Our Revolution Essays on Working-Class and International Revolution, 1904-1917 |
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Author:
| Trotsky, Leon |
Translated with commentary by:
| Olgin, Moissaye |
ISBN: | 978-1-4912-2245-4 |
Publication Date: | Jul 2013 |
Publisher: | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $7.99 |
Book Description:
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Review from
The Advocate of Peace, Volume 80, 1917 With apparent faithfulness, translator Moissaye J. Olgin, has reproduced some of the more important revolutionary essays of the Russian leader, dating from the eve of the revolution of 1905 to March, 1917, when Bronstein, or "Trotsky" (the editor explains this to be the same familiar sort of nom de plume as "Gorki" or "Fyodor Sologub"), left the United States to assume the leadership of the Bolsheviki forces. They...
More DescriptionReview from The Advocate of Peace, Volume 80, 1917
With apparent faithfulness, translator Moissaye J. Olgin, has reproduced some of the more important revolutionary essays of the Russian leader, dating from the eve of the revolution of 1905 to March, 1917, when Bronstein, or "Trotsky" (the editor explains this to be the same familiar sort of nom de plume as "Gorki" or "Fyodor Sologub"), left the United States to assume the leadership of the Bolsheviki forces. They reveal an Intellect by no means incongruous with the position Trotsky has held in the Russian chaos, one showing, somewhat as might be expected, the iron of bitterness and the fire of ruthless zeal. Not so clearly evident is the clear coolness of broad, rather than far, vision, which, with the other two qualities, is needful to forge true steel. One does not find here the traitor or pawn of Prussianism that he has been claimed to be; but one can understand that the bludgeon mind of angry fanaticism might not question too closely the source of aid received, lacking the fine edge of moral discernment necessary to foresee the inevitable result of victory purchased unscrupulously. These glimpses of the second prominent figure of the Russian revolution are distinctly worth the reader's while. They are scenes from a most human drama-be like a tragedy, when we consider Trotsky's own words: "History is a tremendous mechanism serving our ideals. Its work is slow, barbarously slow, implacably cruel; yet the work goes on. We believe in it. Only at moments, when this voracious monster drinks the living blood of our hearts to serve it as food, we wish to shout with all our might:
'What thou doest, do quickly! ' "