Forceful and detailed account of the struggle for “freedom†after the American Civil War How did America recover after its years of civil war? How did freed men and women; former slaves; respond to their newly won freedom? David Roediger’s radical new history redefines the idea of freedom after the jubilee; using fresh sources and texts to build on the leading historical accounts of Emancipation and Reconstruction.Reinstating ex-slaves’ own “freedom dreams†in constructing these histories; Roediger creates a masterful account of the emancipation and its ramifications on a whole host of day-to-day concerns for Whites and Blacks alike; such as property relations; gender roles; and labor.
#1021824 in Books 2014-04-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.70 x .60 x 5.00l; .35 #File Name: 1780743874218 pages
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Concise; readable primer of Russian RevolutionBy MRR7417This is a great primer that covers the Russian Revolution; from its roots in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century to "Stalin's completion of the revolution." The author provides the various reasons for why this political and social phenomenon began; how it evolved during the its formative years during the 1910s-1920s; and finally how it became a "dictatorship more authoritarian and ruthless than the Tsars."The author does a thorough job of explaining why the Russian people were so disgruntled with the Tsarist government and how the Bolsheviks gradually gained power; both popularly and perniciously. One important point he makes throughout the book is that the revolution wasn't complete once the Bolsheviks assumed power in 1917; Lenin; Trotsky; and Stalin all consolidated power throughout the next two decades through various measures (and with plenty of political intrigue) to complete the revolution. I particularly like how he highlights various and sometimes conflicting arguments made by other scholars regarding the motives of some of the people involved; and gives the generally accepted views. He doesn't have an apparent axe to grind; but Mr. Ascher unwaveringly states the failures of the people and policies along the way; which is appreciated. Finally; he effectively uses (often horrifying) statistics to illustrate different points; like the vacillation of the economy or the casualties of Stalin's purges.Overall I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the essentials of the Russian Revolution and basic Russian sociopolitical history from 1900-1930. Very readable and concise; but thorough enough to help one understand the main topics!
