John Bradley obituary

John Bradley was expelled from school in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1949 for anti-communist activities, and later worked as an interpreter before securing a travel document for England Photograph: family photo

My father, John Bradley, who has died aged 93, was a specialist in eastern European and Soviet history and politics, contributing to more than 20 titles, mainly on Czechoslovakia, his native land, and Russia.

John taught in the department of government at Manchester University from 1963 to 1981. During this time he published articles and books including The Illustrated History of the Third Reich (1978), his bestselling work. Wishing to develop his extra-curricular activities, he then took early retirement.