The Russian Civil War of 1917-1920, out of which the Soviet Union was born, was one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. The collapse of the Tsarist regime and the failure of the Kerensky Provisional Government nearly led to the complete disintegration of the Russian state. This book, however, is not simply the story of that collapse and the rebellion that accompanied it, but of the painful and costly reconstruction of Russian power under a Soviet regime. Evan Mawdsley s lucid account of this vast and complex subject explains in detail the power struggles and political manoeuvres of the war, providing a balanced analysis of why the Communists were victors. This edition includes illustrations, a new preface and an extensively updated bibliography.
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'a miracle of concision, clarity and completeness' --Michael Malancon
'The best book ever written on the Russian Civil War...' --Robert McNeal
'The best book ever written on the Russian Civil War...' --Robert McNeal
About the Author
Evan Mawdsley is Professor of History at Glasgow University. He has written numerous books and articles on Russian history and is the co-author of The Soviet Elite from Lenin to Gorbachev. He lives in Glasgow.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Basileus
Format:Paperback
"The Russian civil war" by Evan Mawdsley gives a good high level overview of the economical, political and military events in Russia between 1917 and 1920. It also analyses the reasons for victory of the Reds and the demise of the Whites during the civil war.
Whilst the book is a good introduction to the Russian civil war, I found myself struggling through the pages. Mawdsley resists the temptation to get lost in the detail but in doing so makes the story too abstract for my liking and fails to bring the period to life. I missed anecdotes, character profiles and exciting adventures, which prevented me from becoming engrossed in the story. For instance, only in the conclusion did I discover this conflict caused up to an astonishing ten million deaths. I would also add that the book contains nine maps, these are however very unclear and are nowhere referenced in the story as such I did not bother looking at them.
All in all, "The Russian civil war" is a decent introduction, but is by no means a great read. This book provides a good analysis of the Russian civil war but is only for readers with perseverance.
Whilst the book is a good introduction to the Russian civil war, I found myself struggling through the pages. Mawdsley resists the temptation to get lost in the detail but in doing so makes the story too abstract for my liking and fails to bring the period to life. I missed anecdotes, character profiles and exciting adventures, which prevented me from becoming engrossed in the story. For instance, only in the conclusion did I discover this conflict caused up to an astonishing ten million deaths. I would also add that the book contains nine maps, these are however very unclear and are nowhere referenced in the story as such I did not bother looking at them.
All in all, "The Russian civil war" is a decent introduction, but is by no means a great read. This book provides a good analysis of the Russian civil war but is only for readers with perseverance.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Rufus
Format:Paperback
I so much wanted to read a book on this subject, and still want to.. This is a difficult area to cover and I doff my cap at anyone who attempts to do so, but this book hardly attempts to succeed and ultimately fails in its objective. Large tracts of time and events are glazed over and important characters like Bulak-Bulakavich are scarcely mentioned. I'd love someone to pick up this particular ball and try again, the topic is rich with interest but this book falls flat and fails to excite or educate. Even for someone as interested as myself in this subject, was bored and felt uninformed. I gave up before the end.. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By C.W.W
Format:Paperback
This is undoubtedly a good book- but one marketed as an overview for first-timers to pick up. It is not, and I think is (and has been) better appreciated by scholars and more advanced students than it has by those most likely to buy it. If you are looking for an easy-going introduction to the area, there are better books out there. That being said, if you are looking for the high-level of detail, you will probably be wishing this book was twice as long. So it sits uncomfortably between two poles, which is a shame since the content itself is very good indeed. One for those with a reasonable knowledge of the period looking to take it further I think.
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