“Year One of the Russian Revolution” by Victor Serge is the most interesting history book I have read, surpassing even William S. Prescott’s “History of the Conquest of Mexico”.

Serge was a Bolshevik himself and an eyewitness to much of the revolution. The skill with which the events are set out may be due in large part to the fact that Serge was a writer from the age of 15 or so. The facts are well-researched and footnoted.

Serge skillfully depicts the many factions, including the Allied powers and the Central (German) powers as well as numerous internal groups, wrestling for control or influence of a chaotic Russia during World War One. The eventual predominance of the Bolsheviks was a close-run thing and could not have happened without the genius and focus of Lenin and perhaps also Trotsky and others (but not especially Stalin) as well as dedicated support and heroic sacrifice from the proletariat, support and sacrifice without which the revolution would have died an early death.

Contrary to anti-Bolshevik propaganda during the revolution, the Bolsheviks initially were not a band of opportunists interested only in seizing power for themselves, but rather were committed to overthrowing the oppressive Tsarist power structure in effort to form a system operating in favor and with the support and full participation of the common Russian. During this first year, they used what power they could muster with admirable focus and restraint. [Not explained in this book: that the Bolsheviks beginning about 1919 brutally crushed the revolution in return for despotic control of Russia. Like Russia after 2000, for the Putin kleptocracy.]

Serge also started a book on the second year of the revolution, but after Serge crossed Stalin and departed the USSR, the GPU seized his manuscripts. Most of his relatives died in the gulag.

The first half of this book was most interesting and the second half, gripping. Highly recommended. ( )

La Rivoluzione d'Ottobre colta al momento della nascita del mito in una narrazione che ha l'immediatezza della cronaca e l'armonico disegno di un tentativo di interpretazione storica. Una pagina di Storia, che forse non ha l'eguale nella sua tragica intensità, scritta appassionatamente da un testimone d'eccezione: Victor Serge, rivoluzionario con piena libertà di giudizio.