It serves as the most vital and inspiring record of the russian revolution to date. The russian tsars before the revolution, russia was ruled by a powerful monarch called the tsar. Its practical impact on the world was far more profound and global than that of the french revolution a century earlier. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian. For a website for marxist analysis of current events with an unwavering principled focus on historical truth the world socialist web site is unmatched also two films. The russian revolution totally reshaped society, and the writers of the day responded to it with a mixture of exhilaration, horror and hope, some changing their views over their lifetimes. He commanded the army, owned much of the land, and even controlled the church. The author of many volumes about russia including russia under the old regime, pipes here chronicles the country from 1900 through lenins death in 1924.
Top 10 books about the russian revolution a century after the bolsheviks seized power for communism, tariq ali chooses some of the best books. Through the russian revolution by williams, albert rhys, 18831962. A peoples history of the russian revolution, written by one of the finest historians on the left, faulkner, is a vital contribution to the debate, an essential defence of the revolutionary experience. During the period of time before the russian revolution, life for the working class people and the peasants was very difficult. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the. The russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books.
This new history of the russian revolution was one of many books published to mark the 100th anniversary of the bolshevik revolution. Photos add depth to a concise yet thorough history. This is a concise introduction to the russian revolution from 1917 to 1945, that is, in the period prior to the cold war. Jamesregarded by many as among the most powerful works of history ever written, the history of the russian revolution offers an unparalleled account of one of the most pivotal and hotly debated events in world history. It was first time in the history that the toiled masses had successfully established their own rule. In the russian revolution, acclaimed historian sean mcmeekin traces the events which ended romanov rule, ushered the bolsheviks into power, and introduced communism to the world. At queens university belfast, i read russian studies and english for my first degree. The history of the russian revolution and 10 days that shook the world by john reed.
Translated by max eastman, 1932 library of congress catalog card number 8083994 isbn 09460834 transcribed for the world wide web by john gowland australia, alphanos pangas greece and david walters united states 1997 through 2000. A peoples history of the russian revolution left book. With the first volume translated by marian schwartz, the six upcoming books are part of the nobel laureates multivolume magnum opus about. A new history and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. On the afternoon of july 4, 1917, thousands of soldiers, sailors and workers converged on a former. Between march and november of 1917, two key events framed the collapse of the russian empire. There has never been such a comprehensive book of russian history ever written before. In his essay from the graphic history of revolutionary russian childrens books, inside the rainbow, arkady ippolitov writes soviet childrens book design of the 1920s and 1930s is the acme of all design before and after books in which an absolute balance. Lenin died and stalin took over the communist party which continued to rule russia until 1991 when the ussr was. It was the 1917 russian revolution that transformed the scale of the communist manifesto, making it the key text for socialists everywhere. Russia at the time was at war with germany as part of an entente or threecountry coalition that also included great britain and france.
Im looking for any other books suggestions, something that can give me a better overall picture of the revolution. History of the russian revolution is a detailed history of the russian revolution in three volumes as recounted by leon trotsky, one of the main protagonists of the russian revolution. Origins of the russian revolution wood the russian revolution 18941924 culpin the last tsar radzinski nicholas and alexandra massie the rasputin file radzinski. Between 1917 and 1922, russia underwent a complete and irreversible transformation. What are the best fiction books to learn about the russian. Solzhenitsyns russian revolution epic to be published in. Ten days that shook the world by john reed, doctor zhivago by boris pasternak, history of the russian revolution by. Its premise is that the perspectives of the post1945 period are not adequate to understand the international setting of the revolution in world war i, the great depression, and the rise of fascism. Extensively detailing the revolution and civil war period 1917 22. The best books on the russian revolution five books. Publication date 1921 topics communism publisher new york, boni and liveright collection americana digitizing sponsor.
List of books and articles about russian revolution. The russian revolution, 19171945 by anthony dagostino. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the guardian. The best books on the russian revolution london evening. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Its definitely informative, but im getting lost in the details. It doesnt have a lot of detail on daytoday life, but it explicit discusses the working class and peasantry as political subjects in their own right rather than as the mere constituencies of thisorthat party, so its a good text for situating whatever you read about daily life in the broader political context. I really dont understand why would you want to learn of russian revolution and civil war from a fiction book. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian revolution. Lenins electoral strategy focuses on lenins approach to electoral politics and what he and other marxists terms the institutions of bourgeois democracy, drawing on bolshevik debates and marx and engels own writings to show this to be a central feature of their revolutionary strategy. The text may make reference to page numbers within this document. This is a readable and comprehensive account of the russian revolution.
