A comprehensive, one-volume account of the Russian Revolution covers every moment, from the end of the nineteenth century to the death of Lenin, and explores how Russian pre-revolution social forces were violently erased and replaced.

It is history on an epic yet human scale. Vast in scope, exhaustive in original research, written with passion, narrative skill, and human sympathy, A People's Tragedy is a profound account of the Russian Revolution for a new generation. 

Many consider the Russian Revolution to be the most significant event of the twentieth century. Distinguished scholar Orlando Figes presents a panorama of Russian society on the eve of that revolution, and then narrates the story of how these social forces were violently erased. Within the broad stokes of war and revolution are miniature histories of individuals, in which Figes follows the main players' fortunes as they saw their hopes die and their world crash into ruins. 

Unlike previous accounts that trace the origins of the revolution to overreaching political forces and ideals, Figes argues that the failure of democracy in 1917 was deeply rooted in Russian culture and social history and that what had started as a people's revolution contained the seeds of its degeneration into violence and dictatorship. A People's Tragedy is a masterful and original synthesis by a mature scholar, presented in a compelling and accessibly human narrative.

REVIEWS

"Few historians have the courage to attack great subjects; fewer have the grasp to succeed. This is a book that lets the reader look into the face of one of the major social upheavals of history. . . . A People's Tragedy will do more to help us understand the Russian Revolution than any other book I know."
—Eric Hobsbawm, The London Review of Books

"I doubt there is anyone in the world who knows the revolution as well as Figes does."
—Norman Stone, The Sunday Times (London)

"An engagingly written and well-researched book. . . . Will stand for some time as a standard of historical scholarship."
—Steven Merritt Miner, The New York Times Book Review

"Huge in scope, brilliant in vignette, dark and implacable in theme, it is a modern masterpiece."

—Andrew Marr, The Independent

这部全面的、单卷的俄罗斯革命记述涵盖了从19世纪末到列宁去世的每一个时刻，并探讨了俄罗斯革命前的社会力量是如何被暴力抹杀和取代的。

这是一部史诗般的历史，但也是人类的规模。人民的悲剧》篇幅宏大，原始研究详尽，写作热情高涨，叙事技巧娴熟，富有人情味，是新一代人对俄国革命的深刻描述。

许多人认为俄国革命是二十世纪最重要的事件。杰出的学者奥兰多-菲格斯展示了那场革命前夕俄罗斯社会的全景，然后叙述了这些社会力量如何被暴力抹杀的故事。在战争和革命的大背景下，是个人的微缩历史，菲格斯跟随主要参与者的命运，看到他们的希望破灭，他们的世界变成废墟。

与以往将革命的起源归结为过度的政治力量和理想的说法不同，菲格斯认为，1917年民主的失败深深扎根于俄罗斯的文化和社会历史之中，作为一场人民革命的开始，包含了其堕落为暴力和独裁的种子。人民的悲剧》是一位成熟的学者所做的高超的原创性综合文章，以令人信服和易于理解的叙述方式呈现。

评论

"很少有历史学家有勇气攻击伟大的主题；更少有把握能取得成功。这本书让读者看到了历史上重大社会动荡之一的面貌。. . . 人民的悲剧》将比我所知道的任何其他书籍更能帮助我们理解俄国革命"。

-埃里克-霍布斯鲍姆，《伦敦书评》杂志

"我怀疑世界上还有谁能像菲格斯那样了解革命"。

诺曼-斯通，《星期日泰晤士报》(伦敦)

"这是一本写得很吸引人、研究得很透彻的书。. . . 将在一段时间内成为历史学术研究的标准"。

史蒂芬-梅里特-米纳，《纽约时报》书评

"范围巨大，小故事精彩，主题黑暗而无情，它是一部现代杰作。"

-安德鲁-马尔，《独立报》