Top ten books about the russian revolution historia magazine. Reimagining the russian revolution 19172017, published by zero books. The history of the russian revolution by leon trotsky is a threevolume book on the russian revolution of 1917. The russian revolution is a large topic, and not easily covered in a two hour lesson, let alone a single 46 minute documentary. Aug 29, 2017 also on display for the first time, from the british librarys own archive. Top 10 books about the russian revolution the guardian. A century later, it is still hard to view the russian revolution outside the ideological framework of either its champions or its adversaries. Russia is marking the 100th anniversary of the 1917 october revolution on november 7, 2017. Now, following the collapse of the soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it is possible to step back and see the full picture. The russian revolution is a superb account of this seminal. Project muse new histories of the russian revolution. I really liked this account of the russian revolution.
The centenary of the russian revolution is an opportunity for me to revisit books that are set just before, during and in the immediate aftermath of the revolution. When it finally did, around the turn of the 20th century, it brought with it immense social. Ten days that shook the world by john reed, doctor zhivago by boris pasternak, history of the russian revolution by. In february of 1917 russia was a backwards, autocratic monarchy, mired in an unpopular war. If the communist house in foundation pit is fiction, the house of government was real.
Jun 15, 2017 i settled down, expecting to further my knowledge on the subject, really looking forward to it, only to find that it tried to cover too much on the subject in only a short 46 minutes. Uniting the political and the personal, explore the russian revolutions central characters, most notably lenin and trotsky, alongside the tales of ordinary people living through extraordinary times. In the spring of 1917, the german spy service sensed a surefire means of persuading russia to make a separate. A hundred years after the russian revolution, history, according to most historians, had pronounced its judgment. The russian revolution is a superb account of this seminal event bard college professor sean mcmeekin is a reliable guide to a complex story and his book moves seamlessly and clearly across a. The story of the russian revolution, a talented novelist and committed marxist examines a seminal event of the 20th century. Less like a documentary on the russian revolution and more like a minibiography on alexander ii, iii, nicholas the bloody, and the prophetic rasputin. On the afternoon of july 4, 1917, thousands of soldiers, sailors and workers converged on a former. Smith russia in revolution 2017 and geoffrey swain a short history of the russian revolution 2017.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading october. Nov 07, 2017 russia is marking the 100th anniversary of the 1917 october revolution on november 7, 2017. An epochal event that transformed the russian empire and profoundly affected the course of world history in the twentieth century. The russian revolution 2017 tv14 47min documentary, history 15 june 2017 usa a brief yet comprehensive documentary overview of the downfall of the romanov dynasty and the evolution of lenins ulyanov family, from the terrible acts and subsequent hanging of his brother to his own hunger for a revolution. One hundred years ago, in wartime petrograd, russian radicals known as the bolsheviks carried out the great october socialist revolution. It was a building on bolotnaya square across from the kremlin intended for senior government workers. The last of the tsars and a new history robert service dearly wants to indict lenin for the murder of the tsar but has to admit there is no direct evidence, while. How lenins love of literature shaped the russian revolution.
Furthermore, russian archives, inaccessible to the first few generations of scholars of revolution, have been open for decades, and the treasure buried within mined by successive waves of people who have contributed rich work to our understanding of the revolution. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This book by sean mcmeekin is the first one on the topic of the russian revolution which i have read. October, by the british author china mieville, is a gripping account of the russian revolution that offers the pleasures and rewards of a great novel the book has vividly drawn characters, high drama, suspense, and an irresistible narrative momentum that sweeps the reader along from the first page to the tragicbut not inevitable. Trotsky finished writing it in russian in 1930 and was then translated into english by max eastman in 1932. The russian revolution was a period of political and social revolution across the territory of the russian empire, commencing with the abolition of the monarchy in 1917, and concluding in 1923 after the bolshevik establishment of the soviet union, along with five other soviet republics, ukraine, belarus, armenia, azerbaijan and georgia, resulting in the end of the civil war. One womans liberation, set against the russian revolution. Oct 25, 2017 figes is the author of many books on russian history, including a peoples tragedy. The first major new history of the russian revolution in a decade combines cuttingedge scholarship and a fastpaced narrative to shed new light on a great turning point of the twentieth century. Williams was already in petrograd when reed arrived and acted as a calming tutor to his wilder and more activist colleague. Mark d steinberg this is a new history of russias revolutionary era as a story of experienceof people making sense of history as it unfolded in their own lives and as they took part in making history themselves.
