Stephen Leonard White was born in Dublin in 1945, to a literary and culturalhousehold. He attained his first degree at Trinity College Dublin in 1967 before movingto the University of Glasgow to pursue doctoral studies. He remained in Glasgow for therest of his career, spending his last three decades as professor, and was viewed as one ofthe world’s leading scholars of Soviet and post-Soviet history and politics. Author andeditor of more than 500 books, articles and edited volumes, and a frequent commentatorin the media, he was known for his prodigious work ethic, attention to detail, depth ofhis scholarship and generosity of spirit. In addition to his own scholarly output, he supervised or mentored an extended family of grateful scholars now spread across the world.He died in November 2023 after an exemplary career spanning more than 50 years.