Description:
A fascinating work rich in detail, Summerfolk explores the ways in which Russia's turbulent past has shaped the function of the dacha and attitudes toward it.
Brief description: Stephen Lovell is Professor of Modern History at King's College London. His other books include The Soviet Union: A Very Short Introduction, The Shadow of War: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1941 to the Present, and Russia in the Microphone Age: A History of Soviet Radio, 1919-1970.
Review Quotes:
Stephen Lovell's Summerfolk is a wonderfully rich yet concise history of this peculiar Russian institution the dacha which brilliantly illuminates its diverse cultural and social themes. As Lovell demonstrates, the story of the dacha is a good way to reflect on the zigzag history of the relationship between the Russian state and private property.
-- "New York Review of Books"