PositiveThe Times Literary Supplement (UK)Antony Beevor singles out Bolshevik unity by comparison to the divisions among their enemies – everyone from tsarist generals to Ukrainian nationalists and peasant anarchists – as the key cause of Red victory. He may well be right, but other factors were also crucial ... Beevor describes well the hesitancy, divisions and weaknesses of foreign intervention between 1919 and 1921 in support of counter-revolution ... Beevor weaves his way through the enormous complexities of these years with intelligence, wit and a talent for describing individuals and events. As one might expect, he is in his element when describing battles, campaigns and the down-to-earth realities of war. He conveys well the appalling savagery, casual violence and suffering brought on by the Civil War ... This leads me to my only serious criticism of this well-informed and well-written book. Beevor has previously written a good study of the Spanish Civil War. Why the left won in Russia and the right in Spain is a fascinating question that tells one much not just about Spain and Russia, but also about twentieth-century European history as a whole...Beevor devotes only a paragraph to the topic in his conclusion. I longed for pages. This may be a case of blaming an author for writing the book he wanted to write, rather than the one the reviewer himself fancied. Even so, I would be intrigued to know what Antony Beevor makes of the comparison between the two civil wars.
