Reconstructing the State

• Preface; 1. Introduction: explaining state-building outcomes and the Soviet Russian case; Part I. Structure and Identity in the Post-Revolutionary State Elite: 2. Anatomy of a regional elite: the rise of the provincial Komitetchiki; 3. Constructing an elite identity: images of self, service and state; Part II. Informal Sources of Power in the Post-Revolutionary State: 4. Extending the reach of the state: personal networks and territorial administration; 5. The constraints of power: personal networks and central rulership; Part III. Intrastate Conflict and the Constraints of Power Redefined: 6. Center and regions in conflict I: collectivization and the crisis of regional leadership; 7. Center and regions in conflict II: the fall of the provincial Komitetchiki; 8. Conclusion: state building and the Soviet Russian case reconsidered; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

'Easter's superb study illuminates the heretofore underappreciated role of regional elite networks in the evolution of the Soviet state. This lucidly written book is a fine political history embedded in a sophisticated and useful theoretical framework. It is an important contribution to political science and Soviet history.' Zoitan Barany, University of Texas, Austin