Brinegar has mined the Soviet archives to reconstruct the complex politics around the consolidation of Soviet power in the oil-rich province of Baku. In the decade following the 1917 revolution, a colorful cast of characters struggled to reconcile the contradictions of building a socialist island in a global capitalist sea. She shows that nothing was inevitable about that history. * Peter Rutland, Professor of Russian studies, Wesleyan University, USA * Brinegar brings to us the heretofore untold but epic story of the battle for energy in the Soviet Caucasus, a battle ultimately won by Stalin, who adroitly enlisted locals to outflank, undercut, and eliminate potential opponents one after another. Carefully researched and essential reading. * Michael A. Reynolds, Associate Professor, Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University, USA * A welcome addition to the expanding scholarship on the relationship between natural resources and Soviet state power. * H-Net Reviews *
