Book review: a short history of the Russian revolution by Geoffrey Swain

In A Short History of the Russian Revolution, Geoffrey Swain challenges the historical narrative that the Bolsheviks co-opted an otherwise reform-minded labour movement for revolutionary purposes, instead underscoring the radicalism of Russian workers. On 7 November 2017, the centenary of the October Revolution of 1917, Barton Edgerton reviews this work, finding that, more than anything, it suggests the contingency of the multiple events behind this world-changing Revolution. If you are interested in this review, you may also like to read Geoffrey Swain’s own reflections on the book, published on the LSE RB blog in March 2017. A Short History of the Russian Revolution. Geoffery Swain. IB Tauris. 2016.