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A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924
by: Orlando Figes

List Price: £18.00

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Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 947.0841
EAN: 9780712673273
ISBN: 071267327X
Label: Pimlico
Manufacturer: Pimlico
Number Of Pages: 934
Publication Date: July 31, 1997
Publisher: Pimlico
Studio: Pimlico
Sales Rank: 2466

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.co.uk Review:
Written in a narrative style that captures both the scope and detail of the Russian revolution, Orlando Figes' history is certain to become one of the most important contemporary studies of Russia as it was at the beginning of the 20th century. With an almost cinematic eye, Figes captures the broad movements of war and revolution, never losing sight of the individuals whose lives make up his subject. He makes use of personal papers and personal histories to illustrate the effects the revolution wrought on a human scale, while providing a convincing and detailed understanding of the role of workers, peasants, and soldiers in the revolution. He moves deftly from topics such as the grand social forces and mass movements that made up the revolution to profiles of key personalities and representative characters.

Figes' themes of the Russian revolution as a tragedy for the Russian people as a whole and for the millions of individuals who lost their lives to the brutal forces it unleashed make sense of events for a new generation of students of Russian history. Sympathy for the charismatic leaders and ideological theorising regarding Hegelian dialectics and Marxist economics--two hallmarks of much earlier writing on the Russian revolution--are banished from these clear-eyed, fair-minded pages of A People's Tragedy. The author's sympathy is squarely with the Russian people. That commitment, together with the benefit of historical hindsight, provides a standpoint Figes can take full advantage of in this masterful history.

Synopsis:
Presents an account of the Russian Revolution. This book has won the Wolfson History Prize, the W H Smith Literary Award, and the Longman/History Today Book of the Year Award.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- An unscrupulous depiction of bolsheviks as cold-blooded despots.
One small example of the problems with Figes' book, small but typical : on pages 631-632 we are treated with the horrendous shooting of Bim-Bom, the clown who dared mock the bolsheviks, at the hands of the Cheka bursting onto the circus in the middle of the comedian's act.

Except that a small amount of research would have made Figes aware that Bim-Bom was not a single clown but a duet, and that no such assassination took place : on the contrary the founder of this famous duet ("Bim" real name Ivan Semenovich Radunskim) died in 1955 after a long career.

But hey ! Why let facts get in the way of a good scene ?

Rating:

- Comprehensive and engaging
Orlando Figes has produced the definitive account of the events that facilitated the October Revolution of 1917, with significant emphasis placed on the characters who brought it about. He writes with a storytelling style that invites both seasoned historians and novices to the field to truly grasp the scope of this immensely significant and compelling period of history. The emphasis placed on the individual in history is, I think, necessary when it comes to this subject. Without the cunning designs of Lenin, propped up by the rhetoric of Trotsky and with the inability of Kerensky and the Socialist Revolutionaries to recognise the turn of the tide in favour of the Bolsheviks, they were totally incapable of stemming the tide of Socialist Revolution. ... Read More:

Rating:

- Detailed and Thorough, Though Annecdotal
Firstly, I would like to say that this book is an incredible book. It is unlike any book I have read on this or any other historical subject. Figes' prose flows through the book smoothly and enjoyably.

However, this does create some problems within the book. I found that at points throughout the book Figes' prose became too anecdotal; reducing rather horrific actions and events into little more than footnotes within the story. This is not to say that Figes does not tackle the violence and often unspeakable brutality of this period without tact and sensitivity. I think Figes deals with the Russian Revolution and all of the problems it created socially rather well. I believe he captures the essence of the revolution that say, Robert Service ... Read More:

Rating:

- Masterful and detailed
Surely this must be the definitive account of the Russian Revolution's origins and course of events. A deserved prize-winner.

Rating:

- The best marathon you'll ever run
This is a long book, for those looking for short sharp read look elsewhere because you won't find it here. What you will find is a book that humanises an often sterile topic. by bringing out human examples again and again Figes does not just cater for the undergraduate historian searching for information but also personalises the plight of the russian people in such a way that is both captivating and informative, making it a good read for any audience. This is no harry potter, you won't find people reading it around a swimming pool but if you have the time it is well worth it. Most importantly do not be put off by its size. the author assumes little prior knowledge whilst at the same time allowing the learned reader an even more in-depth look at the ... Read More:

Books : A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924