A look into the Russian Revolution and the end of the Romanov family. A sad tail all the way around and not just for them but for millions of others as well. A good story.

Helen Rappaport's books on the Romanovs and their unfortunate fate are some of the most interesting being published today. I'm a huge fan of the way she peeks in to the dusty corners of the imperial world, bringing to life the real people who have become myths and legends over the past century. Recommended.

The Romanovs and Russian royalty has always been a bit of history that I am drawn to learn more about. I liked this book because it took the approach on the period from many views. It didn’t just focus on one aspect- it took all kinds of peoples thoughts and experiences into a detailed tale of the period.

Caught in the Revolution by Helen Rappaport*. This is a very detailed account of the 1917 Russian Revolution as told through the eyes of foreign journalist etc. who were in Russia at the time. This was not an easy read. The events during that time were truly horrifying and disturbing. The book was well-researched and detailed. However, I struggled with it. It sat on my "currently reading" shelf on Goodreads for way too long. I finally finished it and feel like I learned a lot about a time and a place I knew little about but I would not say I enjoyed it. Read it if you have an interest in the time period.

From the author of the Romanov Sisters, Caught in the Revolution is a well-told view of the events of the February Revolution, as seen mainly by the British, French and American immigrants living in Petrograd at the time. Making use of a large number of first-hand accounts, Rappaport does a great job of tying everything together into a full narrative, that while concentrating on a very small period of time (a handful of days) also manages to give a sweeping image of a specific time and place. A great read for the one hundred year anniversary of such a key moment in world history!

It took me months to finish this book, but it was mostly my fault. I've been in a bit of a reading slump, and anything about Russia probably wasn't going to get me out of it. That being said, this was quite a unique subject and an interesting read.

Rappaport has put together the stories of some of the foreign nationals who lived in Russia right at the tail end of WWI, around the time of their communist revolution a la Lenin. There aren't a lot of first-hand accounts available from this very specific time period and from this specific group of people, but the author manages to put what she found together in a compelling narrative. The people she is referencing are from America, the UK, France, etc so their point of view varies from seeing the revolutions as a waste of life and resources by a confused people, to highly idealistic and hopeful philosophical musings. I found the accounts of the reporters the most compelling since they were always getting right into the middle of things, witnessing the bloody reality of the revolutions.

The only thing I found lacking was a deeper understanding of the revolution, what was happening and why. Although I think that might have more to do with the chaotic nature of the beast, since there didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason for how things played out in general. The books hops from event to event but I never felt the cohesiveness of relating it all together.

Overall this was a very interesting read, but I'm sure it would have even more meaning if you knew more about the background of the events.

From the prologue: Petrograd was a brooding, beleaguered city that last desperate winter before the revolution broke; a snowbound city of ice-locked canals and looming squares.

Premise/plot: Caught in the Revolution by Helen Rappaport uses primary sources--first-hand accounts of men and women who were witnesses--to piece together the events of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

The prologue, I believe, gives a background focusing on the December and January leading up to the February Revolution. It introduces readers to the key witnesses as well: the English Ambassador (Sir George Buchanan), the American Ambassador (David Rowland Francis), the French Ambassador (Maurice Paléologue), newspaper reporters and photographers from various countries, women nurses working at a war hospital, etc.

What was the city like BEFORE the revolution? How had two years of war changed the city? Were there indicators of trouble ahead? What was the general mood of the city? And how much of that mood related directly to class?

Chapter one begins in February and recounts the days leading up to the Revolution. Most of the book focuses on 1917, concentrating on the two revolutions--February and October. In between there is an interim government of sorts. But essentially the entire year is a MESS politically, economically. No law. No order. No justice. Most people starving AND freezing. A collision of strong ideas, horrible weather, and desperation. The last chapter is Postscript. It serves as a conclusion. Readers learn what happened next...in Russia...and what happened next to all the many, many key witnesses we've spent time getting to know. In some cases, Rappaport was simply unable to find out what happened to various reporters after the war, after they returned home. But she also lists what books were written and published about the Revolution by these witnesses.

My thoughts: This book is fascinating. Also intense and compelling. It describes nearly every level of society. Sometimes the book is very graphic in terms of violence. What including ALL those primary accounts does is give modern readers a sense of being there, of experiencing what it was like day by day, night by night. Sights. Sounds. Smells.

One thing that struck me was how different people reacted. For example, for some people the early days were a mere inconvenience. The 'revolution' to them meant a longer detour to their party destination. They were still having parties and balls and get-togethers. They were still attending ballets and operas. They were still carrying on as if nothing at all of importance was happening.

Of course, that wasn't the typical reaction. This book is a treat for readers.