After the revolution the union of soviet socialist republics ussr was born, which eliminated poverty, established free medicine and highly subsidized housing, free education and job security. In fact, he goes indepth about the history of russia in general. In this brisk history, mcmeekin ottoman endgame, professor of history at bard college, reevaluates the 1917 russian revolution on its centennial. The russian empire collapsed on march 8, 1917, and the bolsheviks took power a few. Although he was too young to have participated in the events of the revolution of 1917, he joined grassroots communist groups to spread literacyand the word of lenin. This bloody sunday was followed in succeeding months by a series of strikes, riots, assassinations, naval mutinies, and. During the first two months of 1917 russia was still a romanov monarchy. This book reveals, from the perspective of one of its central actors, the russian revolution s profoundly democratic, emancipatory character. The centenary of the russian revolution is an opportunity for me to revisit books that are set just before, during and in. Richard pipes has done an excellent job of condensing the complicated events that led up to and constituted the russian revolution into a highly readable book. The russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin. For eric hobsbawm, the russian revolution which occurred, as it happens, in the year of his birth was the central event of the 20th century. The facts are well known, but history is about making connections between these facts, and there could be and there are many histories of the russian revolution. Pages in category history books about the russian revolution the following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total.
Many books have dealt with the complex history of russia in the early twentieth century. His many books include since lenin died 1925, marx, lenin and the science of revolution 1926, the end of socialism in russia 1937 and stalins russia. Leon trotsky is the author of this powerful 1040page book that goes over the history of the russian revolution in great detail. The immediate result of the revolution was to plunge russia into utter chaos, and the longterm consequences were dire. Top ten books about the russian revolution historia. The past year has prompted a predictable flurry of sovietthemed activity to mark the 100th anniversary of the october revolution. The russian revolution, 1917 by rex wade is a good one.
The history of the russian revolution volume one the overthrow of tzarism online version. The russian revolution was the beginning of the modern age, says awardwinning author roland chambers. The definitive account of the russian revolution by leon trotsky, its leader and key historian. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a. An illustrated history of the russian revolution books in. A hundred years after the russian revolution, history, according to most historians, had pronounced its judgment. On the centenary of this upheaval, this volume pairs marx and engelss most famous work with lenins own revolutionary manifesto, the april theses,which lifts politics from the level of everyday banalities to become an artform. The russian revolution of 1917 was a major event in history that changed the world. You will not find another such sharp turn in history especially if you remember that it involves a nation of 150 million people. They were little known to anybody when the year began, and their leaders were still under indictment for state treason when they came to power. Eight months later the bolsheviks stood at the helm. History of the russian revolution penguin modern classics. He tells us what solzhenitsyn imagined lenin was like, and about the childrens author who led a double life as a spy in bolshevik russia. The history of the russian revolution volume two leon trotsky first published.
This was a complex time, where there wasnt just 2 sides and describing it as clusterfuck is a serious understatement. History books top 10 books about the russian revolution a century after the bolsheviks seized power for communism, tariq ali chooses some of the best books about an uprising that changed the world. The russian revolution of 1917 has often been presented as a complete break with the past, with everything which had gone before swept away, and all aspects of politics, economy, and society reformed and made new. The story of the russian revolution, but i have found it pretty dense and difficult to get through. Leon trotsky the history of the russian revolution volume. The volumes are chronologically broken down into the following three periods. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a recommended list courtesy of the publishers. An illustrated history of the russian revolution books in 2 volumes. Russian revolution, the consecutiveness of its stages, the inexorable pressure of the masses, the. My enjoyment of novels set in russia has never left me. Leon trotsky was a leader of the russian revolution in 1917 and is the author of my life, the history of the russian revolution, and the revolution betrayed.
What are the best nonfiction books on russian revolution. Published to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the 1917 russian revolution, this edition of trotskys masterpiece, with a new foreword by ahmed shawki, tells the epic story of the remarkable events which transformed russian and world history forever. Commemorate that earthshaking event with these ten fantastic books about russia and russians, found in the store and online at interabang. Originally published in three parts, trotskys masterpiece is collected here in a single volume. Discover the best historical russian fiction in best sellers. Purchasing your russian revolution books through these links is a great way to support alpha history, while saving money. The best books on the russian revolution saul david picks the best of the many new books published to coincide with the centenary of the russian revolution. Written by leon trotsky coleader with lenin of the october russian revolution. In case youve yet to be sunk by the deluge of coverage, you should know that the 100th anniversary of russias twin, momentous revolutions lands this year. Trotskys history of the russian revolution is a long, very complex, and extremely detailed treatment of the remarkably eventful period from february to october of 1917.
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