The reality is very different, as this masterful and compelling biography reveals. " Also, Service does not provide any sort of primer for basic marxist thought, which can make it difficult for beginners to follow what is going on when Stalin and Bukharin gang up on Trotsky. We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate. He lost the competition to succeed Lenin because of his limitations—inability to build coalitions, ability to make enemies, and failure to see where events were leading. Robert John Service FBA (born 29 October 1947) is a British historian, academic, and author who has written extensively on the history of the Soviet Union, particularly the era from the October Revolution to Stalin's death. Many politicians, journalist and other was trotskyst when they were young. Also, Service doesn't state this explicitly, but Trotsky was clearly a dictatorial personality who did not hesitate to use the power of the state to kill off those whom he considered the enemies of the Revolution. Trotsky: A Biography By Robert Service Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009 600 pages . The repeated snide comments on Trotsky's family relationships jar uncomfortably with the accompanying evidence that Trotsky in fact cared deeply about his family members and went out of his way to support them. His justification? He was a brilliant leader. Was what happened in Soviet Russia even worthy of the name of communism? Robert John Service (born 29 October 1947) is a British historian, academic, and author who has written extensively on the history of the Soviet Union, particularly the era from the October Revolution to Stalin's death. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Trotsky: A Biography at Amazon.com. Which despite the context of two decades of aristocratic led war and conflict in Russia is a very dangerous thing to excuse or advocate. It would be safe to say that Robert Service has done a great DISSERVICE to Trotsky. He was until 2013 a professor of Russian history at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford, and a senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.. Service is best known … Isaac Deutscher's sympathetic three-volume biography of Trotsky, and Trotsky's own autobiography, My Life, assiduously fed these beliefs. Very good. Free delivery on qualified orders. Robert Service draws on hitherto unexamined archives and on his profound understanding of Russian history to draw a portrait of the man and his legacy, revealing that though his followers have represented Trotsky as a pure revolutionary soul and a powerful intellect unjustly hounded into exile by Stalin and his henchmen. Many politicians, journalist and other was trotskyst when they were young. We’d love your help. Amazon.in - Buy Trotsky: A Biography book online at best prices in India on Amazon.in. Service even takes a swing at the widespread belief that Trotsky had a prescient understanding of interwar politics, pointing out that Trotsky always and incorrectly saw a popular European communist revolution coming right around the corner. March 9, 2019...conflicting social and political forces. I also like how many of the reviews from the left claim he's a horrible anti-communist and reviews from the right call him a communist sympathizer. Trotsky always wanted to be in the thick of the action. He led the Red Army in the Civil War. Service focuses more on Trotsky's intellectual development, rather than on the more exciting elements of his life. This 600 page biography of Trotksy is summarized on Page 459 which states, Trotsky failed to explain how the common objectives of communism could be fulfilled. In fact, reconciling the brilliance of the man with the very bad paths that he took are a cautionary tale. Start by marking “Trotsky: A Biography” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The British publisher is Macmillan. I feel like there could be a better biography out there, but will take this over the lame-o apologias that have preceded it. The strength of the book lay in its focus on details in Trotsky's opinions and especially in relation to raging Soviet debates. Was there ever a moment when the Russian experiment with full market socialism was not on the track to an oppressive & murderous outcome? (Soviet politics proceeded along the same path until Stalin put an end to all that fussin' & fightin'). Again, for me at least, the most interesting aspect was Service's analysis of Trotsky's marxism. The world likes its underdogs. It follows that, if your write the biography of an enemy, you should write it as if you were taking revenge. Robert Service has written what will undoubtedly be the definitive biography of Trotsky...It is the achievement in particular of Robert Service not only to have uncovered new material from previously unavailable Soviet archives, but to have cast new light on many of his writings and activities. But the method is always the same, and when you have the. