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gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
3.0
This book was clearly written by someone who was excited about the Russian revolution. If you want to read about how bad Communists were, this isn't the book for you. However, if you are interested in hearing about the revolution from someone who was there, this book is an enjoyable read. Of course, it is biased, but I still found it worth reading.
peebee's review against another edition
5.0
Something about reading this in 2022, the story of a bunch of people with an actual program seizing power from a group of do-nothing centrist libs who want to sit on their hands while the right wing destroys the poor... Something about them deferentially bowing and scraping before the people who LOST the revolution and forming something like two or three separate armies to literally punch left while oh by the way WW-fucking-I is going on and those troops could probably use those bullets, rations and men... Real, real nice to see each and every one of those cynical lords and generals and intellectuals scream about 'betrayal of the people' only to have the people drag them out of their cars and kick them to death on station platforms.
However else it went - and to be clear, every socialist project that DIDN'T bring in a heavy dose of authoritarianism got Allende'd or Lumumba'ed, and the US Expeditionaries would actually invade St. Petes within the year - goddamn it's great to see the worst pieces of shit get theirs.
I'd happily let the US end up like the USSR for the next 80 if I got to see that Rat Mayor get the Avktsentiev treatment.
That said, the version I read is like the sixth printing, and they kept the footnotes inserted by the CPGB (who published the first English translation) disputing things he said about people what would become the main politburo, and how their commitment and politics wavered (one could say evolved) with events, with reference to a book the CPGB published like, one year prior to their translation and like 15 AFTER the events that the author was an eyeball witness to. A book that is not a work of history but just speeches by the subjects, essentially going 'nuh uh, I was actually the good guy with perfect politics and always made the right choices!' Literal vandalism and I can't understand why a second, separate publisher would bother including it for their edition.
Jesus fucking christ, if we could clear out the leftists who only use their politics as an outlet for dumb churchgoing gossipy meangirl point scoring praxis-as-inscrutable-pamphleteering, it would be world revolution in a month's time.
However else it went - and to be clear, every socialist project that DIDN'T bring in a heavy dose of authoritarianism got Allende'd or Lumumba'ed, and the US Expeditionaries would actually invade St. Petes within the year - goddamn it's great to see the worst pieces of shit get theirs.
I'd happily let the US end up like the USSR for the next 80 if I got to see that Rat Mayor get the Avktsentiev treatment.
That said, the version I read is like the sixth printing, and they kept the footnotes inserted by the CPGB (who published the first English translation) disputing things he said about people what would become the main politburo, and how their commitment and politics wavered (one could say evolved) with events, with reference to a book the CPGB published like, one year prior to their translation and like 15 AFTER the events that the author was an eyeball witness to. A book that is not a work of history but just speeches by the subjects, essentially going 'nuh uh, I was actually the good guy with perfect politics and always made the right choices!' Literal vandalism and I can't understand why a second, separate publisher would bother including it for their edition.
Jesus fucking christ, if we could clear out the leftists who only use their politics as an outlet for dumb churchgoing gossipy meangirl point scoring praxis-as-inscrutable-pamphleteering, it would be world revolution in a month's time.
batriq's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
tuckerm's review against another edition
3.0
didn’t know much about the Bolshevik revolution, and i really enjoyed the energy of this book. would’ve loved an afterword! maybe later editions have one.
houseofatreides's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.5
John Reed was a American socialist reporter who was in the Old Russian Empire during 1917. His book “Ten Days that Shook the World” gives a vivid-at times embellished-account of the Bolshevik rise to power during the October Revolution and the ten days proceeding it. The journalistic accounts shows how the Russian people of all walks where alight with fever for this new socialist government. Although biased as John Reed was a socialist, this book gives a new perspective on the Revolution. As an American in school we are taught frequently of the evils of Communism and the wrongs it brought to the world. Rarely is it taught how Socialism takes root in places-what are the underlying reasons and why people follow it-in the book we see this. The peoples of Russia having been brutally oppressed by the Tsar under a feudal system sought freedom, ‘Peace, land and Bread’. This books gives a genuine view of Revolutionary Russia and socialism and the hope it brought people. Contrasted with the squalor of the past. Overal a good read that sheds light upon this period.
lusca's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
Told by the young American social revolutionary on ground in Russia during the revolution this is probably as detailed book of the events taking place in Petrograd and Moscow during the crucial period of the revolution as we will ever have.
Rise of the Bolshevik's to power was not a clean cut by any means and we follow how various Socialist parties (Bolshevik's being on a a radical left end of the spectrum) fight for overall control of the army, navy and The Revolution. While it is very clear where the sympathies of John Reed are we are given views of the opposition (even conservatives and the ever "sneaky" and "backstabbing" bourgeoisie) although always with additional sarcastic comment or rather bad presentation of the speaker (bald, small in stature, horrible orator etc etc). But again we are given their views which is enormous contribution to narrative, especially considering that in today's political climate there is no way opposition would ever be given opportunity to say anything.
While underlying cause for the revolution were very difficult living conditions for more than three quarters of people in Imperial Russia nothing happened spontaneously (does anything?). It was not a unanimous rise of people and it took a while to get the correct direction and finally for Bolshevik's to take over everything.
As events progress there is no more place for compromise, enemies of the Bolshevik's are portrayed more and more like cartoon villains while Bolshevik's are portrayed as heroes for the people that are literary dropping tired off their feet but using superhuman strength to continuously push on 'til the ultimate victory.
