The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour

By: Rupert Colley

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

History for busy people. Listen to a concise history of the Siege of Leningrad in just one hour.

In 1917 the world changed forever. One of the most influential and contentious events in recent history, the Russian Revolution unleashed the greatest political experiment ever conducted, one which continues to influence both Eastern and Western politics today. The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour neatly covers all the major facts and events giving you a clear and straightforward overview: from the circumstances behind the rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, to the consequences of their struggle for a new socialist utopia. The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour is engagingly written and accessible for all history lovers. Love your history? Find out about the world with History in an Hour….

©2012 Rupert Colley (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"If the past is a foreign country, History in an Hour is like a high-class tour operator, offering delightfully enjoyable short breaks in the rich and diverse continent of our shared past." (Dominic Sandbrook)

"The practice of History is ever-evolving, and the History In An Hour idea brings it back up to date for the digital age." (Andrew Roberts, Bookseller)

"This is genius." (MacWorld.com)

Must read

I had no idea what to expect when I downloaded this book, good or bad. This was a very satisfying read : tightly-packed information, yet very clearly written and narrated. I enjoyed the fact that there is a good amount of info on the years leading to the Revolution giving me a good feel for the social and political background. There are not many superfluous details or anecdotes, as one might expect from an 80 minute-short review of a historical event that spanned over almost a year. Overall a must read for people who, like me, are looking for an introduction on the subject : short, informative, to the point, and paints a good overall picture and, in my case, has triggered the need to read more on the topic.

Only negative point : the narrator's pronunciation of Russian names was sloppy to the point where it was hard to understand what was being said.

Awesome history lessons

Why did my college professors not teach history with such an interesting presentation? Maybe they should listen to these history lessons themselves. I totally recommend this to everyone.

Concise and very informative

There was so much I did not know about the Russian Revolution; never knew that Lenin was such a villain, for example.
As has been my experience with the "history in an hour" series, this book is excellent. The informative, non-exhausting content, and the outstanding narration make this a very pleasurable experience.

Russian History in a Flash!

These History in an Hour books are great for changing a dull commute into a very informative history lesson. The Russian Revolution people and events come alive in this retelling. The narration is superb!

exactly as described

its a good summary of the information. its good to either use as a primer to a much deeper dive. Or as brief flyover of the Soviet uprising and take over.

I found what I wanted.

I have much to thank Rupert Colley and ‘History in an Hour’ for improving my awareness of History. As the other books, this one too was just right. It gave me a fair amount of idea of the times and conditions that lead to the Russian revolution and the ifs & buts of the time make it an exciting read. Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin’s characters are briefly explained too. In one hour, I couldn’t have asked for more.

A good place to begin

I knew little about the specific details regarding the Russian revolution. This was a good place to begin, as the audio provides a broad overview of the major individuals and events involved.

Great way to learn more about history

I greatly enjoyed this expedited review of Russian history but there is so much more to know. Excellent job!

Tough to follow at times.

It's a little hard to follow, it jumps in dates and years. it does have interesting information.

It was the perfect length for an overview

After listening to this at work I feel like I have a pretty good - albeit general grasp of what went on during the Russian Revolution.

Great Value for £1.75!

Would recommend it to all; the best value, a lot of history for the price of a bus ticket!

Audible is terrible

This is a terrible company which requires you to download a programme and then requires numerous levels of sgning in belfore getting the book. Surprised Amazon work with these clowns

Another great episode of history in an hour

Another great episode of history in an hour narrated by Jonathan Keeble. This series is fantastic for those interested in history and ideally sized for the commuter.

Great intro series

The 'History in an Hour' series is wonderful for anyone wanting to dip their toe into a subject for a great price. However, don't be fooled by them only being an hour long, I have many episodes of the series and each one I have listened to so far is packed with information on the relevant subject, and, is a great primer to explore the each subject further. Worth every penny.

Very informative

Very informative and concise.A lively narration by Mr.Keeble which made the history of 1917 Revolution come to life.

Good overview

Having to teach a topic that you are not wholly familiar with is difficult, which is why I purchased this audio. It certainly helped me to build a base to better understand Russian History; I did need to go over it a few times to let it sink in to my memory and have to admit that sometimes I had to slow the narrator down as the narrator's animated voice can be a little hard to follow.
I would recommend this to other History teachers and beginner historians alike.

A good, clear synopsis

I found this to be a very clear introduction to the causes, course and consequences of the Russian Revolution.

It's exactly what it says it is. No more, no less.

This is a quick, cheap primer for anyone wanting to get the basics about the Russian Revolution. It's only really of use to anyone who knows little to nothing about the subject, but it's not pretending otherwise, and does a fine job of that.

Great audio book

Accurate, succinct and to the point. Learnt everything I had hoped for and a great listen too!