51 review for The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Jess – Aug 17, 2019

   Heartbreaking, necessary reading. I recommend pairing this with David Moon’s The Plough that Broke the Steppes: Agriculture and Environment on Russia's Grasslands, 1700–1914 for an examination of tsarist colonial settlement to enable drawing of continuities with Soviet Kazakh policy. Despite the complexity of genocide studies, Cameron thoughtfully analyses the historiography of the Kazakh famine in relation to its overshadowing by the better-known and studied Ukrainian famine. Her finest achieve Heartbreaking, necessary reading. I recommend pairing this with David Moon’s The Plough that Broke the Steppes: Agriculture and Environment on Russia's Grasslands, 1700–1914 for an examination of tsarist colonial settlement to enable drawing of continuities with Soviet Kazakh policy. Despite the complexity of genocide studies, Cameron thoughtfully analyses the historiography of the Kazakh famine in relation to its overshadowing by the better-known and studied Ukrainian famine. Her finest achievement, however, is centering the tragedy that the Kazakh people suffered.

2. 

   4 out of 5

   Akram Azerbayev – Feb 17, 2019

   This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Very powerful book. A product of an extensive 'on the ground' research is heart breaking, tragic and damning to read. Apart from making a great contribution to a history of Kazakhs and people of former Soviet Union, the book is a warning to modern Kazakhs of what total disregard for people can do, whether by Bolsheviks in Moscow or people with Boleshevik methods closer to home... Very powerful book. A product of an extensive 'on the ground' research is heart breaking, tragic and damning to read. Apart from making a great contribution to a history of Kazakhs and people of former Soviet Union, the book is a warning to modern Kazakhs of what total disregard for people can do, whether by Bolsheviks in Moscow or people with Boleshevik methods closer to home...

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Tiffany – Apr 10, 2019

   Relatively academic so it's not like a rip-roaring read but it is an English-language book about a topic that is mostly unknown in the English-speaking world. The most interesting things to me were some of the comparisons between western understanding of the Ukrainian famine vs. the Kazakh famine. Relatively academic so it's not like a rip-roaring read but it is an English-language book about a topic that is mostly unknown in the English-speaking world. The most interesting things to me were some of the comparisons between western understanding of the Ukrainian famine vs. the Kazakh famine.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Zhanar Irgebay – Jul 23, 2019

   Educational and at the same time devastating

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Josh –

6. 

   5 out of 5

   Nailya –

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Brian –

8. 

   4 out of 5

   Phil –

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Michael –

10. 

    5 out of 5

    Jacob –

11. 

    4 out of 5

    Stephanie Wright –

12. 

    5 out of 5

    Musa Salan –

13. 

    4 out of 5

    Charles –

14. 

    5 out of 5

    Gaziz Zhotabayev –

15. 

    4 out of 5

    Laura –

16. 

    5 out of 5

    Natalie Loretta –

17. 

    4 out of 5

    Mihaela Negrea –

18. 

    5 out of 5

    Jeff –

19. 

    4 out of 5

    Casey Michel –

20. 

    5 out of 5

    Kathy –

21. 

    4 out of 5

    Marlo –

22. 

    5 out of 5

    Katie –

23. 

    4 out of 5

    Dmitry Kislitsyn –

24. 

    5 out of 5

    Dina bahati –

25. 

    5 out of 5

    Emma Kathleen Lloyd –

26. 

    4 out of 5

    Gavin –

27. 

    4 out of 5

    Jerry –

28. 

    4 out of 5

    Keith Wine –

29. 

    5 out of 5

    Aizana –

30. 

    5 out of 5

    Anne Jacobson –

31. 

    5 out of 5

    Eileen –

32. 

    5 out of 5

    Rosie –

33. 

    5 out of 5

    masha –

34. 

    4 out of 5

    Kw Estes –

35. 

    5 out of 5

    Patrick Murtha –

36. 

    5 out of 5

    Paul Reef –

37. 

    5 out of 5

    Andrew Eick –

38. 

    5 out of 5

    Burmaa –

39. 

    5 out of 5

    Tom –

40. 

    5 out of 5

    Scott –

41. 

    5 out of 5

    Raximus –

42. 

    4 out of 5

    Stephen Shapiro –

43. 

    5 out of 5

    Арсен Ералы –

44. 

    4 out of 5

    Esim Qasymqan –

45. 

    4 out of 5

    Baurjan Safi –

46. 

    5 out of 5

    Kanat –

47. 

    4 out of 5

    Brendan –

48. 

    4 out of 5

    Margarita –

49. 

    5 out of 5

    Oliver Shields –

50. 

    4 out of 5

    Ryan –

51. 

    5 out of 5

    Diana Moldagaliyeva –