A People's History of the Russian Revolution (Left Book Club)

The Russian Revolution may well be the most misunderstood event in modern history. In A People's History of the Russian Revolution, Neil Faulkner sets out to debunk the myths. In this fast-paced introduction to the tumultuous events, the Russian people are the heroes. Faulkner shows how a mass movement of millions, organised in democratic assemblies, mobilised for militant action, destroyed a regime of landlords, profiteers and warmongers. He rejects caricatures of Lenin and the Bolsheviks as authoritarian conspirators, ‘democratic-centralists’ or the progenitors of Stalinist dictatorship. He argues that the Russian Revolution was an explosion of democracy and creativity – and that it was crushed by bloody counter-revolution and replaced with a monstrous form of bureaucratic state-capitalism. Laced with first-hand testimony, this history seeks to rescue the democratic essence of the revolution from its detractors and deniers, offering a perfect primer for the modern reader.\*\*Review"A valuable perspective on a world-shaking event."( Times Higher Education ) “We are fortunate that there appeared early in this anniversary year reliable and very readable introductions, written 'from a distance' (Britain), that can help all of us understand what really happened” ( International Socialist Review ) “This is a good, well-written book. The author has a way of encapsulating vast and sweeping movements in history in a few enticing words, and the book is tantalizingly readable. . .”( Choice ) "Among the countless books which are beginning to appear as the centenary of the Russian Revolution approaches, there is a real need for a clear, historically reliable popular account from a socialist perspective. Faulkner's People's History is that account. Arguing against both right-wing myths that reduce October to a mere coup, and left-sectarian myths that treat of the Bolshevik party as an infallible 'democratic centralist' monolithic, Faulkner forcefully reminds us that the early years of the Russian Revolution saw one of the greatest explosions of mass democracy in human history." The Russian Revolution Was An Explosion Of Mass Democracy From Below. It Transformed The People Who Took Part And Inspired Tens Of Millions Across The World. Its Global Impact Shook The Capitalist System To Its Foundations And Came Close To Bringing It Down. But In The End, The Revolutionary Movement Was Destroyed By The Most Murderous Counter-revolutionary Terror In History. And Because The Real History Of The Revolution Is So Subversive Of Class Rule Everywhere ? East, West, And South ? It Has Been Buried Under A Mountain Of Lies, Distortions, And Denials. This Book Sets Out To Nail Every Bogus Argument About The Russian Revolution ? From Tories, Stalinists, And Sectarians ? And To Present The Living Reality Of A Mass Movement Of Millions, Organised In Participatory Assemblies, Mobilised For Militant Action. Cover -- Contents -- Series Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Dates, Names, Prices And Wages -- Introduction -- Part I: The Spark, 1825-1916 -- 1. The Regime -- 2. The Revolutionaries -- 3. Lenin And The Bolsheviks -- 4. The Great War -- Part Ii: The Tempest, 1917 -- 5. The February Revolution -- 6. Dual Power -- 7. Counter-revolution -- 8. The October Days -- Part Iii: The Darkness, 1918-1938 -- 9. World Revolution? -- 10. The Revolution Besieged -- 11. Stalinism -- Epilogue -- Timeline -- Bibliography -- Index. Neil Faulkner. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 265-267) And Index. The Russian Revolution may be the most misunderstood and misrepresented event in modern history, its history told in a mix of legends and anecdotes. In A People's History of the Russian Revolution, Neil Faulkner sets out to debunk the myths and pry fact from fiction, putting at the heart of the story the Russian people who are the true heroes of this tumultuous tale. In this fast-paced introduction, Faulkner tells the powerful narrative of how millions of people came together in a mass movement, organized democratic assemblies, mobilized for militant action, and overturned a vast regime of landlords, profiteers, and warmongers. Faulkner rejects caricatures of Lenin and the Bolsheviks as authoritarian conspirators or the progenitors of Stalinist dictatorship, and forcefully argues that the Russian Revolution was an explosion of democracy and creativity—and that it was crushed by bloody counter-revolution and replaced with a form of bureaucratic state-capitalism. Grounded by powerful first-hand testimony, this history marks the centenary of the Revolution by restoring the democratic essence of the revolution, offering a perfect primer for the modern reader. The Russian Revolution may well be the most misunderstood event in modern history. In this fast-paced introduction, Neil Faulkner debunks the myths that continue to shroud it, showing how a mass movement of millions, organised in democratic assemblies, mobilised for militant action and destroyed a regime of landlords, profiteers and warmongers.

Faulkner rejects caricatures of Lenin and the Bolsheviks as authoritarian conspirators, 'democratic-centralists' or the progenitors of Stalinist dictatorship; though short-lived, the Revolution of October 1917 was an explosion of democracy and creativity. Crushed by bloody counter-revolution, its socialist vision was ultimately displaced by a monstrous form of bureaucratic state-capitalism.

Laced with first-hand testimony, this history rescues the democratic essence of the revolution from its detractors and deniers, offering a perfect primer for the modern reader.

Published in partnership with the Left Book Club.