Sarin, General Oleg and Colonel Lev Dvorestsky. Alien Wars: The Soviet Union's Aggressions against the World, 1919-1989. Novato: Presidio Press, 1996.

243 pages
ISBN 780891 414216

Foreword; Conclusion; Notes; Index.

This is an odd little book by a pair of former Soviet Army officers in which they purport to unveil the story of Soviet military assistance and aggression outside the USSR. It includes the Spanish Civil War, the Russo-Finnish War, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with its "secret" protocols, and (mostly) post-WWII adventures such as Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.

While this might make headlines in the former Soviet Union (although it was apparently written in English; no translator is credited) and may prove valuable for its post-war coverage, the WWII-era material contains no revelations and little of interest to anyone familiar with the course of the war.

Available from mail order booksellers and local bookshops, or directly from Presidio Press for $24.95.

Thanks to Presidio Press for providing this review copy.