Lenin : The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror (Hardcover)

from stillatim

A very reputable biography; Sebestyen's book, as opposed to the book's publicity, is perfectly fair. I was, frankly, surprised by the lack of post-Cold War triumphalism or score settling. Lenin, it turns out, was a person. He was an odd one, and, in sum, a deeply harmful one, but also one who can...

from kerns222

A fervent anti-communist (the author) has a literary run in with a fervent communist (the bio's subject). They tussle for 500+ pages. The author gets his licks in but Lenin still pulls off his revolution. The author lets us know it was Lenin who was responsible for the success--the rest of the Bo...

from msaucier818

I have read a little bit about Russian history, but somehow had never read a biography dedicated to Lenin. This was a fascinating account of Lenin's life and I learned a great deal. I always knew how ruthless and horrible Stalin was, but Lenin was at least as bad - if not worse. Lenin did not enj...

from Stbalbach

Lenin is quite excellent, accessible story-telling and also cutting edge archival researching bringing to light new information. This is my first reading on Lenin, but it comes across as appropriately divorced from the mythology and ideology. It gives a picture of Lenin as driven by a single-mind...

from ericlee

This is the first major biography of the Soviet leader to appear in two decades, and comes as the world marks the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. It is a tremendous achievement. Sebestyen has dug deep into the archives, reading through family correspondence, diaries and more to g...