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter . This has occurred for a variety of reasons, including his break with Stalin, his exhaustive writings that critiqued Stalin, and his assassination (which made him a martyr), most likely ordered by Stalin. As Service notes, the Civil War "was truly a close-run conflict between the Reds and the Whites." He was brilliant, an outstanding writer and polemicist, decisive, and personally brave. While it is obvious Robert Service does not care for either Trotsky's position or Leon as a man, it is also obvious that his knowledge into the inner workings and mechanics of the early communist movement in Russia/USSR is quite detailed. After reading this account, it's with a bittersweet awareness that his talents were directed a to misguided experiment. I have read Stalin by the same author and saw his book chat with Brian Lamb on C-Span Book TV. With Trotsky, Robert Service completes his sweeping biographical trilogy of the three leading Bolshevik revolutionaries. While it is obvious Robert Service does not care for either Trotsky's position or Leon as a man, it is also obvious that his knowledge into the inner workings and mechanics of the early communist movement in Russia/USSR is quite detailed. This one is quite different than Kersaudy's book. A straight forward biography of the real life Emmanuel Goldstein. If only Trotsky had won the leadership struggle after Lenin's death in 1924, the story goes, the Soviet Union would never have become the murderous totalitarian state built under Stalin. Service points out (& I tend to agree) that Trotsky was in some senses the communist idealist's last hope, in the sense that both Lenin & Stalin held & abused power to a degree that Trotsky never did. Yet Service then blames Trotsky for Zina's suicide in 1933, claiming that Trotsky had mishandled her schizophrenia and, as a result, "Zina had gone to her death when a little dosing of paternal consideration might have made all the difference." Robert John Service (born 29 October 1947) is a British historian, academic, and author who has written extensively on the history of the Soviet Union, particularly the era from the October Revolution to Stalin's death. Despite his many gifts, the myth of Trotsky is debunked by his egotism, coldness, lack of introspection, and human empathy. Kick back with the Daily Universal Crossword. This was a really interesting book, I wish it would've talked more about his ideas though. For Trotsky's part, his unique skill in organizing the Red Army allowed the Bolsheviks to win the Civil War. It was interresting to read both a biography of Staline and Trotsky. For what it is worth though Robert Service does a superb job of summarizing Trotsky’s life in as simple a way as possible. Hagiography this is not--Service is much more critical of Trotsky than the other two revolutionaries. Service vividly describes Trotsky's risky escapes from Siberian exile and his daring as a military leader during the Russian Civil War. 351 King Street East, Suite 1600, Toronto, ON Canada, M5A 0N1, Just $1.99 per week for the first 24 weeks, var select={root:".js-sub-pencil",control:".js-sub-pencil-control",open:"o-sub-pencil--open",closed:"o-sub-pencil--closed"},dom={},allowExpand=!0;function pencilInit(o){var e=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]&&arguments[1];select.root=o,dom.root=document.querySelector(select.root),dom.root&&(dom.control=document.querySelector(select.control),dom.control.addEventListener("click",onToggleClicked),setPanelState(e),window.addEventListener("scroll",onWindowScroll),dom.root.removeAttribute("hidden"))}function isPanelOpen(){return dom.root.classList.contains(select.open)}function setPanelState(o){dom.root.classList[o?"add":"remove"](select.open),dom.root.classList[o? Leon Trotsky checks both boxes. In Stalin's biography, there is many photos, short chapter, it is reading like a novel. Trotsky interest me because it is a french passion (not the better). Patenaude, reviewing Service's book alongside a rebuttal by the Trotskyist David North(In Defence of Leon Trotsky), charged Service with making dozens of factual errors, misrepresenting evidence, and "fail[ing] to examine in a serious way Trotsky's political ideas". Leon Trotsky is the paradigmatic revolutionary. by Belknap. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. This book explains why this vision is naive and ignorant, based solely on Trotsky`s better verbal skills. 