Book: Lenin: The Man, the Dictator and the Master of Terror
Author: Victor Sebestyen
Year published: 2017
Date finished: December 21, 2017
Genre: Biography
Rating: 9/10
Review: Surprisingly, this is the first major biography of Lenin in English in a long time. It should stand the test of time, not as a fully definitive biography but as an excellent one volume biography of a very complex man.
Sebestyen takes a conventional approach to Lenin, covering his life in chronological order, starting with some history of the family and ending with the cult created around Lenin after his death (much against Lenin's wishes). This is neither a hagiography nor a "Lenin is all things evil" book, but a balanced discussion of the man. It's very readable and compelling.
Strongly recommended to anyone interested in Lenin or the Russian Revolution.
About the Author: Victor Sebestyen was born in Budapest but moved to England as a child. He is a journalist and author and has written at least 5 books about modern Europe.
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