Initial thoughts: the introduction to this book is one of the most insightful examinations of Communism, the Russian Revolution, Marxism and the reaction of both capitalism and the west generally I have ever seen. It summarises the issues in a few pages and bears further examination.

More when I have read the rest of the book.

I've always been interested in the early years of the revolution in Russia so this book was an excellent fit for me. Bainton does exactly what the title says and gives a brief history of the events of 1917, with particular emphasis on the February and October revolutions of that year. While there is definitely a focus on the big names of the period (the Romanovs, Rasputin, Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin) what sets the book apart is that Bainton also did interviews with individuals who lived through the revolution. Although these individuals were no more than about 7 years of age at the time, their recollections and recounting of their parents' experiences add a unique element to the book. Recommended for those with an interest in the 1917 revolution or who just want a refresher in the early rising of the Bolsheviks in Russia. ( )

Very readable, concise account of the events of 1917 in Russia, tracing a path through the last two months of Tsarism; the months of the Provisional Government, chaotic, yet also pregnant with hope for some kind of a democratic future; and the Bolshevik takeover in late October. The hook is the stories told by a small number of very old people in St Petersburg interviewed by the author in 2004. A very good and balanced basic account of one of the most significant developments of the 20th century. ( )

Interesting to see how quickly an evil right-winged government can become and evil left-winged government. What this book shows best is the regular Joe/Jane's reaction: They hoped for something better. With the ouster of the Czar and his aristocratic cronies they saw a better way of life on the horizon. To their horror they soon realized that they had created another aristocracy, one in which Orwell's 1984 is an insightful portrayal. ( )

The words are those of a working class Red Army veteran and they are in stark contrast to the opinion of a 34-year-old Russian entrepreneur: "Lenin and Trotsky were totally evil men - they turned my country into a nightmare..." What was it like to be a worker in Petrograd or Moscow before the Revolution? How much did a tram driver's family know about Bolshevism? What was the price of a loaf of bread or a pair of boots? Who kept the power stations running, the telephone exchanges, bakeries, farms and hospitals? How did it feel to be a stockbroker one day, then a forced labourer the next? The Great War tore at the nation's heart, and Russia's autocracy dined and danced while the people starved. The Revolution of 1917 has remained a controversial political and academic battleground - much has been written about Lenin, Trotsky and Kerensky, their politics relentlessly analysed. Yet there is also a compelling human side, and Roy Bainton tells it, not only through the staggering bravado of revolutionary politicians, but through the poignant stories recounted to him by ordinary families whose hopes and aspirations were soon turned to fear.