Memoirs of a Revolutionary (New York Review Books Classics)

A New York Review Books Original Victor Serge is one of the great men of the 20th century —and one of its great writers too. He was an anarchist, an agitator, a revolutionary, an exile, a historian of his times, as well as a brilliant novelist, and in Memoirs of a Revolutionary he devotes all his passion and genius to describing this extraordinary—and exemplary—career. Serge tells of his upbringing among exiles and conspirators, of his involvement with the notorious Bonnot Gang and his years in prison, of his role in the Russian Revolution, and of the Revolution’s collapse into despotism and terror. Expelled from the Soviet Union, Serge went to Paris, where he evaded the KGB and the Nazis before fleeing to Mexico. Memoirs of a Revolutionary recounts a thrilling life on the front lines of history and includes vivid portraits not only of Trotsky, Lenin, and Stalin but of countless other figures who struggled to remake the world. Peter Sedgwick’s fine translation of Memoirs of a Revolutionary was abridged when first published in 1963. This is the first edition in English to present the entirety of Serge’s book. A New York Review Books Original Victor Serge Is One Of The Great Men Of The Twentieth Century: Anarchist, Revolutionary, Agitator, Theoretician, Historian Of His Times, And A Fearless Truthteller. Here Serge Describes His Upbringing In Belgium, The Child Of A Family Of Exiled Russian Revolutionary Intellectuals, His Early Life As An Activist, His Time In A French Prison, The Active Role He Played In The Russian Revolution, As Well As His Growing Dismay At The Revolutionary Regime's Ever More Repressive And Murderous Character. Expelled From The Soviet Union, Serge Went To Paris, And Barely Escaped The Nazis To Find A Final Refuge In Mexico. Memoirs Of A Revolutionary Describes A Thrilling Life On The Frontlines Of History And Includes Brilliant Portraits Of Politicians From Trotsky And Lenin And Stalin To Major Writers Like Alexander Blok And Andrey Bely. Above All, It Captures The Sensibility Of Serge Himself, That Of A Courageous And Singularly Appealing Advocate Of Human Liberation Who Remained Undaunted In The Most Trying Of Times. Peter Sedgwick's Fine Translation Of Serge's Memoirs Of A Revolutionary Was Cut By A Fifth When It Was First Published In 1963. This New Edition Is The First In English To Present The Entirety Of Serge's Book--provided By Publisher. Victor Serge Is One Of The Great Men Of The Twentieth Century, Anarchist, Revolutionary, Agitator, Theoretician, Historian Of His Times, And A Fearless Truthteller. Here Serge Describes His Upbringing In Belgium, The Child Of A Family Of Exiled Russian Revolutionary Intellectuals, His Early Life As An Activist, His Time In A French Prison, The Active Role He Played In The Russian Revolution, As Well His Growing Dismay At The Revolutionary Regime's Ever More Repressive And Murderous Character. Expelled From The Soviet Union, Serge Went To Paris, And Barely Escaped The Nazis To Find A Final Refuge In Mexico. Memoirs Of A Revolutionary Describes A Thrilling Life On The Frontlines Of History And Includes Brilliant Portraits Of Politicians From Trotsky And Lenin And Stalin And Of Major Writers Like Alexander Blok And Andrey Bely. Above All, It Captures The Sensibility Of Serge Himself, That Of A Courageous And Singularly Appealing Advocate Of Human Liberation Who Remained Undaunted In The Most Trying Of Times. Peter Sedgwick's Fine Translation Of Serge's Memoirs Of A Revolutionary Was Cut By A Fifth When It Was First Published In 1963. This New Edition Is The First In English To Present The Entirety Of Serge's Book. --provided By Publisher. Victor Serge ; Translated From The French By Peter Sedgwick With George Paizis ; Glossary And Notes By Richard Greeman ; Foreword By Adam Hochschild. Includes Index.