Reviews for Jews in the Russian Army, 1827-1917: Drafted into Modernity

The average rating for Jews in the Russian Army, 1827-1917: Drafted into Modernity based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-01-27 00:00:00 Enrique Rivera When you read about the struggles of black, asian, Latino, women, and other Americans to gain the trust of military leaders, this book reminds us how stereotypes transcend borders. Any ethnic group, regardless of who and where they are, will be caricatured the same way. Prejudice isn't based upon knowing people personally, or upon objective observation. Anybody who is in anyway different will be assumed by bigots to be weak, cowardly, untrustworthy, unpatriotic, lazy, criminal, or otherwise unfit for duty, even when the statistics and the official combat records refute this. It is incredible, nevertheless, that anti-Semites did everything they could to discourage Jewish recruitment although their overall bravery, fortitude, scrupulous conduct, and even health set them apart from the rest. A disproportionate number of Jews served the Tsar, compared to their percentage of the population, even while bigots kept claiming they were draft dodgers. Along with Germany, Russia excluded Jews from the officer corps until after the Revolution. Nevertheless, so many Jews served in the armed forces that Russian veterans formed the core of the Haganah in Palestine. The author argues that, in spite of political interference, the Russian military managed to provide a path to social equality otherwise denied to Jews in the civilian sphere. Needless to say, the Bolsheviks provided leadership opportunities to Jews which they had been refused under the Tsars. It is sad that even this path to acceptance would ultimately be blocked in the wake of the later Stalinist terror and Soviet campaign against all religious observance.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-08-13 00:00:00 christopher smith I thought this book was a good editor away from being a five star book, but there are a number of reasons why I like it. First of all, assuming that this book is completely true and full of facts, it's a scary reality, and it's certainly plausible. Did this happen? Was all of society nearly snuffed out? Is this worth reading again with Pakistan's shaky society and North Korea's nuclear ambitions? In short, simply the prospect of what could have been is scary enough for me, and I found this part to be gripping. Additionally, did Tom Clancy get the idea for The Hunt for Red October from this story? The similarities are there, but since I'm someone that enjoys an occasional Clancy novel or three, if you want something as well-written as possible, you take Clancy and the Red October. Lastly, though, I was engrossed with the inclusion of the Glomar Explorer. As a young boy, I remember reading Janes and all sorts of good military history, and I always wondered what that ship was for...until I read this book. Some things I've always wondered about fit into place, and with that, we get a four star book. If only the writing was stronger...