Ten days that shook the world, A review.
Ten days that shook the world is the tale of a nation being born. In this book John Reed sets forth the events leading up to and during the November revolution in Russia in the year 1917. It is a compelling and insightful read. The author manages to penetrate to the soul of the Russian people; he captures the tumultuous and fierce passion of the revolution in a style that is both informative and engaging. As Reed himself put it "this book is a slice of intensified history".
John Reed was an American reporter who went to Russia in 1917 to report on World War One from the Russian front. Little did he know then that he was about to witness one of the most monumental events in twentieth century history. For in February 1917 the people of Russia overthrew the Tsarist regime. Reed starts his story here and ends it November 1917 when the Bolsheviks finally assumed power. He describes the mayhem and chaos of the revolution as the Russian people struggled to throw off the shackles of the old regime, and different groups raced to seize control of the country.
The book is a primary source of history. The author had the journalist's eye for detail, he collected bits of newspapers and handbills, listened to the talk of the ordinary people on street and crossed lines to learn what was happening on the other side. He brings all these ingredients together, seasons them with his own imaginative detail and crowns them with a brilliant phrase. The result is a feast of information and detail for the reader. As a result of all this first-hand evidence the book pulses with the life force of the revolution. Reed draws you into the heart of red Petrograd in the winter of 1917. The mood and emotions of the people are strong a undercurrent throughout the book, they snare the reader early on and propel him into the fervour and excitement of the times.
In 1914 Imperial Russia entered world war one, on the side of Great Britain and France.