The Russian Revolution

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-In the first section, Ross gives the background of the Russian revolutions, the abdication of the tsar, the failure of the provisional government, and the taking and establishment of power by the Bolsheviks through 1924. In the second part, he looks at the legacy of the Bolshevik revolution in the Soviet Union from Stalinism through perestroika, followed by a short section that explores communism in other areas of the world and its demise. Most of the chapters are divided into a narrative history followed by a couple of pages of analysis. The difference between the two is not always clear in the early chapters but in the last two sections Ross often devotes his analysis to speculate about the course of history and present different interpretations of key events. This is a laudable but overly ambitious approach. The author has to assume that readers already have a solid background in history, and those without one will be overwhelmed. An additional difficulty is that the text is superimposed on faint background photographs of mass demonstrations that put a strain on readers' focus, especially on the many purple pages. Each chapter has quotes in italics, but they are not footnoted. On the positive side, a wealth of information is provided by black-and-white historical photos and color reproductions of posters and paintings. While this book does have its strengths, Ted Gottfried's first two volumes in "The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union" series (21st Century) present a more comprehensive and clearer narrative.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign