History of the Russian Revolution by Leon Trotsky

Published for the ninetieth anniversary of the 1917 Russian Revolution, this edition of Leon Trotsky's masterpiece tells the epic story of the remarkable events that transformed the history of Russia-and the world-forever. Leon Trotsky was a leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution and is author of 'My Life' and 'The Revolution Betrayed'.


If you're looking for a light read, Trotsky's History of Russian Revolution is not the way to go by any means. But, despite its length, and despite the enormity of its topic, this is an amazingly accessible and engrossing account of one of the modern world's most important political and historical events, written by one of its main players. There are certainly some parts that are more difficult than others, and some where clearly Trotsky assumes an understanding of what happened in Russia during 1917 - an expectation of his readers that would have been utterly reasonable for the audience he was writing for, at the time he was writing, but which at times can be a bit confusing for a Westerner reading it almost 100 years later. But this is only occasionally frustrating and there is, in any event, a very helpful set of appendices and glossaris at the back that help you know who's who and what's what.

Contents
Notes on the Text
PREFACE
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE FOR VOLUME ONE
1 PECULIARITIES OF RUSSIA’S DEVELOPMENT
2 TZARIST RUSSIA IN THE WAR
3 THE PROLETARIAT AND THE PEASANTRY
4 THE TZAR AND THE TZARINA
5 THE IDEA OF A PALACE REVOLUTION
6 THE DEATH AGONY OF THE MONARCHY
7 FIVE DAYS (FEBRUARY 23-27, 1917)
8 WHO LED THE FEBRUARY INSURRECTION?
9 THE PARADOX OF THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION
10 THE NEW POWER
11 DUAL POWER
12 THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
13 THE ARMY AND THE WAR
14 THE RULING GROUP AND THE WAR
15 THE BOLSHEVIKS AND LENIN
16 REARMING THE PARTY
17 THE “APRIL DAYS”
18 THE FIRST COALITION
19 THE OFFENSIVE
20 THE PEASANTRY
21 SHIFTS IN THE MASSES
22 THE SOVIET CONGRESS AND THE JUNE DEMONSTRATION
23 CONCLUSION
APPENDIX I
APPENDIX II
APPENDIX 3