Gripping and deep, are two words one may use when describing Gulag a History by Anne Applebaum. Anyone who is unfamiliar with what a gulag is will surely learn a lot about the harsh network of Soviet work camps that were operated from the 1930’s all the way up until the 1980’s. Reading this novel allows the reader to escape from everyday life and take a look into what it was like to be a political prisoner of the Soviets during the time of the U.S.S.R.  Readers need to make sure they have a tough stomach when reading due to graphic details regarding punishment and brutality towards the prisoners of the many gulags. This novel does not just cover the details of life inside the gulag, but also goes into detail when discussing the beginning and ending of such labor camps, and the rise and fall of their use to Stalin and the Soviet war effort most specifically in WWII. The story remains consistent throughout starting with the rise of the first Gulag, to what life was like inside of the Gulag, all the way to the fall of the Gulags. While the novel remains steady throughout, you might find difficulty reading all parts of the book perfectly clear, that is unless your second language is Russian. Even though pronouncing some of the Russian words may get hard at times, this is a great novel to read. It is replete with a lot of rich history that is unknown to many. Not only will the reader learn something new and interesting, but they will also be taken on an adventure away from their normal everyday lives when reading Gulag a History.