In 1905 more than seven hundred Russian sailors mutinied against their officers aboard the battleship Potemkin, one of the most powerful battleship...
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reviews
Feb 11, 2012
Bas
rated it: 
A book of suspense, intrigue and divided loyalty. The way Bascomb describes the events on Potemkin has a novelesque approach, with thoughts and feelings of the leading sailors in the mutiny. Not every historian would agree with this way of writing, but boy, does it make a compelling read!
For me, the mutiny on battleship Potemkin has been an (important) footnote in history, but after reading this book, I feel that it has been a far more important event because of the symbolic threshold More...
For me, the mutiny on battleship Potemkin has been an (important) footnote in history, but after reading this book, I feel that it has been a far more important event because of the symbolic threshold More...
Jul 28, 2011
Okay, so I didn't read this...I listened to it in the car (which was good, since I heard the Russian names pronounced correctly). Brutalized by Russian Imperial navy discipline and battered by the Russo-Japanese war, the conscripts in the Black Sea Fleet were in no mood for maggoty beef and rose up with the encouragement of revolutionaries in the ranks and in the nearby city of Odessa. This is a vivid recounting of the tragic progression from early success to the inevitable brutal crushing wi
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Dec 12, 2011
Kamila
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This book details the events aboard the battleship Potemkin, which was seized by revolutionary members of her crew in June 1905. Although they hoped to instigate a country-wide revolution and put an end to the oppression under the tsarist regime, they only managed to be a part of what Lenin supposedly called a "dress rehearsal" of the 1917 revolution.
It is typical of Bascomb to lay out an overall picture of the situation with names, personal backgrounds, national and internationa More...
It is typical of Bascomb to lay out an overall picture of the situation with names, personal backgrounds, national and internationa More...
Oct 23, 2008
Bybees
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Ryan: Great book. I'm not a history buff and so I was skeptical when a friend recommended this to me, since it documents an event that is little known and happened in the very early 1900s. It was great, though. It was a straight up historical non-fiction, but had been researched so fully by the author that it was rich with dialog and detail gleaned from journals and such. It's about the revolution on board a Russian battleship, during the rule of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas the II. The Russia
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Aug 09, 2010
Kellylynn
rated it:
The story about the mutiny aboard the Battleship Potemkin. Mostly told from the mutineers side, but there is a lot of detail about what was going on with throughout the regime as it battled not only Japan and the potential of a revolution and now the premier battleship of the fleet taken over by mutineers.
Feb 01, 2010
Jessica
rated it: 
A detailed look at the mutiny on the Potemkin. About halfway through I decided that I really didn't need to know anymore about the Potemkin, and quit reading. If you're really into Russian history you'll probably love this, but I got bored.
Apr 27, 2011
1905: 600 sailors rebel due to rancid meat on Russian battleship Potemkin symbolizing core ideals of Russian Revolution.
Jun 23, 2010
Dana
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A gripping, page turning history that tells as much about the people involved as it does of events. This has led me to read more about the Russian revolution.
Feb 26, 2011
Jeff
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For a book that I bought for $3.99 out of the bargain bin at Borders, this was surprisingly good. Mr. Bascomb knows how to tell an engaging story. Well worth reading.
Dec 02, 2009
David R.
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A disappointing treatment of the 1905 Mutiny. Problems abound but the greatest weakness is the uncritical acceptance of material from the revolutionaries' point of view (as was also the case in the seminal Eisenstein film of 1925.) It is extremely difficult to separate fact from speculation. Not recommended.
Aug 25, 2008
Shannon
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A well told, humane, affectionate telling of the story of a few well intentioned guys who grab a battleship then botch up and stumble through a perfectly good chance to change the direction of history. Incidentally, their story is a near perfect rehearsal of how the good intentions of the Bolsheviks would take a turn for the worst- or why guns, alcohol, and big ideas don't mix well with power.
Jul 30, 2008
Fred
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A thrilling slice of Russian history prior to the 1917 Revolution; a hair-raising tale of war ships at sea; a story of raw human courage in the face of ruthless oppression; a testament to the power of one determined individual. Highly recommended.
Jun 26, 2010
Kevin
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History of the mutiny on the Russian Battleship Potemkin... this was the infancy of the rebelion and ultimate overthrow of the czar of Russia. The story takes place in 1905, and is centered in the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Jan 29, 2012
Pam
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Actually Ford read this is book. This book is about a little known historical incident, the first armed rebellion against the czarist regime of Russia. The reason it is not well known is because Lenin suppressed it.
Dec 15, 2007
Jean
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Life was really rough for the Russian sailors who were treated very poorly by the aristocrats. No wonder there was a revolution.
Aug 09, 2009
Dima
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my first non-soviet, non-russian book on battleship Potemkin. good read.
Feb 11, 2012
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