Joseph Stalin is one of the most notorious and influential figures of the 20th century.
He led the Soviet Union for 25 years, a period during which the country rapidly modernised into a world power and played a decisive role in defeating Nazi Germany.
At the same time, millions of Soviet citizens were killed under his rule, earning him a reputation as one of history's most notorious mass murderers.
Sheila Fitzpatrick, Emeritus Professor at the University of Chicago, is one of the world's leading scholars on the history of the Soviet Union.
Her latest book, The Death of Stalin, examines both the immediate aftermath of the dictator's death and his surprising influence in contemporary Russia.
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