I read 30 pages. Absolute shit. Could have guessed because it's appelbaum, the anti-communists darling, but damn the introduction alone is filled with ahistoric liberal revisionism. All respect in the world for my friend, but its shit like this i cant take seriously. Doesnt help that this place has shown me that engaging with liberals is by and large pointless (i have known the guy for years but certain things i cant get through his head), so most of my criticism is just dunking on Appelbaum.
Whenever I hear Appelbaum I think of Tauger's takedown of her Holodomor book, exposing it as deeply ahistorical bullshit.
One must then ask, "why have so many heard of the fraud Appelbaum and not Tauger?" And hopefully confront the answer.