Trotsky: A Biography [Hardcover]

 

 

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I have now finished Service's book. Well, I have to agree with some of the critical comments above. It is written in a rather pedestrian style, and yes, Service does come across as snide in parts. He doesn't much like his subject, that's clear. As for the alleged errors of fact, I'm not qualified to pronounce on that, but in a book of 500 densely written pages (excluding notes and index) it would be surprising if there were no errors of fact in it. These complaints may be nit-picking. Readers like myself who know little of Trotsky the man are more interested in getting an overall picture of what made him tick, than in a catalogue of details.

The main thing I would look for in any book about a subject like Trotsky, who seems to inspire adulation and loathing in equal measure, is that the writer should attempt, however unsuccessfully, to present both sides of the picture. This is something that Service does, however grudgingly. His very dislike of Trotsky means that his praise of the man's achievements and personal qualities has to be taken seriously. Conversely, his criticisms are backed up with quotes which seem to go some way to prove the point. For example, here is Trotsky's son Leva: "Papa never recognizes when he's in the wrong. That's why he can't bear criticism. When something is said or written to him with which he disagrees he either ignores it entirely or gets back with a harsh reply". For another side of Trotsky which is not normally acknowledged by his disciples, Service reveals that he treated the women in his life between badly to abominably. After ditching one of his mistresses and while attempting to reopen relations with Natalya, he wrote her - or at least Service claims that he wrote her - a frankly pornographic note reproduced on page 450 of the book (the language makes it inappropriate for repetition here). In fact, it seems that he was a self-centred, priapic old goat.

Irrespective of all that, he was a great man with a lasting influence. Oddly enough, Service reveals that the contemporary politician with whom Trotsky had the closest resemblance in many ways was - Winston Churchill!

While this may seem a potty assertion, it is not quite as daft as it sounds. Both men were highly intelligent political mavericks, who were much smarter than their party colleagues and unafraid to go their own way without fear or favour. They both supported themselves by writing books (highly articulate and well written books by any standards, and quite exceptional by the standard of books written by politicians). They both had an obsession with a cause (the Nazi threat in Churchill's case, international revolution in Trotsky's). They both suffered eclipse after great early success and promise. They both showed exceptional physical bravery on the field of battle, and the ability to take sometimes brutal decisions under stress. They both inspired a remarkable level of loyalty, amounting to hero-worship, in the people they led and inspired. Trotsky of course never lived to emulate Churchill in making a spectacular come-back.

Yes, Service does mention Trotsky's Jewish background rather a lot, but this may be because it was important in his development. This background provided Trotsky with a properous, loving and supportive family, and a first rate education by the standards of the time (though it stopped short of university, a lack which did not seem to hamper Trotsky in his later life). It is also significant that Trotsky faced anti-semitism himself, and to this extent his Jewishness must be taken into consideration, however little it meant to Trotsky himself.

Stanton Carlisle seems to have looked on this book as an exercise in character assassination. This was not how it appeared to me. Trotsky comes across as a far more likeable character in this book, than in hagiographical accounts that attempt to portray him as superhuman. I think it rather endearing for instance that Trotsky was an expert croquet player! Imagine, say, Stalin playing croquet. You can't. Trotsky was a warm human being with a sense of humour and perhaps the most brilliant polemicist of his generation.

Anyone who has a level of knowledge beyond GCSE History and whom is not rabidly committed to an ideologically driven attack on all things Russian/Bolshevik/Communist will find Service's book surprisingly damning in its assessment of Trotsky. However, much of the population has very little knowledge of the Russian revolution beyond the widely known facts; Service's book is directly aimed at this 90% and is an endless river of anti-communist/Bolshevik bile suitable for the McCarthy era.

Leading German historian Hermann Weber described Service's book as dealing "in lies, falsifications of history, dubious references and even anti-Semitic prejudices. Such pamphlets should not have a place in an academic publishing house with a liberal tradition". Weber was among a number of leading German and Austrian historians who signed a letter sent to the German publishers of Service's appalling 'history' strongly objecting to its publication on the basis that is full of mistakes and purposeful, knowing misrepresentation and anti-semitic bias.

