Product Description

'Absorbing...I now place Volkogonov's great biographical triptych [Stalin, Lenin, Trotsky] at the top of my reading list on the Russian revolution.'Niall Ferguson, Sunday Times Following Stalin (1991) and Lenin (1994), Dmitri Vokogonov completes his grand trilogy of biographies of the giants who dominated the history of the Soviet Union. A dynamic and inspiring public speaker, military hero of the Russian civil war, and a brilliant organiser and theorist, Trotsky also played a large part in advocating the system of state terror which was ultimately to lead to the nightmare of Stalinism. Widely regarded as Lenin's likely successor, he was outmanoeuvred by his implacable enemy, Stalin, expelled from the Communist Party, exiled, and finally murdered in Mexico in 1940 by Stalin's agents.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #349699 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

Review
'Volkogonov is the first historian to have had access to the enormous archives in Moscow adn to make full use of his opportunity... there's plenty for hte general reader in Harold Shulman's admirable translation.' David Floyd, Daily Telegraph 'In every part of his narrative Volkogonov has deployed previously unknown detail, often in striking and illuminating fashion.' Robert Conquest, New Republic

About the Author
By Dmitri Volkogonov

Customer Reviews

a brilliantly insightful biography
Dmitri Volkogonov has the ideal position from which to write an incivisive attack into the portrayal of Trotsky by the former soviet regime as the 'bad guy', confirming what we already suspected but going far further providing us with a wealth of information that is quite simply unbelievable when contrasted against the usual austerity so typical of soviet history when the truth was so strictly controlled. Volkogonov points out that Trotsky prepared himself perfectly for the mirror of history and this is evident in this work. A necessity for anyone interested in soviet history or communism/socialism in general, once you have read this book ensure that you also read Stalin and Lenin by Volkogonov - books equally worthy of praise. If you are further interested in the biographies of these men I would also recommend the work of Alex de Jonge which aside from being v humourous also provides a similarly insightful perspective.

A masterpiece
Trotsky is in many ways the forgotten man of the Russian Revolution, with his actual achievements shadowed by the perception of many that he would have created a functioning U.S.S.R. Volkogonov in his book tries to look at the man behind the image and provides an interesting insight into what could have been. The only slight problem is that it is a little disjointed.

Outstanding.
A brilliant insight into the life and times of a man dedicated to the Idea of Revolution first, and socialism, etc, second.