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Review of Robert Service's Trotsky By David North 11 November 2009 €€€This essay is available in pdf format (letter or A4). Even as we approach the 20th anniversary of the demise of the Soviet Union, it's legacy is still hotly debated. (Should preface this by saying that I'm not a Trotskyist, Leninist, Stalinist, or Communist of any brand whatsoever.). Unbiased history and biography of the Bolsheviks is a relatively recent phenomenon; prior to 1991, a combination of lack of primary materials and philo-Communism among Western historians meant very few objective books were published. He is a professor of Russian history at the University of Oxford and a Fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford. The reality is very different, as this masterful and compelling biography … Despite his gifts and unquestionable dedication to the cause, there was little in the man to admire. Practical concerns overrode theory even when the man was clearly at his best as a provider of ideological justification for the October Revolution and its (embattled) legacy. Robert Service of Stanford University's Hoover Institution and the University of Oxford talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the life and death of Leon Trotsky. The world likes its underdogs. Service focuses more sharply on Trotsky's negative aspects. But it tells the Old Man's story well, painting him as a brilliant, self-centred, erudite, historic yet ultimately self-destructive global political force. It is a good school for manipulation and success in business. Personally, he avoided self-negation precisely by not deviating from the cause, but one can't help to feel that his purpose and talents were compromised. Leon Trotsky has long sidestepped the sort of scrutiny and criticism meted out to Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin for their roles in the establishment of totalitarianism in the Soviet Union. (See also “Leon Trotsky and the Post-Soviet School of Historical Falsification”) €€€Trotsky: A Biography Robert Service Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2009 The Specter of Leon Trotsky €€€In 1955 James Burnham, the … This biography of Trotsky is part of a trilogy, the other two being biographies of Lenin & Stalin. Trotsky in a conscious way, … Even as we approach the 20th anniversary of the demise of the Soviet Union, it's legacy is still hotly debated. If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to, To view this site properly, enable cookies in your browser. He was an individualist who advocated collectivism. Trotsky was vain, but at the same time lacked self-conscious of his actions. Here's what you need to know about Trotsky: Service closes his trilogy with another captivating portrait. Littered with factual errors, which are at least finally getting exposed at the academic level. They mostly just keep it a bit more quiet in public than they used to. Of course, that is a reflection of Trotsky's milieu. Professional revolutionary at work: Trotsky reads international communist papers while in Turkey . Obviously there was several character flaws in David Bronstein that inevitably must appear in any true study of the man. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. An exhaustive (you can tell my how long it has taken me to finish it), dense and illuminating biography of Leon Trotsky. Unbiased history and biography of the Bolsheviks is a relatively recent phenomenon; prior to 1991, a combination of lack of primary materials and philo-Communism among Western historians meant very few objective books were published. I had previously read Service's biography of Lenin, and I'm coming to really enjoy his writing style. The author, Robert Service, does a fine job of giving the reader a firm grasp of the life of Trotsky and Service achieves this without bias and without overloading the reader with unnecessary detail. Again, for me at least, the most interesting aspect was Service's analysis of Trotsky's marxism. Based on Service's biography of Trotsky, the conversation covers Trotsky's influence on the Russian Revolution, his influence on policy alongside Lenin, his expulsion from Soviet Union in 1928 and his murder in 1940 by Stalin's order. The talented yet deeply paranoid and bloodthirsty Stalin built the totalitarian Soviet empire as a personal fiefdom. On the other hand he is an amazing character in the history of the Soviet Union. A lot of other reviews are very detailed, and I feel I have little to add to the conversation. Just maybe this shows he is doing a good job of providing all the necessary complexities and nuances for such interesting historical figures. Trostsky, Robert Service's debunking biography, proves that being Stalin’s great enemy does not make Trotsky in any way a good man, says Simon Sebag Montefiore in a review first published in 2009. Juliet Johnson is associate professor of political science at McGill University. I continue to be fascinated by the Bolshevik Revolution, because in its success there are many lessons. Despite his many gifts, the myth of Trotsky is debunked by his egotism, coldness. Service closes his trilogy with another captivating portrait. Apology. His fearless leadership and organizational skills are celebrated in his pivotal roles in the October Revolution and the Red Army. That means: If you do not see your comment posted immediately, it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly, generally