Review by Choice Review
The enduring visual appeal of Soviet propaganda posters has resulted in many publications, both in Russia and abroad. Lafont's brief introduction states that the approximately 210 poster reproductions in this volume are drawn from a collection compiled by Sergio Grigorian, who is not otherwise identified. The posters are a mixture of the well known and the obscure, arranged in chronological sections that follow the history of the Soviet state. The book is attractive and well produced, but its usefulness as a substantive source for the study of this topic is limited by sparse commentary. The captions, in German and English, are reasonable translations from the Russian, but with rare exceptions the reader is given no background information. Even the captions are difficult to read because of a light typeface and placement aside the illustrations. More helpful is a concluding inventory of the posters, together with thumbnail biographies of the artists. Although intended primarily for a general audience, the book will offer most to those who bring a thorough knowledge of the historical and political context for the posters. In short, this is a book for browsing. Summing Up: Optional. General readers. W. C. Brumfield Tulane University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
