.jpg) The first edition cover of the book, depicting Trotsky. | |
| Author | Robert Service |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Biography |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishers |
Publication date | 2009 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Awards | Duff Cooper Prize[1] |
| Preceded by | Stalin: A Biography |
Trotsky: A Biography is a biography of the Marxist theorist and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879–1940) written by the English historian Robert Service, then a professor in Russian history at the University of Oxford. It was first published by Macmillan in 2009 and later republished in other languages.
Having converted to the Marxist revolutionary movement in early life, Trotsky had been a member of the Bolshevik Party and a significant figure in the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the Bolsheviks to power in the Russian Empire. Following the death of Vladimir Lenin, Trotsky's rival Joseph Stalin ascended to the Soviet leadership, with Trotsky fleeing into exile, where he was murdered in Mexico. Following his death, various biographers produced works studying Trotsky; Service's differs from many of these in its emphasis. He argues that Trotsky has been romanticized by western leftists for decades, instead claiming that Trotsky laid the groundwork for the Stalinist totalitarian state in the Soviet Union and that had he become Soviet leader rather than Stalin, the end result would have been very similar.
The book received a mixed reception upon publication. The mainstream British and American press was overwhelmingly positive.[2] Conversely, reviews in peer-reviewed, academic journals were more critical, highlighting factual errors throughout the text and viewing his work as an attempt to discredit Trotsky as a historical figure.[3][4]
In 2010, a rebuttal to his historical interpretation was written by American political theorist and Trotskyist David North in his work, “In Defense of Leon Trotsky”.[5] 14 professional historians and political scientists from Germany as well as Austria opposed the German publication due to concerns over the historical reliability and the number of factual errors.[6]
- ^ "Professor Robert Service". St Antony's College. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
- ^ Montefiore 2009.
- ^ “It appears that he set out thoroughly to discredit Trotsky as a historical figure and as a human being”.Patenaude, Bertrand M. (2011). "Review of Trotsky: A Biography; In Defense of Leon Trotsky". The American Historical Review. 116 (3): 900–902. doi:10.1086/ahr.116.3.900. ISSN 0002-8762. JSTOR 23308381.
- ^ "Instead, the aim of his work is to discredit Trotsky, and unfortunately he often resorts to the formulas associated with Stalinist propaganda"."European historians oppose publication by Suhrkamp of Robert Service's Trotsky biography". 23 November 2011.
- ^ Patenaude, Bertrand M. (2011). "Review of Trotsky: A Biography; In Defense of Leon Trotsky". The American Historical Review. 116 (3): 900–902. doi:10.1086/ahr.116.3.900. ISSN 0002-8762. JSTOR 23308381.
- ^ "European historians oppose publication by Suhrkamp of Robert Service's Trotsky biography". World Socialist Web Site. 23 November 2011.