Le Cheval blême: Souvenirs d'un terroriste

by Boris Savinkov, Michel Niqueux (Translator), Cédric Gras (Preface)

Pale Horse is a thinly disguised retelling of the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Aleksandrovich. Written in the form of a diary by the leader of a group of five revolutionaries, the novel provides a straightforward and clinical account of the assassination and contains daring and vivid descriptions of the revolutionary underground and political conspiracy. Savinkov gives free reign to his dramatic impulses, the “inner feelings” of the conspirators, and the moral dimension of the plot. The book caused an immediate sensation both in Russia and abroad. Translated from Russian by Michael Katz, Pale Horse explores the psychological basis of terrorism and political adventurism.
 

Genres: Fiction, Russian Literature, Russia, Historical Fiction, Historical, 20th Century, Literature

192 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Boris Viktorovich Savinkov (Russian: Борис Викторович Савинков; 19 January 1879 – 7 May 1925) was a Russian writer and one of the leading members of the Russian Social-Revolutionary party.

Savinkov was the founder of the armed group of the social-revolutionary party, who carried out diverse terrorist attacks on tsarist state officials.

Savinkov was involved in the assassination of the head of the Tsarist police von Plehve. In 1906 he was sentenced to death for another attempt but he managed to escape.

After the director of the group was revealed as a state agent, Savinkov became the head of the armed group.