Praise for October Song

 

 

“October Song is wonderful—a vivid account of the Revolution, moving beyond the merely defensive to thoughtful consideration of not only external challenges but also internal problems among the revolutionaries, critical-minded yet at the same time deeply sympathetic.”

—China Miéville, author of October

 

“October Song is an important and timely contribution at a moment when large numbers of young people are turning to socialist politics and beginning to grapple with the lessons of the Russian Revolution. Combining a sharp analytical focus with illuminating anecdotes from political practice and daily life, Le Blanc provides a sweeping and engaging account of the revolution, the Bolsheviks, and their strengths and weaknesses. For all those seeking to make sense of this inspiring but ultimately tragic history, October Song is an essential read.”

—Eric Blanc, author of Anti-Colonial Marxism:  Oppression & Revolution in the Tsarist Borderlands

 

“October Song provides an essential primer on the major debates engendered by the Russian revolution. Drawing on the rich intellectual legacy of revolutionaries, eyewitnesses, historians, and theoreticians, the book is a must-read for any activist seeking to understand the heady promises and unanticipated pitfalls of revolutionary change. Analyzing the internal splits and social forces that ultimately defeated the revolutionary-democratic vision, October Song offers important lessons for everyone committed to social change today.”

—Wendy Z. Goldman, Paul Mellon Distinguished Professor  of History, Carnegie Mellon University

 

“Excellent in every respect . . . the writing is extraordinarily clear and interesting and the coverage of different interpretations is fair and thoughtful. . . . The use of the commentary by early participants and witnesses of these years makes the text original in many ways. . . . A strikingly effective synthesis of various sources provides a ‘richness’ that I regard as really extraordinary.”

—Jonathan Harris, professor of political science, University of Pittsburgh

 

 

“October Song provides a gripping retelling of the Russian Revolution, in which long-disputed issues receive close analysis and fresh but balanced judgments. The narrative is enlivened by nuggets from the full range of English-language testimony and historiography. A special bonus: close attention to the much-neglected peasant experience.”

— John Riddell, editor of To the Masses and Toward the United Front