Lenin

This biography by Victor Sebestyen delves into the life of Vladimir Lenin, from his early years and radicalization following the execution of his brother, to his long exile in Europe and his return to Petrograd in 1917 to lead the first Communist revolution.

The book highlights Lenin's complex personality, his relationships with his wife Nadezhda Krupskaya and mistress Inessa Armand, and his role in shaping the Soviet state through political terror and centralized power.

Sebestyen uses newly available archives to provide detailed insights into Lenin's life and the Russian Revolution, portraying him as a sophisticated intellectual, a ruthless leader, and the precursor to Stalin's regime.