Between truth and time : a history of Soviet Central Television /

Historian Evans (Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) has published an excellent new book that addresses how Soviet Central Television brought serious news and entertainment to Brezhnev-era Soviet culture, dispelling the myth that Brezhnev's era was one of dullness and stagnation. This era of engagement of the Soviet population through talk shows, movies, music, and other forms of entertainment illuminates a Soviet society that was much livelier than usually thought. Yet Soviet Central Television also supported the Marxist-Leninist ideology while running entertaining and experimental programming. This approach to media prepared the Soviet population for the reforms brought by Mikhail Gorbachev during the perestroika era. Evans's work is based heavily on new archival sources along with interviews and video sources. It is a rich contribution to a more nuanced understanding of the lives of ordinary Soviet citizens during an era usually characterized as dull. It also raises questions about the current state of media in Putin's Russia. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates and above. --William Benton Whisenhunt, College of DuPage