The Russian Revolution

By: Sheila Fitzpatrick

Narrated by: Steve Fortune

The Russian Revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the 20th century. In the years following the collapse of the Soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it has become possible to step back and see the full picture.

Starting with an overview of the roots of the revolution, Fitzpatrick takes the story from 1917, through Stalin's "revolution from above", to the great purges of the 1930s. She tells a gripping story of a Marxist revolution that was intended to transform the world, visited enormous suffering on the Russian people, and, like the French Revolution before it, ended up by devouring its own children.

This updated edition contains a fully revised introduction to address the centenary, and what it all means in retrospect.

©2017 Sheila Fitzpatrick (P)2020 Upfront Books

Helpful Book

Capitalists should read this, as a cautionary tale. It is, also, important, for anyone, who is interested, in history, in general.

Reads like an in closet communist author

I am reading several outstanding books on the 1917 Revolution. Pipes, Figes, Beevor. This one is quite superficial. it explains things in Marxists terms. It seems like the author tried to justify Bolsheviks when she could. I will readily admit that I hate the revolution and it's consequences. I live in it's shadow all my live, still. Politics of Belarus are an indirect result of those days.

Skewed West

For me, this is a useful book, as a general review of material, but its analysis is embarrassingly bourgeoisie and oftentimes simply repeats old western falsehoods.