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A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924
 
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A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 (Paperback)

by Orlando Figes (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.00
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A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 + The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia + Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia
Price For All Three: £30.18

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Product details

  • Paperback: 934 pages
  • Publisher: Pimlico; New edition edition (31 Jul 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 071267327X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0712673273
  • Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.8 x 5.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,046 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > History > Europe > Russia > Russian Revolution
    #2 in  Books > History > Europe > Enlightenment, Revolution & Empire 1751-1900
    #3 in  Books > History > Political History > Revolutions & Coups

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Written in a narrative style that captures both the scope and detail of the Russian revolution, Orlando Figes' history is certain to become one of the most important contemporary studies of Russia as it was at the beginning of the 20th century. With an almost cinematic eye, Figes captures the broad movements of war and revolution, never losing sight of the individuals whose lives make up his subject. He makes use of personal papers and personal histories to illustrate the effects the revolution wrought on a human scale, while providing a convincing and detailed understanding of the role of workers, peasants, and soldiers in the revolution. He moves deftly from topics such as the grand social forces and mass movements that made up the revolution to profiles of key personalities and representative characters.

Figes' themes of the Russian revolution as a tragedy for the Russian people as a whole and for the millions of individuals who lost their lives to the brutal forces it unleashed make sense of events for a new generation of students of Russian history. Sympathy for the charismatic leaders and ideological theorising regarding Hegelian dialectics and Marxist economics--two hallmarks of much earlier writing on the Russian revolution--are banished from these clear-eyed, fair-minded pages of A People's Tragedy. The author's sympathy is squarely with the Russian people. That commitment, together with the benefit of historical hindsight, provides a standpoint Figes can take full advantage of in this masterful history.

Review
"It is by far the best history of the Russian Revolution I have ever read."
-Frank McLynne

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924
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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
5 star:
 (18)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best marathon you'll ever run, 23 Oct 2006
By Mr. M. J. Walmsley "mark_walmsleyuk" (Great Britain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is a long book, for those looking for short sharp read look elsewhere because you won't find it here. What you will find is a book that humanises an often sterile topic. by bringing out human examples again and again Figes does not just cater for the undergraduate historian searching for information but also personalises the plight of the russian people in such a way that is both captivating and informative, making it a good read for any audience. This is no harry potter, you won't find people reading it around a swimming pool but if you have the time it is well worth it. Most importantly do not be put off by its size. the author assumes little prior knowledge whilst at the same time allowing the learned reader an even more in-depth look at the chaos and brutality of imperial Russia and beyond. For beginners and scholars alike this book is second to none and a must for anyone with an interest in the soviet union. To understand any nation especially one governed by rigid ideals one must understand the events and context in which those ideals were introduced, moulded, and ultimately distorted.
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28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars whatever did happen to leon trotsky, 4 May 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 (Hardcover)
Having already read "Natasha's Dance", "A People's Tragedy" had a lot to live up to - it did. In this superb book, Figes describes the social forces and events that led to, then ruined, the democratic revolution in Russia. The book achieves a rare balance between the stories of the great personalities who helped shape the revolution, and the lives of the common people who felt its effects. He is even-handed, taking to task both left- and rightist interpretations of the revolution and the motivations of those involved; it is this impartiality that condemns both the old tsarist regime and the new Bolshevik dictatorship. "A People's Tragedy" is long, but is an enthralling, if grim, read throughout.
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24 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, 16 Dec 2003
Very good one volume history of Russia from pre-revolution to post-revolution times.

Figes tells the story of revolutionary Russia from a late 20th century perspective relying on fact without an overly 'leftist' or 'rightist' bias.

Anyone calling this a 'rightist' history criticising the Bolsheviks has clearly failed to grasp the horrendous state of the Russian nation post 1917.

Why only 4 stars? Figes lets himself down slightly with the title - 1891-1924. In truth, this book finishes at the end of the Civil War in 1920/21 and glosses over the post-Civil War famines and economic reforms in too little detail, with little attention paid to the rise of Stalin in the party structure. An extra 100 pages to fatten out these themes would have been appreciated.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars For serious history buffs
A People's Tragedy is an extraordinary book, and I highly recommend it. Nevertheless, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 simply because my eyes glazed over some of the political text... Read more
Published 4 days ago by MsCindyBooks

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece of History
I have recently finished 'A People's Tragedy' and read it as part of ongoing revision and research for my AS History Paper on Russia in Revolution. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Love

5.0 out of 5 stars What's a little ice-pick between friends...?
A superb book and a wonderful introduction to the history of Soviet Russia.
I'll never be able to watch '10 days that shook the world' in the same way ever again!
Published 2 months ago by Bloodnock

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb read, unbeatable
What lies behind the dates and hard historical facts of the Russian Revolution? Why did it happen? Why did democracy and freedom not thrive? Read more
Published 5 months ago by Seta

5.0 out of 5 stars moving
An amazing book, i always wanted to know about the Russian revolution and its cause and effects, Mr Figes not only delivers but makes all the key people involved come alive, i... Read more
Published 9 months ago by A. D. Taylor

2.0 out of 5 stars An unscrupulous depiction of bolsheviks as cold-blooded despots.
One small example of the problems with Figes' book, small but typical : on pages 631-632 we are treated with the horrendous shooting of Bim-Bom, the clown who dared mock the... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ilestre

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and engaging
Orlando Figes has produced the definitive account of the events that facilitated the October Revolution of 1917, with significant emphasis placed on the characters who brought it... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Charles Edge

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and Thorough, Though Annecdotal
Firstly, I would like to say that this book is an incredible book. It is unlike any book I have read on this or any other historical subject. Read more
Published on 15 Jul 2007 by Master Rg Rogers

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful and detailed
Surely this must be the definitive account of the Russian Revolution's origins and course of events. A deserved prize-winner.
Published on 17 Dec 2006 by John Hopper

1.0 out of 5 stars Painstaking
My goodness. This is one of the most highly recommended and respected texts known to historians today, regarding the topic of the enthralling Russian past. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2005

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