The poignant historical novel by Viktor Suvorov “Control”, which became a continuation of the story “Snake” and a prequel to the novel “Choice”, tells about the struggle for power, intrigues and conspiracies in the top leadership of the USSR on the eve of World War II. The author vividly and thoroughly recreates the psychological atmosphere in the Soviet society of 1938-1939, when Stalin, implementing the grandiose plan for the seizure of power in the country, with the help of the most severe repressions, completely subjugated the party and economic apparatus, the army and the special services. Victor Suvorov masterfully draws psychological portraits of people who aspired to power, who got to power and drank to it, reveals the true mechanisms of governing the country and huge masses of people through fear and terror, and shows what motives Stalin and his associates were guided by. For the new edition, the novel was completely revised by the author and supplemented by several interesting episodes.