A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891–1924
by Orlando Figes
The Folio Society, 2013
Two Volumes in Slipcase
This handsome two-volume Folio Society edition presents Orlando Figes's award-winning history of the Russian Revolution in a finely produced collector's format. Widely regarded as one of the definitive modern histories of revolutionary Russia, A People's Tragedy traces the dramatic transformation of the Russian Empire from the famine of 1891 through the revolutions of 1917, the Civil War, and the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924.
The 2013 Folio Society edition includes a new introduction by the author and is illustrated throughout with maps and extensive photographic plates. Rather than focusing solely on political leaders and military campaigns, Figes tells the story through the experiences of ordinary Russians—peasants, workers, soldiers, intellectuals, aristocrats, and revolutionaries—showing how social tensions, economic hardship, war, and political upheaval combined to produce one of history's most consequential revolutions.
The book examines the rise and fall of the Romanov dynasty, the collapse of imperial Russia during World War I, the Bolshevik seizure of power, the Russian Civil War, and the emergence of the Soviet state under Lenin. Figes combines meticulous archival research with an engaging narrative style, weaving together major historical events with vivid personal stories drawn from diaries, letters, memoirs, and official documents.
His central argument is that the Revolution was both a social uprising born of genuine popular grievances and a tragedy whose ideals ultimately gave way to violence, civil war, and authoritarian rule. The result is a sweeping yet deeply human account of one of the defining events of the twentieth century. The 2013 Folio Society edition is especially prized by collectors.
Printed as a two-volume set housed in a sturdy illustrated slipcase, it features beautifully blocked buckram bindings designed by Neil Gower, high-quality paper, numerous maps, and more than 80 pages of photographic illustrations, including several in color. Its elegant production values make it one of the most attractive editions of Figes's landmark work.
About the Author
Orlando Figes (born 1959) is a British historian specializing in Russian and European history. A professor at Birkbeck, University of London, he is widely recognized for his research on Imperial Russia, the Russian Revolution, and Soviet society. His acclaimed works include A People's Tragedy, Natasha's Dance, The Whisperers, and The Crimean War. Known for combining rigorous scholarship with compelling storytelling, Figes is regarded as one of the foremost historians of modern Russia.
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