My Life: An Attempt At An Autobiography

by Leon Trotsky, Esteban Vsievolod Volkov (Preface), Alan Woods (Introduction)

Since Leon Trotsky's My Life was first published, it has been regarded as a unique political, literary and human document. Written in the first year of Trotsky's exile in Turkey, it contains the earliest authoritative account of the rise of Stalinism and the expulsion of the Left Opposition, who heroically fought for the ideas and traditions of Lenin. Trotsky's exile is the culmination of a narrative which moves from his childhood, his education in the 'universities' of tsarist prisons, Siberia and then his foreign exile - to his involvement in the European revolutionary movement, his central role in the tempestuous 1905 Revolution, the Bolshevik victory in October 1917 and the Civil War which followed. Trotsky's work concludes with the heroic struggle against Stalinism and his eventual exile and deportation from the Soviet Union. "The publication of a new edition of my grandfather's autobiography, My Life , is an important step in establishing the truth," writes Esteban (Sieva) Volkov in the preface to this book. Esteban is the last remaining survivor and witness of the last chapter of Leon Trotsky's life in Mexico. The book also contains an introduction by Alan Woods, the author of many acclaimed works on the Russian revolutionary movement.

Genres: History

600 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2018

About the author

See also Лев Троцкий

Russian theoretician Leon Trotsky or Leon Trotski, originally Lev Davidovitch Bronstein, led the Bolshevik of 1917, wrote Literature and Revolution in 1924, opposed the authoritarianism of Joseph Stalin, and emphasized world; therefore later, the Communist party in 1927 expelled him and in 1929 banished him, but he included the autobiographical My Life in 1930, and the behest murdered him in exile in Mexico.

The exile of Leon Trotsky in 1929 marked rule of Joseph Stalin.

People better know this Marxist. In October 1917, he ranked second only to Vladimir Lenin. During the early days of the Soviet Union, he served first as commissar of people for foreign affairs and as the founder and commander of the Red Army and of war. He also ranked among the first members of the Politburo.

After a failed struggle of the left against the policies and rise in the 1920s, the increasing role of bureaucracy in the Soviet Union deported Trotsky. An early advocate of intervention of Army of Red against European fascism, Trotsky also agreed on peace with Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. As the head of the fourth International, Trotsky continued to the bureaucracy in the Soviet Union, and Ramón Mercader, a Soviet agent, eventually assassinated him. From Marxism, his separate ideas form the basis of Trotskyism, a term, coined as early as 1905. Ideas of Trotsky constitute a major school of Marxist. The Soviet administration never rehabilitated him and few other political figures.

Reviews

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read about 100 pages- which i loved. But I am also reading Trotsky's history of the russian revolution and that takes priority. Love his style and his disarming way of writing like a regular fellow though about often portentous things.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me wonder what would have happened to the old USSR if Trotsky was the one who succeeded Lenin instead of Stalin

[Camille Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the life of Trotsky, from his early years to the Russian revolution and the rise of stalinism

[W. Blacksmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring read! This was an epic journey: rich in detail, intellectually stimulating, and surprisingly entertaining. Even the sections covering Trotsky’s early life, despite being less overtly political, were fascinating and narratively compelling. Throughout the entire book, I often felt as though I was reading the script of an epic historical film rather than a conventional nonfiction biography. It is exceptionally well written and genuinely enjoyable to read.

Not only did Trotsky live an extraordinarily interesting life, but the way he wrote about his own experiences is perhaps even more fascinating. Throughout the book, he actively applies dialectical materialism to understand his own life in relation to the society and historical processes unfolding around him. This gives the autobiography a depth that goes far beyond mere memoir.

One passage in particular left a profound impression on me:

“Late that evening, as we were waiting for the opening of the congress of the Soviets, Lenin and I were resting in a room adjoining the meeting hall, a room entirely empty except for chairs. Someone had spread a blanket on the floor for us; someone else, I think it was Lenin’s sister, had brought us pillows. We were lying side by side; body and soul were relaxing like over-taut strings. It was a well-earned rest. We could not sleep, so we talked in low voices. Only now did Lenin become reconciled to the postponement of the uprising. His fears had been dispelled. There was a rare sincerity in his voice.

He was interested in knowing all about the mixed pickets of the Red Guards, sailors, and soldiers that had been stationed everywhere. ‘What a wonderful sight: a worker with a rifle, side by side with a soldier, standing before a street fire!’ he repeated with deep feeling.”

This passage beautifully illustrates just how close Lenin and Trotsky really were during the October Revolution, and once again demolishes many of the myths propagated by Stalinist historiography.

Beyond the historical narrative, the book is filled with fascinating theoretical observations. There are far too many to discuss here, but one passage I particularly appreciated was Trotsky’s analysis of the bourgeois press:

“Zola wrote of the French financial press that it could be divided into two groups: the venal, and the so-called incorruptible that sells itself only in exceptional cases and at a very high price. Something of the sort may be said of the mendacity of newspapers in general. The yellow press lies as a matter of course, without hesitating or looking back. Newspapers like The Times or Le Temps speak the truth on all unimportant and inconsequential occasions, so that they can deceive the public with all the requisite authority when necessary.”(My Emphasis)

It is remarkable how clearly Trotsky understood the mechanisms of bourgeois media and ideological manipulation. Reading this passage, one cannot help but notice how little has fundamentally changed. Decades before the publication of Manufacturing Consent, The so-called discovery of Noam Chomsky, Trotsky was already describing a phenomenon that Marxists had long recognized: that the most effective bourgeois propaganda is often not the blatant lie, but the selective and strategic presentation of truth.

Overall, I found this to be an extraordinary work: not merely an autobiography, but also a historical account, a political education, and an application of dialectical materialism to one man’s life and to an entire revolutionary epoch.

[Kars Lohlfürst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving and inspiring book, that not only tells the story of one of the greatest revolutionaries' life, but also contains many valuable lessons for todays revolutionaries throughout the world. My Life by Trotsky is an absolute must read for every marxist out there.