What are some books you like about revolution, coup d'etat, or other quick transition of political power?
I included that last one becasue I wanted to include something like the Spanish transition to democracy.
I'm looking for good historical books about such events, especially ones that get into details like who the players were and why and how they did what they were doing?
by Villamanin24680
4 Comments
*Twelve Who Ruled: The Year of Terror in the French Revolution* by R. R. Palmer.
*The Coming of the French Revolution* by Georges Lefebvre.
*The Age of Revolution and Reaction: 1789-1850* (The Norton History of Modern Europe) by Charles Breunig.
*The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848* by E. J. Hobsbawm.
*1848: The Revolution of the Intellectuals* by Lewis Bernstein (L. B.) Namier.
Is there a particular revolution you’re interested in (e.g. French Revolution, Russian Revolution, Cuban Revolution)? That might help propel comments in the right direction.
S.A. Smith’s Russia in Revolution is a worthwhile read, though Orlando Figes A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution is more detailed (sounds like what you’re looking for). Rex Wade’s The Russian Revolution 1917 focuses on the pivotal moments in 1917 that led to the Bolsheviks seizing power. Sheila Fitzpatrick’s book on the Russian Revolution out of Oxford University Press is a great primer from WWI through Stalin’s rise.
Regarding the American Revolution, I’ve heard Alan Taylor’s American Revolutions: a continental history 1750-1804 is top tier.
Avila Chomsky’s history of the Cuban Revolution is also a great primer.
Since you brought up Spain I’d recommend Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild. It’s about American volunteers on both sides of the way but overall goes into detail of what life was like during the civil war
Che Guevara’s memoirs are great for this