V. I. Lenin: a Brief Sketch of His Life and Activities

by Vladimir Lenin

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, leader of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks), statesman and political theorist. After the October Revolution he served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until his death in 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1924.

Reviews

[Lentšik Tiiger Linin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Väga põnev, motiveeriv ja traagiline(lõpu osa). Pani palju emotsioone tundma.
Pole 5 tärni sellep et ei räägitud monest asjast millest ma oleks tahtnud rohkem kuulda v mis jäeti üldse mainimata, aga noh nagu pealkiri ütleb siis "lühike ülevaade".(minu raamat 160lk ka)
Millalgi tulevikus tahax pikemat biograafiat ka lugeda, nii külluslik ja huvitav elu lis.
Ning kuna ta elu nii ajalooga kaasas otseselt siis paralleelselt saad 19saj lopu ja 20saj alguse sotsialismi liikumisest ka palju teada. See on nagu samal ajal lis NSV tekkimise ajalugu x lenini biograafia. Meeletult põnev!

[Voyager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt the best biography of Lenin I have read. Avoiding the attempts to make him look like a spineless coward bereft of principle like later biographies from the time of Khrushchev and beyond, this biography, written during the height of World War II certainly with the intent of raising the spirits of the Soviet people by inspiring them with the history of the founder of their state and father of Bolshevism, tells Lenin's life as it was: a life of unending struggle against all enemies of the working class and for the defence of the principles of Marxism.

This biography, being written by the staff of the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute of the Soviet Union, breaks with the trend of bourgeois and later revisionist historians who fail to analyse Lenin's life and position from the perspective of dialectical materialism, the authors being educated Marxists themselves and brilliantly applying the Marxist method of historical analysis to the life of Lenin. For example, the authors show how Lenin's upbringing from a family of intellectuals and educators, close to the poorest of the Russian Empire, and certain trends both in Russian society and government at the time imbued in Lenin a progressive mindset eventually leading him to Marxism. The authors are likewise able to analyse brilliantly, with extensive citations, the key works of Lenin like What is to be Done?, One Step Forward..., and Imperialism..., and go to great efforts, drawing from the works of Lenin along with the reminiscences of those who knew him, to show the thinking of Lenin at different periods and on the most burning questions. All of this gives the book a tremendous theoretical value, showing how the father of Bolshevism thought and worked, in addition to satisfying a biographical interest.

From a biographical and theoretical perspective, I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Odhran · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most interesting thing about this was the bit, near the end, where the time Lenin left Stalin a note was the subject of discussion. Quite obvious that it was all about justifying Stalin's rule.