Why read Power and Possession in the Russian Revolution?

Book cover of Power and Possession in the Russian Revolution

Book description

A history that reframes the Bolsheviks' unprecedented attempts to abolish private property after the revolutions of 1917

The revolutions of 1917 swept away not only Russia's governing authority but also the property order on which it stood. The upheaval sparked waves of dispossession that rapidly moved beyond the seizure of…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Power and Possession in the Russian Revolution as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Brandon M. Schechter

Author

I love how O’Donnell’s subtle narration, akin to the satirist Mikhail Zoshchenko, highlights the absurdities of a state improvising its way to power. She shows how the Bolsheviks were trying to figure out how to replace a capitalist concept of ownership with something. They hadn’t figured out what that something was and were simultaneously trying to establish their government and control over people and things.

O’Donnell makes this story vivid through following a variety of people’s attempts to create and navigate this new system, often with tragic consequences.

From Brandon's list on The best books about Soviet stuff.