A People's History of the Russian Revolution

Left Book Club

By: Neil Faulkner

Narrated by: Douglas Storm

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

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 counterrevolution and replaced with a form of bureaucratic state-capitalism.

Grounded by powerful firsthand testimony, this history marks the centenary of the revolution by restoring the democratic essence of the revolution, offering a perfect primer for the modern listener.

©2017 Neil Faulkner (P)2017 Neil Faulkner

Clears the distortions to tell the real story

Faulkner's revealing narrative brings to life the popular insurrection that lifted the Bolsheviks, and their left Social Revolutionary allies, to power in October 1917. It completely dismantles the oft-repeated line, so often intoned by liberal and right-wing historians, that the Revolution was a military coup by a clique of fanatics. I always wondered how such a small group, presumably in defiance of the popular will, could (1) seize power so easily throughout Russia, and (2) successfully defend that power in a devastated country against well-equipped White armies funded and assisted by several Great Powers on more than a dozen fronts. Faulkner shows that by delivering on their promises of Peace, Bread, and Land, the Bolsheviks won the support of not just the workers, but the broad peasant masses that were already in full revolt in the countryside. On this foundation, the Red Army's ultimate triumph finally makes sense.

Beware reviewers who rely on provocative labels...

...as well as reviewers who write incoherent ramblings with minimal punctuation. It's quite clear that the author owes a lot to Trotsky, and shares that perspective on this time in history. But ask yourself why the negative reviews expect you to reject the book on the whole based on that label. I doubt most even can explain the meaning, certainly not one who at once derides the book as Trotskyite, and simultaneously as an apologia for Stalin.

Read it, listen to it, understand what it seeks to explain about the workers' movements from the 19th century, various socialist and proletarian uprisings, schisms in philosophy, up to the Russian revolution. Decide for yourself if what is purported to be the history of the Russian revolution, (promulgated by those with a vested interest to denigrate it), is more or less reasonable than what is presented here. Believe in it, or don't believe in it, but just don't fear the Trotsky.

Selective memory

This book truiss to glamorize socialism/communism and the bolshevics bu glosses over the fact that one of theircown, stalin killed millions including many of the proletariats who the author claims were responsible for the revolution. Czarist russia may have been bad but communist russia and the millions killed was much worse. As usual the supporters of socialism try to paint a false picture of utopia with all citizens owning land but in reality it is a corrupt system where everybody is equally miserable except the few percent at the top who gave to kill the underlings to keep them quiet. By the way in true socialism shouldnt you be paying me to read this.

Trotskyist perspective

If I had known that the author was a Trotskyist, I wouldn't have bought the book. I don't mind communists, I'm just not fond of Trotskyists. How can I get a refund?

trot bullshit

Trotskyist nonsense. Honestly I'm upset that I wasted a credit on this counerrevolutionary trash.