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mothmans_mum's review against another edition
4.0
Cliff's biography of Lenin from the start of the First World War until the October Revolution is a brilliantly written, thought provoking, and detailed account of the revolutionary process. Not only does it cover these four years in a chronological sense, it also diverts into discussions on moral, theoretical, and ideological points which are still of great relevance today, such as the nature of imperialism, the socialist perspective on nationalism, and the basis of reformism.
At points Cliff's presentation of the material can seem dry and mechanical (compared, for example, to Sandra Bloodworth's "When the Workers Took Power" and Trotsky's "History of the Russian Revolution" which seem a bit more lively), as he does focus mainly on discussions in parliament, between party members, and in the Soviets. However, I think this is mainly a result of conscious choice to focus on the role of the Bolshevik party. As he says in the introduction, Trotsky's "History" also made a choice to focus on Lenin and on rank and file party members to counter the then-dominant conception, pushed by the twisted Stalinist mythology, that the revolution was carried out by a uniform, monolithic, well-oiled machine of a party. Cliff shows that the party was in no way well-oiled or monolithic, but in its unique capacity to act as a two-way method of activity and communication between Lenin, Trotsky, and other revolutionary leaders on one hand, and the proletariat on the other, the Bolshevik party was indispensable in its role in bringing about a workers' revolution in Russia.
The final chapter, as Lenin fights to call up the insurrection against the bourgeois government, is thrilling. A must read.
At points Cliff's presentation of the material can seem dry and mechanical (compared, for example, to Sandra Bloodworth's "When the Workers Took Power" and Trotsky's "History of the Russian Revolution" which seem a bit more lively), as he does focus mainly on discussions in parliament, between party members, and in the Soviets. However, I think this is mainly a result of conscious choice to focus on the role of the Bolshevik party. As he says in the introduction, Trotsky's "History" also made a choice to focus on Lenin and on rank and file party members to counter the then-dominant conception, pushed by the twisted Stalinist mythology, that the revolution was carried out by a uniform, monolithic, well-oiled machine of a party. Cliff shows that the party was in no way well-oiled or monolithic, but in its unique capacity to act as a two-way method of activity and communication between Lenin, Trotsky, and other revolutionary leaders on one hand, and the proletariat on the other, the Bolshevik party was indispensable in its role in bringing about a workers' revolution in Russia.
The final chapter, as Lenin fights to call up the insurrection against the bourgeois government, is thrilling. A must read.
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