within an hour. Service makes it his overt mission to destroy this rosy image of Trotsky, and his successful but heavy-handed efforts in this regard pepper the entire biography. He was an individualist who advocated collectivism. In the end, though, the great contribution of Service's trilogy of biographies is to further demonstrate that individual leaders can indeed change the course of history. “Parvus denied that universal suffrage was an end to itself since the middle class would always find ways to manipulate the electoral system. And does the failure of the Soviet experiment discredit all of the nobler aims which the human impulse towards socialism or collectivism may lay claim? “ In this astonishingly comprehensive book—Robert Service has trawled almost every archive on the planet that has any reference to Trotsky—we get a clear picture of Trotsky’s political development, his part in the 1917 revolution, his differences with Lenin, his break with Stalin and, finally, the years of exile and agitation in which he attracted a ragbag of bizarre followers and made the mistake of professing … Trotsky was one of the most important figures of. He had a habit of using people until they were no longer politically useful. Freedom could not be begged for: it had to be won.”, New African American Histories and Biographies to Read Now. From his early intellectual ferment to his heroics in the October revolution and Civil War, Service illustrates a man of fixed ideological belief - a demagogue, an intellectual, but most importantly a deeply inhumane individual. Trotsky in 1937, when he first arrived in Mexico. Leon Trotsky checks both boxes. Might read Stalin and Lenin by the same author. A “Dis-Service” to Leon Trotsky – Review of Robert Service’s Biography This book is very thick running to 600 pages but is very thin when it comes to an honest political examination and analysis of the ideas of Leon Trotsky, the subject of Service’s tome. For the rest of us, the history nuts or the student of modern history, this is the biography to get. The world also likes cruel men who are less cruel than other men. Service has done a remarkable job collecting, researching and writing the tome. by Peter Savodnik. Robert Service is a British academic and historian of modern Russia and the Soviet Union. Read this after watching Hitchens and him debate at some stuffy Hoover Institute roundtable. Peter Savodnik reviews Robert Service's "Trotsky." Service draws upon a range of fascinating sources - including early drafts of Trotsky's own autobiography - to paint a complex and contradictory picture of the revolutionary as both a leader and a man. This one is quite different than Kersaudy's book. Leon Trotsky has long sidestepped the sort of scrutiny and criticism meted out to Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin for their roles in the establishment of totalitarianism in the Soviet Union. Since 1991, though, the balance has shifted, even if plenty of Communist-loving propaganda is still published by major historians, because the global Left has alw. But perhaps the biggest reason he has escaped comparatively unscathed is that for those on the far left. I continue to be fascinated by the Bolshevik Revolution, because in its success there are many lessons. Still, for all the talk of Trotsky's writings, I still couldn't tell you what a "Trotskyist" is, except maybe that they are an admirer of Trotsky. He was an idealist. He forces us to reinterpret drastically what it was Trotsky believed and fought for. His inconsistencies prove the point. But the method is always the same, and when you have the key, it is easy to win. He and the other Communists were intellectuals and revolutionaries who spent most of their time pre-1917 going to meetings and furiously denouncing one another, along with bourgeois capitalism. (Stalin set the bar awfully high, but it can be convincingly argued that his excesses were a logical extension of what Lenin had started.) That this book is, allegedly, the first “ full-length biography of Trotsky written by someone outside Russia who is not a Trotskyist” . We are made by history.” So, this January, as we celebrate Martin Luther King... Robert Service completes his masterful trilogy on the founding figures of the Soviet Union in an eagerly anticipated, authoritative biography of Leon Trotsky. I also like how many of the reviews from the left claim he's a horrible anti-communist and reviews from the right call him a communist sympathizer. He not only led very successfully the October Revolution but also the Red Army to victory in the Civil War as the Commissar of Foreign Affairs. Of an enemy, you should write it as if you would like to a... Aims which the human impulse towards so suffer fools gladly, had no real friends and viewed events... As Trotsky himself acknowledged, there is many photos, short chapter, it was interresting to read: rating! 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