This is a very well-written and insightful book about the Russian Revolution. The prose flows incredibly well and, despite being a 800 page book, it reads like it's only 300 pages. This is definitely a book I would read again and would recommend to anyone interested in Russian history.

Like all really good history books, this book does a fantastic job understanding the revolution within the context of its time and presents all sides of the conflict. He eventually divides his attention on the Romanovs and their ministers, Lenin and Trotsky, Semenov, a peasant land reformer, Prince Lvov the first president of the Provisional Government, and the foolishly idealistic writer Maxim Gorky, providing a wide ranging perspective on Russia before and after the revolution.

Figes does a great job dispelling the myth that Lenin singlehandedly brought the Bolsheviks into power, by highlighting the importance of the actions of people like Trotsky, the Tsar himself, and even Kerensky. He makes a compelling argument that the failure of, first the Tsar, and then the Provisional Government to make the necessary reforms and make vital compromises was just as vital to the rise of the Bolsheviks as any of their own actions. He does a fantastic job explaining the Russian culture of the cities and villages, the lives of the monarchy and its ministers as well as the lives of the Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, and eventually the Soviets. While the book is long and very detailed, it never falls into the trap of recording the minutia, instead, he does a fantastic job documenting Russian life to support his argument that the reason the Russian Revolution spiraled out of control so fast was that the Russian lifestyle was designed for only the bloodiest of revolutions and civil wars.

Figes goes a long way to prove that because of the centuries of oppressive serfdom and tyrannical tsars, the entire population of Russia was a passive, but simmering boiler and when the revolution tore down the only true figure of authority-the tsar-that boiler was ratcheted to extreme temperatures, unleashing a maelstorm of anger, terror, and violence that was impossible to bring back under control-by either side. The hatred and anger of the peasants fed into the violence of the revolution and the flaw of the Whites was not being able to utilize it to their advantage as the Bolsheviks were able to. The 'people's tragedy' wasn't all the bloodshed and destruction that followed the revolution, but that the people were just as responsible for all that horror as the Bolshevik's and the White Army. An interesting argument that makes one wonder about the relation between the bloodiness of a country's past and its ability to create a government that respects and values its people. It also makes one consider the violent nature of revolutions and how easy it is for the revolutions to spiral out of control.

Overall this is a fantastic book with a compelling argument that makes one wonder if Russia will ever be in a position to come to terms with its history and establish a government that respects its people.