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Trotsky

Trotsky

by Robert Service

First published 2009 · 612 pages · about 10 hours to read

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About this book

Trotsky is perhaps the most intriguing and, given his prominence, the most understudied of the Soviet revolutionaries. Using new archival sources including family letters, party and military correspondence, confidential speeches, and medical records, Service offers new insights into Trotsky.

Will you like it?

Readers interested in the Russian revolution and its leaders will find this a detailed study of one of the Bolshevik figures most often discussed and least often studied in full. The book is long and analytical, with close attention to party politics, documents and the circumstances of exile.

  • the russian revolution
  • revolution and power
  • exile and politics
  • marxist debate
  • the soviet state

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Books like Trotsky

Quick answers

What age is Trotsky for?
Adults.
Is Trotsky a standalone?
Yes, it stands on its own.
Does Trotsky have violence, sex or strong language?
Nothing a reader needs warning about.

Written with AI from what's known about the book.

Reader's guide

Themesthe Russian revolution, revolution and power, exile and politics, the Stalin succession, Marxist debate, the Soviet state

the Russian revolution · revolution and power · exile and politics · the Stalin succession · Marxist debate · the Soviet state

StyleA long, chronological biography in prose, written in a measured, analytical register by a historian. It moves through Trotsky's life in order, with detailed attention to political events, documents and personal circumstances. It is dense and long, at around 600 pages, and suits readers who want close historical detail more than narrative sweep.

A long, chronological biography in prose, written in a measured, analytical register by a historian. It moves through Trotsky's life in order, with detailed attention to political events, documents and personal circumstances. It is dense and long, at around 600 pages, and suits readers who want close historical detail more than narrative sweep.

How it was writtenRobert Service is a British historian who has written several major studies of Soviet leaders, including biographies of Lenin and Stalin. Trotsky: A Biography was published in 2009. It was built on archival sources that the author describes as newly available, and it presents a critical view of its subject while placing him in the context of the Bolshevik party.

Robert Service is a British historian who has written several major studies of Soviet leaders, including biographies of Lenin and Stalin. Trotsky: A Biography was published in 2009. It was built on archival sources that the author describes as newly available, and it presents a critical view of its subject while placing him in the context of the Bolshevik party.

How it was receivedThe book was reviewed as a major new study of Trotsky and was praised for its use of archival material. Reviewers have also debated its judgments of Trotsky's character and politics, which some found harsh. It is read today by students of Soviet history and by general readers interested in the revolution and its leaders.

The book was reviewed as a major new study of Trotsky and was praised for its use of archival material. Reviewers have also debated its judgments of Trotsky's character and politics, which some found harsh. It is read today by students of Soviet history and by general readers interested in the revolution and its leaders.

Questions to discussHow does Service's use of archival sources, such as family letters and medical records, change the picture of Trotsky compared with earlier accounts?

These may talk about the whole book.

  1. How does Service's use of archival sources, such as family letters and medical records, change the picture of Trotsky compared with earlier accounts?
  2. Was Trotsky's defeat in the succession struggle mainly a matter of personality, of political mistakes, or of the party structure itself?
  3. What does Trotsky's role in building the Red Army suggest about his views on power, discipline and violence?
  4. How does the biography treat the relationship between Trotsky and Lenin, and what did each contribute to the other's position?
  5. Does the book's critical stance toward Trotsky feel fair, and where might a reader want more of his own voice?
  6. What does Trotsky's exile tell us about the international left in the 1930s?
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Written with AI from what's known about the book.

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