Description
Book Synopsis
Drawing on newly available Russian sources--many of which appear in English for the first time here--this volume covers a broad array of topics, including the Bolshevik rise to power and World War I as the catalyst and cradle, respectively, of the Revolution. The authors convey the boldness and diversity of the revolutionaries'' aspirations as well as the ways in which the Revolution affected the lives of ordinary people, from the workers of Petrograd to Siberian peasants and Ukrainian Jews.
Maps, illustrations, and a glossary of terms are included, as are a chronology of the Revolution, a list of works cited, and a thorough index.
Trade ReviewThis much-needed collection brings to life the many layers and processes of the Russian Revolution. The individual documents are beautifully translated and well introduced. Thanks to the newly available sources provided here, we can see and understand the imagination-defying events of the Revolution more clearly and deeply. --Daniel Orlovsky, Southern Methodist University
An excellent anthology. . . . [This] book has a wide range of selections, which offers the students a deep understanding of the many different voices and groups in Russia during this time. The introductions to the selections are clear and place the documents within their historical context. The selections are very interesting and informative. I would strongly recommend this book for undergraduate classes in modern Russian history. The book makes this very complex period come to life by giving such a broad selection of documents. --Mary Louise Loe, James Madison University
One of the key strengths of the work is its accessibility: the individual documents are clearly and concisely introduced; any outstanding discrepancies are annotated throughout; and a useful chronology and glossary are found at the end of the text. For the specialist, a number of the documents will be familiar, as the editors make use of old favourites. . . But there is also a significant amount of less familiar and fresh material for the expert eye. . . . This documentary history will no doubt become the key primary source collection for undergraduates and teachers of the Russian revolutions and civil war. It is organized and annotated with impressive clarity and offers an inexpensive, up-to-date, wideranging and balanced approach to the many diverse features of the revolutions. --Revolutionary Russia