Figes is the author of many books on russian history, including a peoples tragedy. Jun 06, 2017 the russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books. Where the russian revolution went wrong the boston globe. Apr 12, 2017 top 10 books about the russian revolution.
Mar 25, 2017 how lenins love of literature shaped the russian revolution. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian. Through the russian revolution by albert rhys williams. The russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books. As the title suggests, the book imagines an alternative history of the 20th century, one in which the october revolution was soon followed by successful revolutions in the capitalist centers of the west, in england, france, germany, andthe big prizethe united states. The russian revolution is a superb account of this. In 2017 russia commemorates 100 years since the russian revolution. If on the other hand, one were to speculate as mcmeekin does that there is some circumstantial evidence, that evidence is not persuasive at all, and certainly not conclusive. On the afternoon of july 4, 1917, thousands of soldiers, sailors and workers converged on a former royal palace, a sprawling palladian structure in the russian capital. The house of government is unlike any other book about the russian revolution and the soviet experiment. Articles tagged as russian revolution smithsonian magazine.
When it finally did, around the turn of the 20th century, it. Maria alyokhina, member of punk protest group pussy riot, reflects on what. The story of the russian revolution hardcover may 9, 2017. Russia industrialized much later than western europe and the united states. The fact that the revolution did not prove to be the first step toward the establishment of a true socialist society, founded on freedom and equality, does not mean that it was betrayed. About 900 pages long, this book is an imposing firsthand account of the russian revolution, remarkable for having been composed by one of its chief protagonistsproof, if need be, that leon trotsky was a formidable writer amongst other things. Maria alyokhina, member of punk protest group pussy riot, reflects on what that anniversaryand revolution itselfmeans today.
Vladimir lenins bolsheviks stormed the winter palace, in. Written in the tradition of tolstoys war and peace, grossmans life and fate, and solzhenitsyns the gulag archipelago, yuri slezkines gripping narrative tells the true story of the residents of an enormous moscow apartment building where top communist officials and their families. I have previously read more than the average non russian person about russian history, but i am in no way an expert on the subject. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a.
Vladimir lenins bolsheviks stormed the winter palace, in the second of two revolutions in 1917, which. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1917 russian revolution and discussing its significance today. Aug 29, 2018 the russian revolution, through american eyes on the centennial of the start of the russian revolution, explore about the tumultuous events of 1917 as witnessed by americans and other expatriates. I was in love with the future, in love with the idea of fate. Jun 01, 2017 the russian revolution is a superb account of this seminal event bard college professor sean mcmeekin is a reliable guide to a complex story and his book moves seamlessly and clearly across a. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the. The definitive account of the russian revolution, by leon trotsky, its leader and key historian.
The russian revolution penguin and revolutionary russia, 18911991 pelican. My enjoyment of novels set in russia has never left me. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian revolution. The house of government princeton university press. No single event played a bigger part in shaping the course of the 20th century than the. In the russian revolution sean mcmeekin argues that the bolshevik. One hundred years ago, russian workers sparked the revolution that led to the creation of the soviet union. A new history, by sean mcmeekin, is an interesting book chronicling the russian revolution from onset to about the 1920s, or the end of the civil war. A 47minute documentary on the end of autocratic rule, and the beginning of what later became known as the russian revolution. During the first two months of 1917 russia was still a romanov. On the centenary of the russian revolution, china mieville tells the extraordinary story of this pivotal moment in history. Dec 14, 2016 in 2017 russia commemorates 100 years since the russian revolution.
The russian revolution, through american eyes history. The russian revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the twentieth century. The best books on the russian revolution pan macmillan. His book is in some ways a more solid work, helped by several conversations with lenin and other bolsheviks, as well as their opponents. The russian revolution 2017 the russian revolution 2017. A collection of lenins, on the 100th anniversary of the.
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