The Russian Revolution

by Robert C. Goldston

Outlines the causes of the revolution, discusses agents and leaders who vied for state power, and the eventual political solution.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Robert Conroy Goldston was an American writer best known for his works of history.

Reviews

[Alfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got most of the way through China Mieville's October and decided to re-reread this. I'd say if you're going to read one book about the Russian Revolution and want a solid, well contextualized but quick read, this is the go-to.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent summary of the Russian Revolution (in 216 pages) written in 1966. The author gives a good background regarding Russian history and also about Karl Marx and his ideas. Although written during the Cold War, I thought the author showed some sympathy for Lenin and the Bolsheviks. I like this quote: "Revolutions are not conspiracies--they are vast social upheavals as inevitable and self-justifying as earthquakes." There had to be an explosion to destroy the terrible oppression of the Russian people that had been going on for centuries.But as Goldston points out the group that took over in 1917-the Bolsheviks under Lenin and Trotsky-were a highly disciplined and ruthless group. He also points out they held to Marxism as if it were the "one true faith." "History" was elevated in place of God and they believed they could do no wrong in the name of "History." So there was the Bolshevik terror and, much worse, following the Revolution, the terror unleashed by Stalin. The Russian people did not gain freedom but Stalin built a powerful industrial state that was not only able to stand up to the Nazi invasion in 1941 but defeat it. When the book was written, the Soviets were the Number 2 industrial power in the world after the USA and were racing the Americans to the Moon. Twenty-five years after this book was written the Soviet Union collapsed--but the Russian people still struggle to gain their freedom as I write this in 2018, 100 years after the Russian Revolution.

[Sam Dancis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good and quick over view of the Russian Revolution. I recommend it for anyone who just wants a brief synopsis of the events. It goes into fairly good detail about the creation of communism, but it gives only surface information on the bulk of the revolution.

[I. Merey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty much exactly what I wanted: a concise but thorough summary. Wow, Rasputin ate a truckload of poisoned food and STILL had to be shot like three times! Crazy. The author note at the very end regards US comparison with Russia reads a little musty, but otherwise this was solid.

[Adrian Colesberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemingly balanced and concise. Can't recommend enough for someone who wants to increase their literacy about this event in history, as I did, without getting into a long slog.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick, concise and understandable summary of the Russian Revolution. Goldston juggles a lot of pieces here, from the evolution of Marxist thought to the intrigues of revolutionary Russia, in a relatively slender volume. He also has a lively way of writing history. And despite writing at a time of deep suspicion of the USSR in the West, Goldston is remarkably measured in his assessments.

The one complaint I have with the book is that it's a bit too focused on the machinations in Petrograd. Goldston touches here and there on life in the Siberia or on he Eastern Front, but he never really delves into them much. They are handled almost from the perspective of the former Russian capital: what was happening "out there." Some of that was likely dictated by his desire to keep things short and understandable; given the many developments in Petrgrad, a thorough account that focused heavily on other areas of the country would likely have run dozens or even hundreds of additional pages.

In that respect, "The Russian Revolution" is more of a primer than a comprehensive history. But it does provide a baseline understanding of what happened in Russia and why, and does so in an enjoyable read.

[Howard Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book so compellingly concise that I read it in one sitting.

[ash estep · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick over view of the Russian revolution, it is well written and has beautiful drawings by Donald Carrick. It earned the five stars by being clear, and consistent. I have only one point of contention and that is the lack of Stalin. This book focused heavily on Lenin, and Trotsky, but Stalin was mentioned less than five times. This book was written in 1966 so it’s not the best over view of the Soviet Union, but if you’re curious about how it started, What the Russian empire was in the years leading up to 1905, Bloody Sunday, The February and October revolution, this is a great way to start

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging and succinct history of the Bolshevik revolution.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. It may a bit brief, but all of the power players and their machinations to depose the Czar are included. I would highly recommend it, and its lengthy "To Read" list as well.