Weber is not alone; the American Historical Review (hardly a bastion of communism!)review says "Service commits numerous distortions of the historical record and outright errors of fact to the point that the intellectual integrity of the whole enterprise is open to question."

I do not have the time or energy to devote more time to my review, and would rather forget Service's insult to the word 'history'. But Weber's and the American History Journal's should go some way to opening people's eyes to the value of this book and ignoring the ridiculous praise heaped on it by the British press.

This biography, despite it detractors, offers a good introduction to the life and times of this influential twentieth century politician. It shows the events in his life that influenced him and motivated his behaviour and whilst the author claims he isn't Trotskyist this still manages to be relatively positive towards his subject. You see how Trotsky's political views developed, explore his time in exile in Siberia, see how he helped form and run the early USSR government and see his fall from grace, deportation and finally his assassination.

This book does point out his numerous flaws and overall this seems reasonably balanced. One thing I found highly frustrating was how the author refers to later events in Trotsky's life before they have yet to happen, as if the reader already has a knowledge of Trotsky's life and knows what he is talking about, and if this was the case I wouldn't have been reading the book in the first place! This ruined some passages for me, and some of the suspense was taken out of the narrative.

It has extensive maps at the beginning, three photo sections on the usual glossy pages and extensive notes at the back for those who are reading this for more academic reason. I haven't read the other books by the author about Stalin or Lenin and I would imagine there is a lot of cross over between them, but I can also imagine that if they are as well written as this they would provide an in-depth look at the main protagonists of the Russian revolution and USSR formation. This has lots of short chapters which help you progress through it at a reasonable rate and whilst I found some chapters relatively dry and uninspiring, this was in the main a fascinating and informative read. Worth considering.

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1.0 out of 5 stars An Utterly Discredited Biography.
For all the rave reviews and opinions that this is an even handed, objective assesment of Trotsky and his life, its nature and intent are best expressed by Service's comment,... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Mimbi

1.0 out of 5 stars The worst book I have ever read
Professor Robert Service's Trotsky is a diabolical work. Firstly it is poorly written but the essential problem with it is that it cannot be really classified as what is... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Enlighten

4.0 out of 5 stars leon
this is a very in depth study of trotsky and very scholarly if i was doing a thesis for higher education this would be ideal , but as i am a casual reader with only limited... Read more

Published 8 months ago by buggsy

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Biography
An even-handed biography on Trotsky was always going to be difficult and a long-time coming, and I think Robert Service does very well here. Read more

Published 16 months ago by XTR

4.0 out of 5 stars The Trots hate this book
Seems the Trots, SWP members and other assorted ultra lefties are slagging off this very readable biog of Trotsky so I guess the writer got it just about right. Read more

Published 18 months ago by redbigbill

2.0 out of 5 stars Whither Robert Service?
Having just finished reading this book the question is: why did Robert Service write it? The author plods (trots?! Read more

Published 18 months ago by Terry Sleeper

4.0 out of 5 stars Stalin part two
Service has written a very different book to what I imagined. But really Trotsky has had it coming for a very long time & I think that this is the end for all the romantics that... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Chris Purnell

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful corrective to Deutscher's hagiography
This biography of Leon Trotsky is a useful corrective to Isaac Deutscher's hagiography.

Service points out just how hostile Trotsky was to Lenin over the years. Read more

Published 20 months ago by William Podmore

5.0 out of 5 stars Irony lost on LT
How ironic to be exiled and then murdered when you yourself have done the very same to your political opponents,but the irony was lost on LT. Read more

Published on 31 Jan 2010 by Mr. J. Davies

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Biography of One of the Major Figures of Twentieth Century History and Politics
Trotsky by Robert Service is a good book dealing with one of the most important figures in the history of the USSR. Read more

Published on 26 Jan 2010 by HBH

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