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Leon Trotsky

A Revolutionary's Life
By Joshua Rubenstein
Series: Jewish Lives
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Leon Trotsky by Joshua Rubenstein examines the life and influence of the renowned Marxist revolutionary and Soviet politician. The biography delves into Trotsky's key role in the Russian Revolution and his later years in exile, providing insight into his ideological battles and enduring legacy within the context of political upheavals. The book offers a comprehensive look at Trotsky's impact on twentieth-century history, his conflicting relationships within the Soviet hierarchy, and his eventual downfall.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3099
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by revolutionary history and the life stories of influential political figures. Through an engaging narrative, it delves into the complex life of a man who played a pivotal role in shaping Soviet history, offering insights into his political strategies and personal struggles.

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Born Lev Davidovich Bronstein in southern Ukraine, Trotsky was an effective military strategist and an adept diplomat, who staked the fate of the Bolshevik revolution on the meagre foundation of a Europe-wide Communist upheaval. In this book, Trotsky emerges as a brilliant yet flawed man.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A clear-eyed exploration of the career of Leon Trotsky, the tragic hero who “dreamed of justice and then wreaked havoc,” by a leading expert on human rights and the former Soviet Union

Born Lev Davidovich Bronstein in southern Ukraine, Trotsky was both a world-class intellectual and a man capable of the most narrow-minded ideological dogmatism. He was an effective military strategist and an adept diplomat, who staked the fate of the Bolshevik revolution on the meagre foundation of a Europe-wide Communist upheaval. He was a master politician who played his cards badly in the momentous struggle for power against Stalin in the 1920s. And he was an assimilated, indifferent Jew who was among the first to foresee that Hitler’s triumph would mean disaster for his fellow European Jews, and that Stalin would attempt to forge an alliance with Hitler if Soviet overtures to the Western democracies failed.

Here, Trotsky emerges as a brilliant and brilliantly flawed man. Rubenstein offers us a Trotsky who is mentally acute and impatient with others, one of the finest students of contemporary politics who refused to engage in the nitty-gritty of party organisation in the 1920s, when Stalin was manoeuvring, inexorably, toward Trotsky’s own political oblivion.

As Joshua Rubenstein writes in his preface, “Leon Trotsky haunts our historical memory. A preeminent revolutionary figure and a masterful writer, Trotsky led an upheaval that helped to define the contours of twentieth-century politics.” In this lucid and judicious evocation of Trotsky’s life, Joshua Rubenstein gives us an interpretation for the twenty-first century.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Joshua Rubenstein offers an accessible and balanced portrayal of Leon Trotsky, capturing his influential role in revolution and his complex legacy. The book is praised for its succinct, intelligent narrative and for striking a mix of empathy and critical analysis. Rubenstein's biography is commended for its readability and for presenting a depoliticised perspective on Trotsky's life.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300198324

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 September 2013

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 1 b-w illus.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 249g

Pages: 240

Collections

Biography & Memoir European History History & Archaeology History & Military Joshua Rubenstein Non-Fiction Political Biographies Russian & Soviet History Series: Jewish Lives

About the Author

Joshua Rubenstein was a staff member of Amnesty International USA from 1975 to 2012 and is a longtime associate at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

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