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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 (27 customer reviews)

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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 (27 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6,882 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#2 in Books > History > Europe > Russia > Russian Heads of State
#2 in Books > History > Europe > Russia > Russian Revolution
#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.

Product Description

Presents an account of the Russian Revolution. This book has won the Wolfson History Prize, the W H Smith Literary Award, and the Longman/History Today Book of the Year Award.

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 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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32 of 38 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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11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and Thorough, Though Annecdotal, 15 Jul 2007

By	Master Rg Rogers "my_vacant_stare" (Sussex, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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. Figes' prose flows through the book smoothly and enjoyably.

However, this does create some problems within the book. I found that at points throughout the book Figes' prose became too anecdotal; reducing rather horrific actions and events into little more than footnotes within the story. This is not to say that Figes does not tackle the violence and often unspeakable brutality of this period without tact and sensitivity. I think Figes deals with the Russian Revolution and all of the problems it created socially rather well. I believe he captures the essence of the revolution that say, Robert Service could not. Many historians produce accounts of the revolution that paint the revolution as an "Inevitability". This however creates the illusion that the Bolsheviks "Steamrollered" Russia without much hassle. Figes is able to transcend this rather simplified view, painting a very human picture of the leaders of this "People's Revolution" and their roles within this tragedy.

Figes' use of characters within the book creates a drama of epic proportions-hitting home the social uphealval of the time. His particular use of Semenov's story with his battles with the Village hierachy and the meteoric rise of peasant commisars like Os'Kin as well as the linchpin-like Gorky and his role within every aspect of the revolution and his eventual disillusionment with the revolution he had a hand in creating, makes for a tragic and typically desperate Russian Epic.

I will agree with other reviews in that the period after the Civil War is rather rushed compared to the detail in the rest of the book. This rather disappoints and leaves a rather sour taste after such a fantastic book. I think that this as well as Figes' rather flippant style sometimes is the one thing keeping this book from five stars.

This book is an amazing book. Of that that there is no doubt. A must-read for those interested in the Russian Revolution. It succeeds where other books fail; in its concentration of social issues rather than focusing purely on the policital issues/stories.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars revolutionary
A very long read - but well worth the effort ! Fresh, informative, enlightening, at times moving. It helped me understand the Russian people so much better. Great book !

Published 1 month ago by C. Baker

5.0 out of 5 stars A People's Tragedy by Orlando Figes
I've always wanted to make some sense of the chaos of Russian History in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this book comes as close to this as it is humanly possible. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Bostjan Vilfan

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic
By far the best book on the Revolution. At last, students will no longer have to be bored senseless by E H Carr's autistic ramblings ....

Published 3 months ago by Mr. R. B. Collins

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 months 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 5 months 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 6 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 9 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 14 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 on 10 Oct 2007 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 on 27 Jul 2007 by Charles Edge

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