Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2017. More history-as-novel, please! On the centenary of the Russian Revolution, China Miéville tells the extraordinary story of this pivotal moment in history. Moves with the speed and attention to detail of a revolutionary locomotive. This book is magnificent. To order a copy for £14.24 (RRP £18.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or … Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. On the centenary of the Russian Revolution, China Miéville tells the extraordinary story of this pivotal moment in history. It’s a text book called the roots of communism I’m not sure if it’s out of print or not but it’s a more comprehensive overview of the history and a whole lot more palatable, Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2020. Earlier this year, I read “Doctor Zhivago” (. This book manages to make the October Revolution incredibly boring. “The revolution of 1917 is a revolution of trains. A biographical novel about one of the most controversial courtesans in history. It is not an academic read, but the author does give events a real sense of immediacy and action. The events of October 1917 are dramatic enough as they are, in their driest, most stylistically reduced form, but this book offers a concise and accurate retelling. I must have been eager because, immediately upon finishing, I read it a second time. This is a thrilling account of the tumultuous year 1907 in Russia and of the Russian Revolution in October of that year. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" (after early 20th century pulp and horror writers such as H. P. Lovecraft), and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird who consciously attempt to move fantasy away from commercial, genre clichés of Tolkien epigons. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold. This is the story of the extraordinary months between those upheavals, in February and October, of the forces and individuals who made 1917 so epochal a year, of … This is a fast moving book, which leads the reader towards the October revolution. The book is tedious. October: The Story of the Russian Revolution. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. It's a very well researched and told story of the revolution, and a particularly good telling for those people who do not already have detailed knowledge of the characters and events. This item has a maximum order quantity limit. makes for the the heart of the narrative.) If you want to discover captivating stories of people and events of the French Revolution, then check out this bundle! A British "fantastic fiction" writer. item 7 October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Mieville Book The Fast - October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Mieville Book The Fast. Never felt like binge reading it though. I guess I can't complain, it is in the title. Indeed, one of the most interesting dynamics here is between the Bolsheviks and the soldiers they represent. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions. This relatively short non-fiction book by novelist China Miéville tells the story of the Russian Revolution in 1917, in particular the Bolshevik seizure of power in October . Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2019, I got halfway through this book because the delivery of the content is so boring and dry. Go on a remarkable discovery from start to end. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I am socialistic in my political leanings and have been fascinated by the Russian Revolution since high school. October is a thrill to read. It all moves along at a breakneck pace, a whirlwind of victories (Pyrrhic and otherwise) and reversals, progress and loss. Furthermore, we see how the Bolsheviks are internally fractured. nobody directs libel at Lenin, it's calumny. In the Introduction Mieville writes that the book "...does not attempt to be exhaustive, scholarly or specialist. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2020. In February of 1917 Russia was a backwards, autocratic monarchy, mired in an unpopular war; by October, after not one but two revolutions, it had become the world’s first workers’ state, straining to be at the vanguard of global revolution. In February 1917, in the midst of bloody war, Russia was still an autocratic monarchy: nine months later, it became the first socialist state in world history. I didn't dislike it. Without citations, some of the book's bigger revelations (usually personality based) becomes harder to investigate further. Do you want to learn about The Spanish Flu? Gripping and fascinating narrative history of the October Revolution. There's a problem loading this menu right now. The tsar’s wheeled palace, shunted into sidings forever; Lenin’s sealed stateless carriage; Guchkov and Shulgin’s meandering abdication express; the trains criss-crossing Russia heavy with desperate deserters; the engine stoked by ‘Konstantin Ivanov’, Lenin in his wig, eagerly shovelling coal. Learn about the dramatic revolution that gave rise to Napoleon Bonaparte. So good. The October Revolution is still raw after a short time. I admire China Mieville a good deal. I was apprehensive about this as I had only previously read his new weird stuff. In the Introduction Mieville writes that the book "...does not attempt to be exhaustive, scholarly or specialist. 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