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Prophets and Conspirators in Prerevolutionary Russia
In this magisterial and exciting book, Ulam offers a brilliant history of Russian political and intellectual life in those critical years from 1855 to 1884 and describes the successive conspiracies that shook the edifice of tsarist autocracy.
450 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1998
About the author
Adam B. Ulam
70 books6 followersAdam Bruno Ulam was a Polish-American historian and political scientist at Harvard University. Ulam was one of the world's foremost authorities on Russia and the Soviet Union, and the author of twenty books and many articles.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 12, 2017
If ever there was a relevant book, than this history of a bunch of idiotic, motto-spewing youth trying to naively change a political system with a message of salvation that no one in their right mind would give credence to (and they didn't), then this is it.
There's way too much to go into a review and I can't do it justice in brief, but there are some salient things of wonder:
First, this is a terrific history of Russian revolutionary thought, its intricacies, and its idiocies from the mid-1800s up to the roots of Lenin and Stalin and crew, who appear almost teasingly at the end. Ever wonder why they acted so shittily towards the masses they were supposedly acting in the interest of? Read this book!
Second, Russian revolutionary thought is on full display with all its incoherence, its weird paeans to terrorist violence and its schizophrenic approach towards the masses it claims it is trying to help (peasants are idiots vs peasants are our great hope!)
Third, the best bits are about the "pilgrims", the idealistic morons among the revolutionaries who actually thought that they could go out into the peasants and inculcate them with revolutionary zeal and learn how to make shoes, only to find that they were terrible at crafts, no one really wanted much to change and that the peasants were satisfied with their lot under the tsar. The movement shifted then towards what we are familiar with: idiots who think they know what is best for everyone, without asking anyone.
Fourth, the tsarist government acted stupidly and ineptly, not acting when it was obvious they should--such as beginning reforms--and acting outrageously when they should not have: show trials, making martyrs of these idiots, and taking seriously the published threats of a supposed mass of terrorists, who in fact numbered less than a few hundred at any given time.
Fifth, the cast of characters is tremendous and story-worthy. A bunch of foolish youth, men and a surprisingly number of bloodthirsty women terrorists, too! Many were mentally ill, sexually repressed, or just all around psychopaths who should not have been functioning in society.
There is little of Conradian romance here for the frothing terrorists. They were jackasses, to be generous and yet their story is engaging.
There's way too much to go into a review and I can't do it justice in brief, but there are some salient things of wonder:
First, this is a terrific history of Russian revolutionary thought, its intricacies, and its idiocies from the mid-1800s up to the roots of Lenin and Stalin and crew, who appear almost teasingly at the end. Ever wonder why they acted so shittily towards the masses they were supposedly acting in the interest of? Read this book!
Second, Russian revolutionary thought is on full display with all its incoherence, its weird paeans to terrorist violence and its schizophrenic approach towards the masses it claims it is trying to help (peasants are idiots vs peasants are our great hope!)
Third, the best bits are about the "pilgrims", the idealistic morons among the revolutionaries who actually thought that they could go out into the peasants and inculcate them with revolutionary zeal and learn how to make shoes, only to find that they were terrible at crafts, no one really wanted much to change and that the peasants were satisfied with their lot under the tsar. The movement shifted then towards what we are familiar with: idiots who think they know what is best for everyone, without asking anyone.
Fourth, the tsarist government acted stupidly and ineptly, not acting when it was obvious they should--such as beginning reforms--and acting outrageously when they should not have: show trials, making martyrs of these idiots, and taking seriously the published threats of a supposed mass of terrorists, who in fact numbered less than a few hundred at any given time.
Fifth, the cast of characters is tremendous and story-worthy. A bunch of foolish youth, men and a surprisingly number of bloodthirsty women terrorists, too! Many were mentally ill, sexually repressed, or just all around psychopaths who should not have been functioning in society.
There is little of Conradian romance here for the frothing terrorists. They were jackasses, to be generous and yet their story is engaging.
Displaying 1 of 1 review