A Concise History of the Russian Revolution

The book explores the tumultuous events leading to the establishment of the first modern totalitarian regime in Russia, highlighting a crisis within the tsarist empire. Utilizing newly released archival materials, it details the transformation of a conservative revolt into a revolutionary movement driven by visionary intellectuals. The narrative covers key figures, policies, and the brutal realities of the revolution, arguing that the resulting system was shaped more by Lenin's character and Russia's historical authoritarianism than by Marxist theory.