The Empire Must Die: Russia's Revolutionary Collapse, 1900-1917

(Hardback)

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THE EMPIRE MUST DIE portrays the vivid drama of Russia's brief and exotic experiment with civil society before it was swept away by the despotism of the Communist Revolution. The window between two equally stifling autocracies - the imperial family and the communists - was open only briefly, in the last couple of years of the 19th century until the end of WWI, by which time the revolution was in full fury.

From the last years of Tolstoy until the death of the Tsar and his family, however, Russia experimented with liberalism and cultural openness. In Europe, the Ballet Russe was the height of chic. Novelists and playwrights blossomed, political ideas were swapped in coffee houses and St Petersburg felt briefly like Vienna or Paris. The state, however couldn't tolerate such experimentation against the backdrop of a catastrophic war and a failing economy. The autocrats moved in and the liberals were overwhelmed. This story seems to have strangely prescient echoes of the present.

Reviews

"A combination of unbiased narration and primary source material, The Empire Must Die is a valuable resource, and a readable, often exciting, introduction to modern Russian history."--Historical Novel Society
"An immensely compelling work....A journalist, Zygar approaches history like he's interviewing it - listening to what those involved had to say and expertly putting that in context. The result is a riveting unfolding of history as it was being lived - and imperfectly understood - by those in the middle....If you want a book that's unlike the avalanche of other Revolutionary titles, that's well researched and better written, that transforms bit players of history into people you feel you know, that lets you experience the death shudders of an era at a century's remove, then The Empire Must Die must be read."--Foreign Policy
"By analyzing archives, historical documents, memoirs, [Zygar] created a sort of patchwork that introduces to readers very diverse political and cultural figures - from classic writers Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky to revolutionaries Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin; from ministers Sergei Witte and Pyotr Stolypin to popular leaders of the public protest.... This book is worth reading...it describes the country's history through the lenses of the Russian society, not only from the point of view of statesmen and the ruler....the main goal of Zygar's book is to prove that every member of society can contribute to the development of a country's history and make difference."--RussiaList.org
"This is the kind of historical narrative I like the most: unbiased, balanced, unemotional, and really thrilling at the same time. That's a pretty unique combination."--Boris Akunin, bestselling author and historian
"We seem to forget how to look back in the past and learn from it; it's a pretty crucial skill for a society that wants to maintain a healthy political environment, though. Zygar is one of those important thinkers who helps us to not lose our memory and, thus, our heads."--Nadya Tolokonnikova, Pussy Riot
"Zygar brings a reporter's eye to history and The Empire Must Die is packed with the sort of fantastic detail for which any newspaper editor would kill."--The Calvert Journal
"Zygar has written a riveting account....A vivid sense of real-time chaos, confusion, and the multitude of ideas for bringing Russia into the 20th century is well documented in a readable journalistic manner.... This lively depiction of prerevolutionary and revolutionary Russia will interest both readers with little background who are curious to learn about this pivotal historical time and those who would like a fresh perspective."--Library Journal

Author Bio

Mikhail Zygar is the former editor in chief of the only independent TV station in Russia, TV Rain (Dozhd). Previously, he worked for Newsweek Russia and the business daily Kommersant. Zygar was awarded the 2014 International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists.