in the book with similarities found in the Russian Revolution. Old Major was a prized-boar that belonged to Farmer Jones. The fact that Old Major is himself a ... working class people (or animals) would own all the riches and hold all the power. (Golubeva and Gellerstein 168). Another character represented in the book is Farmer Jones. He represents the symbol of the Czar Nicholas in Russia who treated his people like Farmer Jones treated his animals...

• Word Count: 1698
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... worst had come to the top. The animals showed a true example of the way that humans act and do things when they have power. There are many lessons in the book that can help show what to and what not to do with power. Another lesson it shows is what happens when power is abused. The ... book also shows a clear idea of the fact that "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely". It shows a clear idea of how all the Communist Governments have been run ... animals have a government set up and one of the commandments the animals have reads, "All Animals are Equal" By the ...

• Word Count: 661
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... about so much more; as long as people walk on two legs and any type of government is present, this book will stay important. The book is written in a very simple way, one which is easy to understand. It can be understood by a wide range of people, ... those of different races and different ages. However, this simple style of writing does not undermine the serious message within the book. Employing allegories and personification to empower his satirical fable, Orwell presents the reader with an excellent example of the good and bad of human nature within politics ... Farm, Napoleon claim...

• Word Count: 1885
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... a biographical series of many leaders from the past and present. The information presented in her series is objective and informative. The purpose of Tito is to inform the reader. The book is valuable for several reasons. First, it is presented in a reader friendly chronological order for easy access to particular areas. Second, it is filled with links to further readings. Finally ... , the book includes several direct quotes and writings from Tito. The book also includes a bibliography with valid sources. The author, Ruth Schiffman, is also credible. She has taught history and written s...

• Word Count: 1552
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the impression that the USSR was progressing towards the betterment of society and the western countries were wrong in their views of democracy. Solzhenitsyn's book holds value in how it enlightens the Soviet citizens about what really happened within Gulag. In reality, life within the camp was not ... without weapons to act as meat shields or detonate hidden mines. The key aspect of the comparison between behavior of the prisoners in Solzhenitsyn's book and the state of mind of normal citizens outside of the Gulag is the importance of family and love. Family and love are what brings .....

• Word Count: 1312
• Approx Pages: 5

... you think animals would be any different from humans? Do you believe there are animals that would want to rule over other animals? George Orwell answers this question in the book Animal Farm. Animal Farm is about a time when a group of farm animals decided they've had enough, and took matters into their own hands. The ... political power doesn't necessarily mean conditions for the people will get better. Though it is one of countless possibilities, the book brings to light the atrocities of mankind as depicted in animals. The revolution is the turning point of the book lets the animals ...

• Word Count: 510
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School