Synopses & Reviews
There are few more divisive names in history than the Soviet communist Leon Trotsky. To some, he was a betrayer, a hypocrite, and a totalitarian, and yet to many others he was a revolutionary of high esteem, who battled an outdated, oppressive dynasty and helped to usher in a new political era, and whose name became a political moniker: trotskyist. Whether colored by disdain or admiration, one thing is certain: Trotsky was one of the most important figures of the twentieth century.
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In Leon Trotsky, Paul Le Blanc delves deep into Trotskyandrsquo;s life and relationships to reveal and make sense of his complex character and decisive actions. Interweaving dramatic historical events with examinations of Trotskyandrsquo;s multi-faceted personality, he offers incisive views of the key facets of Trotskyandrsquo;s life: his involvement with Soviet bureaucracy, the Spanish Civil War, and the rise of Hitler in the years before World War II. Illuminating Trotskyandrsquo;s personal and political struggles and achievements, this balanced portrait will be invaluable to history students or anyone interested in the extraordinary lives that made up the twentieth century.and#160;
Review
andldquo;A reasonably balanced and engaging defence of his subject. Le Blanc insists that Trotskyandrsquo;s ideas remain relevant as global capitalism endures new crises.andrdquo;andnbsp;
Review
andldquo;A most intelligent and insightful presentation of Trotskyandrsquo;s thought and historical action.andrdquo;andnbsp;
Review
andldquo;Contains many insights and references that will be illuminating to those already familiar with the subject, as well as some fascinating illustrations.andrdquo;andnbsp;
Review
andldquo;Even-handed but sympathetic, learned but not overbearing, Le Blancandrsquo;s expert study leads a reader through the complexities of twentieth-century history and the vicissitudes of revolution, while also painting an intense, and at times heartbreaking, portrait of a key player and critic of capitalism and real-existing Communism. Le Blanc provides a sharp assessment of the influence and actions of Trotsky and the Trotskyists, against the backdrop of Hitlerandrsquo;s rise to power and the purges unleashed by Trotskyandrsquo;s nemesis, Stalin.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Few political figures of the twentieth century have aroused such intensities of fierce admiration and reactionary fear as Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. His extraordinary life and extensive writings have left an indelible mark on the revolutionary consciousness. Yet there was once a danger that his life and influence would be relegated to the footnotes of history.
Published over the course of ten years, beginning in 1954, Deutscher's magisterial three-volume biography turned back the tide of Stalin's propaganda, and has since been praised by everyone from Tony Blair to Graham Greene. In this definitive work, now reissued in a single volume, Trotsky's true stature emerges as the most heroic, and ultimately tragic, character of the Russian Revolution.
Synopsis
Isaac Deutscher was born in 1907 near Krakow and joined the Polish Communist Party, from which he was expelled in 1932. He then moved to London where he died in 1967. His other books include Stalin and The Unfinished Revolution.
Synopsis
The name and#8220;Leon Trotskyand#8221; is a controversial one: for some it sparks anger, and they view him as a betrayer, a hypocrite, and a totalitarian. For others the name inspires admiration, seeing the man as a revolutionary knight battling an outdated, oppressive Imperial dynasty. However you view him, Trotsky was a strong leader of Soviets and one of the most important figures of twentieth-century Communism. He played an essential role as commander of the Red Army on the side of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution, before he was challenged and eventually defeated by his rival Joseph Stalin. Deported from Russia, Trotsky lived the rest of his life in exile until Stalin finally located him and had him executed.
In Leon Trotsky, Paul Le Blanc interweaves dramatic historical events with Trotskyand#8217;s multi-faceted personality, and explores his involvement with Soviet bureaucracy, the Spanish Civil War, and the rise of Hitler in the years before World War II. Despite his removal from the Soviet Union, Trotsky continued to fight for his early Communist tradition, which eventually became referred to as Trotskyism.
This balanced portrait of Trotsky and his life will be invaluable to history students, scholars, or anyone with an interest in political history and extraordinary lives.
About the Author
Paul Le Blanc is professor of history at La Roche College in Pittsburgh. He is the author of Unfinished Leninism and coeditor of Trotsky's Writings from Exile.
Table of Contents
Introducing a Life
1. The Shock of Exile
2. Revolutionary, Past and Present
3. The Revolution Betrayed
4. Bracing for the Storm
5. The Jaws of Death
6. Afterlife
Chronology
References
Further Reading
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements