Ten Days That Shook The World

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This account of the Russian Revolution by a western journalist has garnered global acclaim since its 1919 publication. Endorsed by Lenin as "a truthful and most vivid exposition" of the Proletarian Revolution, the narrative captures both the actions of Bolshevik leaders and the experiences of ordinary people on the streets. After outlining the Revolution's background and causes, the author details the days leading up to the Bolsheviks' power seizure in Petrograd. He explores the divisions between the provisional government, established after Nicholas II's abdication in March 1917, and the Petrograd Soviet, which warned against counter-revolution. The return of Lenin and Bolshevik plots aimed at inciting popular uprisings are chronicled, along with the tension between revolution and counter-revolution. The author describes the Red Guards, led by Trotsky and Lenin, as they took control of key buildings, the fall of the provisional government, the assault on the Winter Palace, and the final power seizure. Lenin himself praised the work, expressing a desire for it to reach a global audience: "Here is a book which I should like to see published in millions of copies and translated into all languages."