October Song

Paul Le Blanc, long-time activist and Professor of History at La Roche College, is author of Lenin and the Revolutionary Party, From Marx to Gramsci, and Leon Trotsky. He is an editor of The Complete Works of Rosa Luxemburg.

"October Song is wonderful -- a vivid account of the Revolution, moving beyond the merely defensive to thoughtful consideration of not only external challenges but also internal problems among the revolutionaries, critical-minded yet at the same time deeply sympathetic." -China Miéville, author of October"October Song is an important and timely contribution at a moment when large numbers of young people are turning to socialist politics and beginning to grapple with the lessons of the Russian Revolution. Combining a sharp analytical focus with illuminating anecdotes from political practice and daily life, Le Blanc provides a sweeping and engaging account of the revolution, the Bolsheviks, and their strengths and weaknesses. For all those seeking to make sense of this inspiring but ultimately tragic history, October Song is an essential read." -Eric Blanc, author of Anti-Colonial Marxism: Oppression & Revolution in the Tsarist Borderlands"Excellent in every respect ... the writing is extraordinarily clear and interesting and the coverage of different interpretations is fair and thoughtful. ... The use of the commentary by early participants and witnesses of these years makes the text original in many ways. ... A strikingly effective synthesis of various sources provides a ‘richness’ that I regard as really extraordinary." -Jonathan Harris, Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

• Chapter 1 Nothing Can Ever Be the Same1. Corroboration and Contrasts2. Multiple Insurgencies3. Revolutionary Party4. What Went Wrong?5. Framing QuestionsChapter 2 Pre-Revolutionary Russia1. The Crisis of Russian Capitalism2. The Russian Working ClassChapter 3 Revolutionary Triumph1. Revolutionary Vanguard2. The Road to Power3. Soviet DemocracyChapter 4 Proletarian Rule and Mixed Economy1. Workers’ Democracy and Mixed Economy2. Twists and Loops3. Beyond the Mixed Economy4. Workers, Peasants, Cadres