jjares reviewed The Russian Revolution: An Enthralling Guide to a Major Event in the History of Russia (Eastern Europe) on + 3414 more book reviews
The first thing that struck me about this book was the reader's misreading of it. At times, he sounded like he (he thought he) was reading a comedy. His pronunciation of Russian words was excellent; the rest, not so much. I'm surprised by how negatively a listener can react to a misread book. A book with so many foreign names and locations was hard for me to absorb by listening; reading would have been easier in this circumstance.
The author indicates that we must go back to history to understand the 1917 revolution. I was pleased that the author covered the two tsars before Nicholas. Usually, the story begins with Tsar Nicholas II, but starting earlier gives more context to the discussion. It helped explain why Russia was primed for a revolution.
It created domestic unrest when Russia was checked in its quest to control Asia (with the loss to Japan in 1904 -1905). Later, Nicholas II acted as a reactionary (sometimes dismissing the Duma), and many citizens became unhappy.
Surprisingly (to me), the Revolution had two parts: in February 1917, the royal government fell, and in October 1917, the Bolsheviks rose to power. The Russian Revolution was a complex process, yet the author did an admirable job of telling the story.
The author indicates that we must go back to history to understand the 1917 revolution. I was pleased that the author covered the two tsars before Nicholas. Usually, the story begins with Tsar Nicholas II, but starting earlier gives more context to the discussion. It helped explain why Russia was primed for a revolution.
It created domestic unrest when Russia was checked in its quest to control Asia (with the loss to Japan in 1904 -1905). Later, Nicholas II acted as a reactionary (sometimes dismissing the Duma), and many citizens became unhappy.
Surprisingly (to me), the Revolution had two parts: in February 1917, the royal government fell, and in October 1917, the Bolsheviks rose to power. The Russian Revolution was a complex process, yet the author did an admirable job of telling the story.
