Russia Goes Dry: Alcohol, State and Society - Paperback

by Stephen White (Author)

Russians today are the world's heaviest drinkers. The consumption of alcohol permeates family life, shapes the economy, and plays an occasional but striking role in the political leadership. Russia Goes Dry is an entertaining and instructive study of the Soviet leadership's attempt to eliminate alcohol abuse. It traces the profound influence of alcohol through Russian history and charts the campaign from its initiation under Mikhail Gorbachev to its disappointing aftermath in the postcommunist 1990s. Attractively written and fully illustrated, this book offers a fascinating insight into modern Russian society.

Back Jacket

Attractively written and fully illustrated, Russia Goes Dry is an entertaining as well as instructive guide to a changing society and a classic case study of the limitations of politically directed social reform.