Grenzer
7th March 2012, 02:12
I thought I'd try my hand at a short book review.
Short not so much because there isn't plenty to discuss, but it was about five months ago that I read this text, so that aside, I'll begin.
In the fall after I started reading some leftist literature, I wanted to learn some more about the important figures not just at the theoretical level, but about their personal lives. I will say that most literature available on the topic of Lenin and Stalin at the biographical level is atrocious, and I say this as a person who is not personally a fan or admirer of either men(I've read Dmitri Volkogonov's Lenin: A New Biography which did not even make the pretension of being a professional historical work, but a pathetic attempt at slander and character assassination.) With that said, the goal of this book is not an attempt to look at Lenin the leader or Lenin the theorist, but Lenin the man.
It begins with a short exposition on Lenin's early life, but quickly transitions to his days of radicalization as a university student, and his subsequent activities and eventual exile to Siberia. At this point, the book mainly focuses on Lenin and his wife, Nadya Krupskaya. One thing that is important to note is that the author does not make the mistake of having pretensions on Lenin's politics. Instead, the issue of politics is left for the reader himself(or herself as the case may be) to judge: this is in fact probably one of the book's greatest strengths. The book really begins to pick up the pace when Lenin leaves Russia and meets the man he regarded to be his inspiration: Georgi Plekhanov. As it turned out, Plekhanov was not the man Lenin thought him to be and they had a falling out.
The second most interesting period the book covers is the split between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks in the RSDLP. As one can imagine, there was quite a bit of drama involved and it makes for an interesting read. The book touches on Trotsky when relevant, and his often vacillating political allegiance within the party; and again, not making a judgement on the man, but only pointing out the facts.
Another thing that I think is important to mention is that of Lenin's lifestyle. I have seen many biographies of Lenin attempt to portray him as a man who lived lavishly off of party funds while in exile, but the truth is very, very far from being the case. The author meticulously chronicles and cites the finances of the party as well as Lenin's stipend, and the truth is that he lived a very spartan lifestyle most of the time.
The section of the book after this deals primarily with the period between the split with the Mensheviks and the beginning of the First World War. I do not recall the specifics, but it did deal with subjects such as the Tiflis Bank Robbery, as well as Lenin's dealings with Maxim Gorky and his personal relationship with Inessa Armand.
Unsurprisingly, the most interesting portion of the book deals with the turbulent times of the First World War. The author debunks the idiotic idea that Lenin was somehow collaborating with the Germans in the famed "Sealed Train" incident. The arrangement was of pure convenience for both parties. The Germans knew that by sending Lenin to Russia, they could undermine the stability of Kerensky's Provisional Government. That was all the reason they needed. My biggest criticism of the book is that it is here it essentially ends. The period of what happens after Lenin returns to Russia is covered in perhaps about thirty page.
In conclusion, I believe this book succeeds in fulfilling its stated goal of chronicling Lenin's life in his period in exile, despite the disingenuous accusation implicit in the book's title. I would recommend this book to those interested in the personal life of Lenin, and I would rate this book as an eight out of ten. I wish I could provide a more detailed account of this book; however, it was quite a while ago that I read this and already many of the finer points elude me. Perhaps in the future I will provide more detailed reviews of books that may be of interest to posters here.
You can find the book cheaply here (http://www.amazon.com/Conspirator-Lenin-Exile-Helen-Rappaport/dp/B004I1JQKC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331086331&sr=1-1).
Short not so much because there isn't plenty to discuss, but it was about five months ago that I read this text, so that aside, I'll begin.
In the fall after I started reading some leftist literature, I wanted to learn some more about the important figures not just at the theoretical level, but about their personal lives. I will say that most literature available on the topic of Lenin and Stalin at the biographical level is atrocious, and I say this as a person who is not personally a fan or admirer of either men(I've read Dmitri Volkogonov's Lenin: A New Biography which did not even make the pretension of being a professional historical work, but a pathetic attempt at slander and character assassination.) With that said, the goal of this book is not an attempt to look at Lenin the leader or Lenin the theorist, but Lenin the man.
It begins with a short exposition on Lenin's early life, but quickly transitions to his days of radicalization as a university student, and his subsequent activities and eventual exile to Siberia. At this point, the book mainly focuses on Lenin and his wife, Nadya Krupskaya. One thing that is important to note is that the author does not make the mistake of having pretensions on Lenin's politics. Instead, the issue of politics is left for the reader himself(or herself as the case may be) to judge: this is in fact probably one of the book's greatest strengths. The book really begins to pick up the pace when Lenin leaves Russia and meets the man he regarded to be his inspiration: Georgi Plekhanov. As it turned out, Plekhanov was not the man Lenin thought him to be and they had a falling out.
The second most interesting period the book covers is the split between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks in the RSDLP. As one can imagine, there was quite a bit of drama involved and it makes for an interesting read. The book touches on Trotsky when relevant, and his often vacillating political allegiance within the party; and again, not making a judgement on the man, but only pointing out the facts.
Another thing that I think is important to mention is that of Lenin's lifestyle. I have seen many biographies of Lenin attempt to portray him as a man who lived lavishly off of party funds while in exile, but the truth is very, very far from being the case. The author meticulously chronicles and cites the finances of the party as well as Lenin's stipend, and the truth is that he lived a very spartan lifestyle most of the time.
The section of the book after this deals primarily with the period between the split with the Mensheviks and the beginning of the First World War. I do not recall the specifics, but it did deal with subjects such as the Tiflis Bank Robbery, as well as Lenin's dealings with Maxim Gorky and his personal relationship with Inessa Armand.
Unsurprisingly, the most interesting portion of the book deals with the turbulent times of the First World War. The author debunks the idiotic idea that Lenin was somehow collaborating with the Germans in the famed "Sealed Train" incident. The arrangement was of pure convenience for both parties. The Germans knew that by sending Lenin to Russia, they could undermine the stability of Kerensky's Provisional Government. That was all the reason they needed. My biggest criticism of the book is that it is here it essentially ends. The period of what happens after Lenin returns to Russia is covered in perhaps about thirty page.
In conclusion, I believe this book succeeds in fulfilling its stated goal of chronicling Lenin's life in his period in exile, despite the disingenuous accusation implicit in the book's title. I would recommend this book to those interested in the personal life of Lenin, and I would rate this book as an eight out of ten. I wish I could provide a more detailed account of this book; however, it was quite a while ago that I read this and already many of the finer points elude me. Perhaps in the future I will provide more detailed reviews of books that may be of interest to posters here.
You can find the book cheaply here (http://www.amazon.com/Conspirator-Lenin-Exile-Helen-Rappaport/dp/B004I1JQKC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331086331&sr=1-1).