John Scott (2) (1912–1976)

An absolutely fascinating portrayal of the sacrifices made in Russia following the Bolshevik revolution to make the country into an industrial powerhouse. John Scott's book details the the work he did as a welder building the massive steelworks in the new Soviet city of Magnitogorsk in the Ural Mountains. Scott had left the U.S. at the beginning of the thirties to investigate the "worker's paradise" of Russia. The story he details over the six year's he spends in the country shows all the bread lines, accidents, home construction, and steadfastness of the people. The first person history details a fascinating period of history and is told in such an engaging manner that it is hard to put the book down. I have reread this a few times over the years and it always surprises me with new details. This is not merely a history of labor but gives ideas of what may have led to the purges that Stalin instituted, foreign interaction, etc...first rate and detailed.… (meer)