Engineers of the Soul

A “fascinating” account of how Gorky, Pasternak, and other great writers were coerced to create propaganda for Stalin ( Cleveland Plain Dealer ). Sunday Times Best Travel Book of the Year In the Soviet Union, writers of renown, described by Stalin as “engineers of the soul,” were encouraged to sing the praises of canal and dam construction under titles such as Energy: The Hydraulic Power Station and Onward, Time! But their enthusiasm—spontaneous and idealistic at first—soon became obligatory, an