"Ascher's scholarship is meticulous, and he excels in the narrative of crises, analyzing the changing correlation of forces at each stage with precision and sureness of judgment."—Times Literary Supplement

"This is not only the best one-volume history of the Russian Revolution of 1905, but a model of writing on a large topic, with balance and fullness presented in relatively brief compass In its balance and comprehensiveness, this brief history of one of Russia's great turning points offers penetrating insight into that troubled country's basic historical forces."—The Historian