A review by cherbear
The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia by Orlando Figes

4.0

I have always been interested in Russian history, especially from post Revolution to the end of the Cold War. This book seemed like a perfect source of information for this era, specifically covering the lives of the people who were so affected by Stalin's policies, but I had some reservations. I had found some articles that put into questions Orlando Figes' veracity as a writer. Indeed, this very book wasn't published in Russia due to the many inaccuracies historians and other fact checkers found, although Figes would tell it was due to political censorship.
Nonetheless I decided to read it, all the while keeping in mind that perhaps not everything was 100% accurate. Overall I found it very interesting and enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in this particular time in history, but keep aware that it shouldn't be relied on as complete fact.