Sarah Cameron (2)
Author of The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan
For other authors named Sarah Cameron, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Sarah's interest in Latin America and the Caribbean began with a degree in Iberian and Latin American Studies, during which time she spent a year in Colombia. Following a spell with the British Council she joined an International bank as an adviser on Latin America and the Caribbean. She now works show more full time on the Handbooks and travels extensively in the Caribbean. show less
Works by Sarah Cameron
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Reviews
Wow. This is definitely one of the better history (and dissertation-to-book) books that I've ever read. Cameron is very careful to remain unbiased and show multiple sides of every part of the events she covers. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping she publishes more about Kazakhstan, because there are so few English-language books and papers out there, especially that actually use references from Kazakh writers.
The Hungry Steppe covers a tragic historical event in Kazakhstan's history that show more probably remains unknown here in the West: the famine of 1930-1933 caused by Stalin's collectivization process, but also racist stereotypes, during the making of the Soviet nation.
There's so much I want to say about this, but I really don't have the words. The book goes into why we know more about the Ukrainian famine then we do the Kazakh one (mainly because of the active diaspora in the West), but we really need to learn more about this one as well.
All I can do is recommend this book and leave with the last paragraph of the epilogue:
"[…] the fact that the Kazakh famine, though one of the most heinous crimes of the Stalinist regime, does not fit readily into the legal definition of genocide should challenge historians to rethink the ways that we categorize and study mass atrocities and their perpetration. In placing so much emphasis on those cases that fit a particular definition of genocide, we may conceal other cases of mass violence, such as the Kazakh famine, that also stemmed from a political process and that were no less destructive to human life." show less
The Hungry Steppe covers a tragic historical event in Kazakhstan's history that show more probably remains unknown here in the West: the famine of 1930-1933 caused by Stalin's collectivization process, but also racist stereotypes, during the making of the Soviet nation.
There's so much I want to say about this, but I really don't have the words. The book goes into why we know more about the Ukrainian famine then we do the Kazakh one (mainly because of the active diaspora in the West), but we really need to learn more about this one as well.
All I can do is recommend this book and leave with the last paragraph of the epilogue:
"[…] the fact that the Kazakh famine, though one of the most heinous crimes of the Stalinist regime, does not fit readily into the legal definition of genocide should challenge historians to rethink the ways that we categorize and study mass atrocities and their perpetration. In placing so much emphasis on those cases that fit a particular definition of genocide, we may conceal other cases of mass violence, such as the Kazakh famine, that also stemmed from a political process and that were no less destructive to human life." show less
Awards
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- Works
- 1
- Members
- 31
- Popularity
- #440,252
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 59
- Languages
- 1