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. Dec 14, 2016 in 2017 russia commemorates 100 years since the russian revolution. How lenins love of literature shaped the russian revolution. 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. 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. 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. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the guardian. 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 princeton university press. The russian revolution is a large topic, and not easily covered in a two hour lesson, let alone a single 46 minute documentary. Smith russia in revolution 2017 and geoffrey swain a short history of the russian revolution 2017. The russian revolution 2017 the russian revolution 2017. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading october.
On the afternoon of july 4, 1917, thousands of soldiers, sailors and workers converged on a former. In february of 1917 russia was a backwards, autocratic monarchy, mired in an unpopular war. I really liked this account of the russian revolution. During the first two months of 1917 russia was still a romanov. Figes is the author of many books on russian history, including a peoples tragedy. My enjoyment of novels set in russia has never left me. 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. In 2017 russia commemorates 100 years since the russian revolution. The story of the russian revolution kindle edition by mieville, china. 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.
If the communist house in foundation pit is fiction, the house of government was real. 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. Aug 29, 2017 also on display for the first time, from the british librarys own archive. Trotsky finished writing it in russian in 1930 and was then translated into english by max eastman in 1932. Top ten books about the russian revolution historia magazine. 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. The story of the russian revolution a century since 1917. Less like a documentary on the russian revolution and more like a minibiography on alexander ii, iii, nicholas the bloody, and the prophetic rasputin.
A 47minute documentary on the end of autocratic rule, and the beginning of what later became known as the russian revolution. 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. The house of government is unlike any other book about the russian revolution and the soviet experiment. One hundred years ago, in wartime petrograd, russian radicals known as the bolsheviks carried out the great october socialist 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. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian. Russia is marking the 100th anniversary of the 1917 october revolution on november 7, 2017. 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. 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 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. This book by sean mcmeekin is the first one on the topic of the russian revolution which i have read.
On the night of october 24, 1917, bolshevik red guards began to take control of key points in the russian capitalrailway stations, telegraph offices, and government buildings. A hundred years after the russian revolution, history, according to most historians, had pronounced its judgment. A new history recalibrates the villains of the russian revolution. One hundred years ago, russian workers sparked the revolution that led to the creation of the soviet union. When it finally did, around the turn of the 20th century, it. Reimagining the russian revolution 19172017, published by zero books. The definitive account of the russian revolution, by leon trotsky, its leader and key historian. In the spring of 1917, the german spy service sensed a surefire means of persuading russia to make a separate. The best books to read on the russian revolution, a. Oct 25, 2017 figes is the author of many books on russian history, including a peoples tragedy. An epochal event that transformed the russian empire and profoundly affected the course of world history in the twentieth century. 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.
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. This book was necessary reading for all early historians of the revolution. One womans liberation, set against the russian revolution. Maria alyokhina, member of punk protest group pussy riot, reflects on what that anniversaryand revolution itselfmeans today.
A century later, it is still hard to view the russian revolution outside the ideological framework of either its champions or its adversaries. 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. 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. Vladimir lenins bolsheviks stormed the winter palace, in the second of two revolutions in 1917, which. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Through the russian revolution by albert rhys williams. Apr 12, 2017 top 10 books about the russian revolution. The story of the russian revolution hardcover may 9, 2017. 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. 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. Jun 06, 2017 the russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books. The russian revolution is a superb account of this seminal. 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. In the standard account, february was the good revolution and october was the extremist one.
The history of the russian revolution by leon trotsky is a threevolume book on the russian revolution of 1917. Williams was already in petrograd when reed arrived and acted as a calming tutor to his wilder and more activist colleague. Top 10 books about the russian revolution the guardian. Ten days that shook the world by john reed, doctor zhivago by boris pasternak, history of the russian revolution by.
The russian revolution is a superb account of this. The russian revolution a new history by sean mcmeekin basic books. It was a building on bolotnaya square across from the kremlin intended for senior government workers. The story of the russian revolution, a talented novelist and committed marxist examines a seminal event of the 20th century. Mar 25, 2017 how lenins love of literature shaped the russian revolution. The russian revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the twentieth century. Where the russian revolution went wrong the boston globe. On the centenary of the russian revolution, china mieville tells the extraordinary story of this pivotal moment in history. In the russian revolution, acclaimed historian sean mcmeekin traces the events. Top 10 books about the russian revolution books the. Project muse new histories of the russian revolution.
The best books on the russian revolution pan macmillan. 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. Russia in revolution an empire in crisis, 1890 to 1928 s. A collection of lenins, on the 100th anniversary of the. The russian revolution, through american eyes history. Mar 10, 2017 at queens university belfast, i read russian studies and english for my first degree. 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. Nov 07, 2017 russia is marking the 100th anniversary of the 1917 october revolution on november 7, 2017.
Articles tagged as russian revolution smithsonian magazine. Russia industrialized much later than western europe and the united states. 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. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1917 russian revolution and discussing its significance today. Vladimir lenins bolsheviks stormed the winter palace, in.
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