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Trotsky

Downfall of a Revolutionary

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Trotsky

By: Bertrand M. Patenaude
Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
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About this listen

In Trotsky: Downfall of a Revolutionary, Stanford University lecturer Bertrand M. Patenaude tells the dramatic story of Leon Trotsky's final years in exile in Mexico. Shedding new light on Trotsky's tumultuous friendship with painter Diego Rivera, his affair with Rivera’s wife Frida Kahlo, and his torment as his family and comrades become victims of the Great Terror, Trotsky: Downfall ofa Revolutionary brilliantly illuminates the fateful and dramatic life of one of history's most famous yet elusive figures.

©2009 Bertrand M. Patenaude (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Historical Politicians Politics & Activism World Stalin Imperialism

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Editor reviews

Bertrand Patenaude is an international relations scholar, writer, and professor who has written several well-received books on Russian history. In Trotsky: Downfall of a Revolutionary, Patenaude places the controversial figure of Leon Trotsky in Mexico, where he is in exile before World War II. Interspersed with flashbacks to pivotal moments in Trotsky's career with the Red Army and Stalin in Soviet Russia, the book explores Trotsky's wartime relationships with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Saul Bellow, and others. The book is rich and dramatic, packed with affairs, attempted assassinations, and secret police, and English actor Matthew Waterson apportions his sentences to magnify Trotsky's exciting scenes even further.
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Trotsky is - or was, for me at least - one of those historical individuals whose name was well known but whose history was hazy. This very accessible - and moving - book provides a good overview of the man, his personality, and his life, with the emphasis on his years in exile, especially in Mexico. I found it utterly gripping and informative.

One small criticism is the narrator's 'American' pronunciation of words, even though he speaks with an English accent. Hard to understand why that choice was made. It rather grates.

Fascinating and enthralling

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This is a very interesting study of the last months of Leon Trotsky's life, culminating in his assassination. Although it alludes to many incidents in Trotsky's earlier years, often during the October revolution, it concentrates on his exile in Mexico, focussing strongly on his domestic relationships; principally with his wife, Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo. This domestic focus serves to illustrate how isolated and politically impotent Trotsky had become in real terms, notwithstanding the amount of ideological support and notoriety he still received. A portrait of an increasingly frustrated and stymied former political giant results, perhaps throwing some light on Trotsky's failings as a political leader by exposing his personal foibles. I found the material engaging, if occasionally a little repetitive, and the narration generally pleasing with a good pace. As a personal preference, however, I don't like the marriage of a standard English voice with American pronunciations and usage, and some of the emphases and stresses echoed oddly, perhaps as a result of this. Overall I'd recommend this work as it deals with an important subject and tells its story well.

Fascinating and frustrating.

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This book, focusing on a particular period of Trotskys life, deals very well with the relevant historical sources and constructs a flowing narrative that can be easily followed. There are "flashbacks" for want of a better word but I did not find them off-putting which can be a problem with history books. I am now interested in exploring other biographies dealing with other areas of Trotskys life.

Trotsky

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Knowing nothing of his time in Mexico, now you will. A great account of his life from arrival to end. You instantly feel the discombobulated nature of things and the chaos that he’s brought with him that ultimately breaks him or catches up with him in the summer of 1940

Mexico

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This could be fiction, and it reads like the best fiction novels. The only difference is, it actually happened.

Trotsky’s life has been recounted in great detail here, it is well written without being lengthy. It focuses mostly on the latter part of his life, with flashbacks to earlier encounters, which all bleed well into the same story.

The narrator is great, the story is incredible, and I would go as far to say one of the best books I’ve read (or listened to). Before this, I had no intention of reading an account of Trotsky’s life, and I only downloaded it because it was included in the membership (free). It is a very dark part of history, and the ripples still reverberate today.

Trotsky

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Great narration voice, pace and very good story.
written in the way to portray Trotsky as a good old man that has been a victim of bolshevik intrigue. Nice try. Had a good time listening to it, learned a lot and loved the happy ending.

Very much enjoyed it.

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A very very interesting and different perspective on the tragic persona who wouldn't give up on a dream

Really good binge listening

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Why the English narrator thinks it’s a great idea to drop into US pronunciation’s only he knows but it’s rather tedious. If he were an American I wouldn’t expect him to use British pronunciation’s you just accept it is part of the narration.

Reader

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a limited account of the vibes of his last days with no theoretical investigation

a decent idealistic narrative

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The book oscillated between interesting anecdotes and barren description. The narration made it worse as it sounded like a children's book. Of course, the underlying story is fascinating but it takes some piecing together.

Patchy

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