Lenin (Paperback)

Lars T. Lih

ISBN 10: 1861897936 / ISBN 13: 9781861897930

Published by Reaktion Books, London, 2011

About this Item

Paperback. Lenin (18701924) was the leader of the communist Bolshevik party and founder of the Soviet Union. He was a key revolutionary thinker and a man who, at one time, lived in exile for his political views and survived several assassination attempts. This concise biography of Lenin's life and outlook is based on wide-ranging new research that puts Lenin into the context both of Russian society and of the international socialist movement of the early twentieth century. Using contemporary photographs, posters and drawings, Lih illustrates the emotional and physical features of Lenin's world. Lars T. Lih gives a non-partisan,vivid portrait and a striking new interpretation of a key revolutionary thinker and founder of the Soviet Union, Lenin, and shows that underneath the sharp polemics, Lenin was more a romantic enthusiast than a sour pragmatist. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781861897930

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Lenin (Paperback)
• Publisher: Reaktion Books, London
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1861897936
• ISBN 13: 9781861897930
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

After Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) is the man most associated with communism and its influence and reach around the world. Lenin was the leader of the communist Bolshevik party during the October 1917 revolution in Russia, and he subsequently headed the Soviet state until 1924, bringing stability to the region and establishing a socialist economic and political system.

In Lenin, Lars T. Lih presents a striking new interpretation of Lenin’s political beliefs and strategies. Until now, Lenin has been portrayed as a pessimist with a dismissive view of the revolutionary potential of the workers. However, Lih reveals that underneath the sharp polemics, Lenin was actually a romantic enthusiast rather than a sour pragmatist, one who imposed meaning on the whirlwind of events going on around him. This concise and unique biography is based on wide-ranging new research that puts Lenin into the context both of Russian society and of the international socialist movement of the early twentieth century. It also sets the development of Lenin’s political outlook firmly within the framework of his family background and private life. In addition, the book’s images, which are taken from contemporary photographs, posters, and drawings, illustrate the features of Lenin’s world and time.

A vivid, non-ideological portrait, Lenin is an essential look at one of the key figures of modern history.

About the Author

Lars T. Lih is an independent scholar who lives in Montreal. His other books include Bread and Authority in Russia, 1914–1921 and Lenin Rediscovered: “What is to be Done?” in Context.