Oxford University Press's Very Short Introduction series

[Ostrinski]

In general, what do you all think of this series? Invader Zim has recommended to me Helen Graham's Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction as a primer for the Spanish Civil War

But what do you all think of, for instance, the ones on the French and Russian revolutions (i.e. Doyle and Smith respectively).

If you don't consider these reliable as primers, what would you have in mind?

[Invader Zim]

I haven't read those ones. But none of the series are full length text books, they are very basic primers good for giving a brief introductary over-view of a topic. They do exactly what they say on the tin, and guide you towards key issues and literature for more advanced study in the future.

[ComradeOm]

Unrelated note: Smith's Red Petrograd is superb