Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century

“Popoff's summary of Grossman's life in the 1930s is striking. [. . .] clear and well-structured”—Robert Chandler, Spectator

“Alexandra Popoff's biography is crisp and comprehensive, deftly interweaving Grossman's personal life with the momentous events he experienced”—John Thornhill, Financial Times

 “[A] fine biography”—William Boyd, Sunday Times

“Gripping . . . As told by Popoff, the stories behind Grossman’s stories, particularly of censors’ efforts to alter and limit them, are fascinating.”—William Taubman, New York Times

“[Popoff] tells Grossman’s story with sensitivity and a keen understanding of his world, drawing on little-known archival collections to produce what must be considered the definitive biography.”—Douglas Smith, Wall Street Journal

“[Popoff’s] emphasis on what she calls “the connection between totalitarian regimes and political ignorance” not only applies to Soviet Russia but constitutes a warning for the United States” —William Taubman, International New York Times

“Excellent biography”—Ian Thomson, Evening Standard

“Popoff ’s biography offers useful context to how Grossman contemplated death and his own mortality at an early age [. . .] and how Russia’s future was a central topic as he grew up”—Julian Evans, Daily Telegraph

“Alexandra Popoff’s account excels in depicting Vasily Grossman’s battle with oppressive censors” —Philip Ó Ceallaigh, Irish Times

“Alexandra Popoff’s biography, Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century, provides fascinating detail about his publishing travails.” —Louise Adler, The Sydney Morning Herald

“For a new study of Grossman's life, readers can turn to Alexandra Popoff's Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century”—Oldie

“[An] engaging contribution to Grossman scholarship likely to appeal to general and expert readers alike”—O. T. Jones, Slavonic & East European Review

“The strong point of Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century is the aggregation and collation of a wealth of biographical and related detail and gossip that has come to light over the last 30 years.”—Leslie Jones, Quarterly Review

Longlisted for the 2019 Cundill History Prize sponsored by McGill University

  Winner of the the Canadian Jewish Literary Award in the Biography category, sponsored by the Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies

Finalist in the 2019 National Jewish Book Awards, Biography category

Winner of the Jewish Studies Literary Awards in Biography, sponsored by The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards

"Alexandra Popoff has produced a magnificent biography of the great Soviet Jewish writer and journalist Vasily Grossman. Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century does justice to Grossman’s outspoken eloquence and defiance as one of the twentieth century’s foremost witnesses to the twin evils of Nazism and Stalinism."—Joshua Rubenstein, author of The Last Days of Stalin

“A harrowing tale of cruelty and courage, this unflinching study of Vasily Grossman’s life in a totalitarian society is a timely reminder of how all despots thrive on fear and lies. Alexandra Popoff has given us an invaluable autopsy of various Soviet monsters, including the enigmatic Stalin himself, yet in her inspiring account of Grossman’s efforts to resist tyranny, she has also created an unforgettable portrait of one brave soul’s triumph over a soulless state.”—Michael Shelden, author of Orwell: The Authorized Biography