Life During the Russian Revolution

School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-Utilizing a wide variety of quotes, Sherrow covers life in Czarist Russia with emphasis on the reign of Nicholas II, the revolutions of 1917 and the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution. While personal accounts can add an interesting dimension to the text and are sometimes used successfully, they are not always presented in a meaningful historical context. Thus, the narrative is marred by serious distortions, misleading statements, and, at times, a lack of balance. Some details that may have caught the imagination of the author seem to receive undue emphasis such as the role of the weather during the winter of 1916-1917. The black-and-white visuals, although primarily old photographs, lack sharpness, and there is no glossary. The titles listed in the bibliography, ranging from academic accounts to popular histories, have some serious omissions. Stewart Ross's The Russian Revolution (Bookwright, 1988; o.p.), Elizabeth Campling's The Russian Revolution (David & Charles, 1985; o.p.), and Tom Corfe's Russia's Revolutions (Cambridge Univ., 1989) are better choices for most students.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign