David Shub

David Shub (, ) (13 September 1887 – 27 May 1973) was a Russian-born Jewish-American social democratic activist, journalist, and historian.

In 1930 he wrote the lead article on Stalin, probably the first authoritative profile to appear in the American press, for The New York Times Magazine (22 March 1930). His 1948 biography of Lenin has been reprinted over sixteen times, described as "indispensable to the student of contemporary history, of Russia, and of social revolution." He became political during his school years, joining an illegal social democratic circle associated with the Bund called Shkola borbu [School of Struggle] while a student in gymnasium.

Death and legacy

He died on May 27, 1973, in a Miami Beach hospital from complications following a series of heart attacks. He was survived by a daughter, Mona (a social worker), with whom he lived; a son Anatole Shub, editor of Radio Free Europe; a daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Shub, writer, editor, and translator; and three grandchildren.

Works

Lenin, der mentsh, der revolutsyoner un diḳtaṭor, a politishe byografye fun dem komunizm [Lenin, the Man, the Revolutionary, and Dictator: A Political Biography of Communism] New York: Veker, 1928. Heldn un martirer, di geshikhte fun di amolike groyse rusishe revolutsyonern un fun zeyer heroishn kamf far frayhayt [Heroes and Martyrs: The History of the Great Russian Revolutionaries of the Past and of their Heroic Struggle for Freedom] Warsaw: Bzshoza, 1939. Socialism, Fascism, Communism. Editor, with Joseph Shaplen. New York: American League for Democratic Socialism, 1934. Fashizm un komunizm, vi azoy moskve hot geholfn brengen fashizm un natsizm af der velt [Fascism and Communism: How Moscow Helped Bring Fascism and Nazism to the World] New York: Veker, 1939. What Do You Know About British Labor? With Robert Alexander. New York: Rand School Publications, 1946. Lenin: A Biography. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1948. Fun di amolike yorn, bletlekh zikhroynes. [From Years Past: Pages of Memoirs] Two volumes. New York, 1967. Sotsyale denker un kemfer [Social Thinkers and Fighters] Two volumes. Mexico City: Shloyme Mendelson Fund, 1968. Politicheskie deiateli Rossii (1850-ykh—1920-ykh gg.): Sbornik statei [Political Figures of Russia, 1850s to 1920s: Collection of Articles] New York, NY: Novaia zhurnal, 1969.