And this would be my biggest issue with the book. But then again victors write history, right? I especially liked the author's faith in the fighters for the revolution (while clinging to the security pass in order not to be friendly fire casualty or forgotten casualty of conflict - in this remark very much like modern media but unlike them he truly believed in the cause and I understand him, you can never be too safe, right?).
That aside author manages to capture the hard living conditions of ordinary man, woman and child who are the true believers (and major victims int he entire process) here (politicians in this story (even through eyes of John Reed) are no different than politicians today - tyrants in disguise waiting for their chance to rule everyone else) - conditions under Tsar regime was horrendous for everyone not of noble origin and it was just matter of time when people will raise up in arms and bring everything down. When it comes to intelligentsia (or what we call today intellectuals) - they were as useful as they are today. Meaning they are not useful for anything but philosophizing and unable to do anything concrete. As a matter of fact when you think of politicians, intellectuals and so called experts (social or science) that are the loudest when situation is dire, we have exactly the same state today, right? Bunch of self-serving people that are only on the lookout for their own benefits and so disconnected from their very constituent that is sends chills through every sane men or women.
And this makes this book so sad and cautionary in retrospective. While reading it you cannot doubt the fire burning in John Reed and working class in general, their unwavering faith in Bolshevik party and their political goals. This makes it worse when one figures out that Bolsheviks will make a radical U turn in less than 20 years and defecate on all their ideals while doing it, even purging all the true believers, people aiming for true social justice and reforms, and finally ending up creating tyranny under the guise of democracy and democratic process.
This brings back events from the French Revolution, another revolution started due to outright atrocious conditions of life for lower classes that ate its own children in the end - deposed the King and his Court and somewhere in the process of passing power to the people (while using terror as everyday tool for solving political issues and venting out people that just did not get what they were promised) decided that Emperor is way to go and soon became all the opposite of what they fought for in the beginning.
As I see it only people benefiting from the revolution are people outside the countries where revolution takes place because governments decide that it is good thing to pay some attention to what is going on lower decks so same things do not happen in their own backyard.
Very important cautionary tale how noble intentions and reforms can very easily be overtaken by corrupting power-hungry forces. Again something to think about in these days, eh? Especially since economical division is becoming more and more visible even in our enlightened times.
Recommended to anyone interested in the period and inner events of the revolutionary process.
Rise of the Bolshevik's to power was not a clean cut by any means and we follow how various Socialist parties (Bolshevik's being on a a radical left end of the spectrum) fight for overall control of the army, navy and The Revolution. While it is very clear where the sympathies of John Reed are we are given views of the opposition (even conservatives and the ever "sneaky" and "backstabbing" bourgeoisie) although always with additional sarcastic comment or rather bad presentation of the speaker (bald, small in stature, horrible orator etc etc). But again we are given their views which is enormous contribution to narrative, especially considering that in today's political climate there is no way opposition would ever be given opportunity to say anything.
While underlying cause for the revolution were very difficult living conditions for more than three quarters of people in Imperial Russia nothing happened spontaneously (does anything?). It was not a unanimous rise of people and it took a while to get the correct direction and finally for Bolshevik's to take over everything.
As events progress there is no more place for compromise, enemies of the Bolshevik's are portrayed more and more like cartoon villains while Bolshevik's are portrayed as heroes for the people that are literary dropping tired off their feet but using superhuman strength to continuously push on 'til the ultimate victory.
And this would be my biggest issue with the book. But then again victors write history, right? I especially liked the author's faith in the fighters for the revolution (while clinging to the security pass in order not to be friendly fire casualty or forgotten casualty of conflict - in this remark very much like modern media but unlike them he truly believed in the cause and I understand him, you can never be too safe, right?).
That aside author manages to capture the hard living conditions of ordinary man, woman and child who are the true believers (and major victims int he entire process) here (politicians in this story (even through eyes of John Reed) are no different than politicians today - tyrants in disguise waiting for their chance to rule everyone else) - conditions under Tsar regime was horrendous for everyone not of noble origin and it was just matter of time when people will raise up in arms and bring everything down. When it comes to intelligentsia (or what we call today intellectuals) - they were as useful as they are today. Meaning they are not useful for anything but philosophizing and unable to do anything concrete. As a matter of fact when you think of politicians, intellectuals and so called experts (social or science) that are the loudest when situation is dire, we have exactly the same state today, right? Bunch of self-serving people that are only on the lookout for their own benefits and so disconnected from their very constituent that is sends chills through every sane men or women.
And this makes this book so sad and cautionary in retrospective. While reading it you cannot doubt the fire burning in John Reed and working class in general, their unwavering faith in Bolshevik party and their political goals. This makes it worse when one figures out that Bolsheviks will make a radical U turn in less than 20 years and defecate on all their ideals while doing it, even purging all the true believers, people aiming for true social justice and reforms, and finally ending up creating tyranny under the guise of democracy and democratic process.
This brings back events from the French Revolution, another revolution started due to outright atrocious conditions of life for lower classes that ate its own children in the end - deposed the King and his Court and somewhere in the process of passing power to the people (while using terror as everyday tool for solving political issues and venting out people that just did not get what they were promised) decided that Emperor is way to go and soon became all the opposite of what they fought for in the beginning.
As I see it only people benefiting from the revolution are people outside the countries where revolution takes place because governments decide that it is good thing to pay some attention to what is going on lower decks so same things do not happen in their own backyard.
Very important cautionary tale how noble intentions and reforms can very easily be overtaken by corrupting power-hungry forces. Again something to think about in these days, eh? Especially since economical division is becoming more and more visible even in our enlightened times.
Recommended to anyone interested in the period and inner events of the revolutionary process.
subdue_provide75's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
3.0
A fascinating historical document