The Russian Revolution: A Very Short Introduction

By S.A. Smith

Book Overview

This concise, accessible introduction provides an analytical narrative of the main events and developments in Soviet Russia between 1917 and 1936. It examines the impact of the revolution on society as a whole--on different classes, ethnic groups, the army, men and women, youth. Its central concern is to understand how one structure of domination was replaced by another. The book registers the primacy of politics, but situates political developments firmly in the context of massive economic, social, and cultural change. Since the fall of Communism there has been much reflection on the significance of the Russian Revolution. The book rejects the currently influential, liberal interpretation of the revolution in favor of one that sees it as rooted in the contradictions of a backward society which sought modernization and enlightenment and ended in political tyranny.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0073SIWT8
• ISBN13: 9780192853950
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

As Short Introductions Go, this is quite a good overview

At 180 pages and in a pocket size format, this book is targeted at a reader who wants a quick concise overview and it delivers that reasonably well. There's no appreciable bias, all the significant factors, players and historical events are covered. The book covers the period from 1917 to 1929, so it goes beyond the revolution itself and into the first five years of Bolshevik rule. The books fairly well structured and not at all confusing - and the author does a remarkably good job of distilling the complexities of the Revolution, the Civil War and the early years of the Soviet Union down into a book this size. Overall, a good intro and overview. If you want all the ins and outs, there's books available that go down to that level of detail. They won't fit in your pocket though. And your average High School student may experience brain-cell burnout, whereas they may survive this one.