Introducing Lenin and the Russian Revolution

by Oscar Appignanesi, Oscar Zarate, Richard Appignanesi

Release Date: 01 July, 2000

Edition: Paperback

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A few important mistakes

Now I've read just read this book and have come up with a few important mistakes in the text. A small example is that it claims that Martov "has first-hand experience of stick-action among Jewish socialist workers (the Bund). The first mass strike of 15,000 Bundists occurs at a Bialystok textile industry in 1895." (p.48)
This is all very nice except that Martov was a Jewish Socialist, yes, but not a Bundist, which is obvious from page 70 onwards when the Bund walks out of the 27th session, but Martov stays with the Mensheviks. Another problem with this statment is that it would have been impossible for the Bund to organise a 15,000 worker, mass-strike in Bialystok in 1895, becuase the Bund wasn't formed until 1897. And no the name was not simply chosen for the organisation because it was popular and therefore it was an easy mistake. The name of the Bund was debated over and changed three times before it got it's full name.

Good idea, but really, these factual errors are embarressing.

Lenin, Liberation, and Laughs

Whilst many may claim that this book is a celebration of the machine that allowed Stalin to instigate genocide upon Russia, it is the underlying satire and wit that guide's the reader through the basics of the Russian revolution and to more complex questions that pose themselves in the post-glasnost era. This is not a complete overview of Russia in the grips of socialism, but that was never the purpose. The book highlights the important aspects of the period and introduces the more multifaceted situations. A superb read and a good buy.