There are probably hundreds of books on the Russian Revolution out there. But I don't think I have ever read something like Caught in the Revolution by Helen Rappaport in that the story is told entirely from the standpoint of foreigners in Russia at the time the Czar fell and the Bolsheviks rose. At the start, I was concerned because it sounded like the story was going to be a total foreigners were living the high life in the Tsarists state and totally ignore the rising tide of revolution. However, that early detail to how foreigners lived in Russia is necessary for the reader to comprehend fully their own human tragedy.

In many cases, their tragedy is not physical or at least not to the extent that it was for the Russian people. Their tragedy is more of a emotional trauma of a loss of the country that they knew and loved. They gave their lives and health to merely surviving the transformation of the Russian state from an elegant, aristocratic paradise into a barbaric machine that ground up humanity. Caught in the Revolution does indeed talk about human tragedy, but a different tragedy than the average reader may be used to.

Having read the author's previous book, The Romanov Sisters, I was not surprised at the amount of research Helen put into this book, even if it was not what I had expected!

The book is told more from different view points of the revolutions- those that supported it, those that blindly followed, those who ignored it (until they couldn't), and those who appreciated what they saw as the democracy of it, not fully understanding the true cost. Through the diaries you come to understand just how inevitable a revolution was, and that the monarchy was out of touch. Was a socialist republic the answer? Probably not, because as the book shows those that were fighting for a democracy, such as America had, were pushed out in favor of those who would eventually become the elite of the Socialist party, As such, the book is like watching a train wreck happen, without being able to stop it. It is an interesting behind the scenes look, and one many Americans will have no idea about, making it a must for any avid history reader!

I read in Witnesses to the Revolution about a young student who complained that the 1917 revolution had begun with good intentions but unfortunately, it had been taken over by 'the dark people'. Rappaport's thoroughly researched and fascinating book provides evidence of this, but it mainly concerns the British and French in Russia who literally found themselves trapped in the revolution. She describes the British colony in Russia, the ambassadors and the journalists who watched as the country dramatically disintegrated.

It's quite a gruesome book - be warned. It is a myth that the February revolution was comparatively peaceful with little violence. Although it came 'like a thief in the night', chaos soon descended and the world became one of 'dilapidation, of demoralization and decay'. There were many reasons why Kerensky, who believed in orthodox socialism, ultimately lost control but in the end it was simply because the Bolsheviks were better organised with a 'definite political programme' and the government was not strong enough to put them down with force, as Sir George Buchanan, the British Ambassador had presciently warned.

My favourite characters in this book include Sit George Buchanan and his family. Sir George was a favourite of the Russians and he had even warned the Tsar that there would be trouble if he continued with his authoritarian government. Sir George stood like a rock amidst all the turmoil but he had to leave when Russia turned to anarchy after the Communists took over and he became one of the hated symbols of the hated capitalists. Rappaport writes vividly that they escaped during the darkness of another power cut, sneaking downstairs by flickering candlelight past portraits of British royalty while their Russian maids sobbed.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in Russian history.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

This different perspectives give us a complete picture of the revolution. It's always great to read true accounts for extra understanding when reading historical fiction set in the time period. Happy to read about it but definitely glad I was not there.

Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 – A World on the Edge by Helen Rappaport is a first-hand account of the revolutions in Russia. Rappaport attended Leeds University with the intention of joining the Foreign Office. She changed her mind and became an actress. She, later, became a full-time writer in 1998 and has written several books on Russian history and Victorian history. Her work on Lenin caused a stir when she proposed that he died of syphilis rather than a stroke.

Rappaport wrote the very successful The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandria in 2014. Her clear and narrative style writing makes for good reading and she is not hesitant to document her work. Caught in the Revolution is composed of first-hand accounts from the British and American diplomatic communities as well as the business community. The foreign communities present their personal experiences of the revolution in the streets of Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg but changed to lose the German name), Since 1914 the German community had left with the outbreak of war and Russian alliance with France.

Life in Petrograd had declined since the start of the war. The lines for bread had grown to five hour waits in the sub-zero temperatures. White bread had steadily been turning grayer as additives started replacing the flour. The Russian government tried to assure the population that there was no shortage of flour and that any shortage was a result of hoarding. The people were losing faith in the government. Prices were rising and shortages in other goods were growing. Despite the shortages seen on the streets and citizens in rags, the elites, however, still lived well and had the opera and other upper-class entertainment including champagne.

Violence in the streets came and grew almost by accident. It was slow in escalating, but the bread shortage was the major reason for the unrest. The First World War was taking its toll on the front and at home. The people’s bread was being used to feed horses at the front. There was no talk of revolution at the start of the protests. The cossacks were called out to put down the unrest in the streets, however, they did not act against the crowds. Normally, the cossacks would have brutally put down the unrest. When they didn’t, a woman asked why weren’t they attacking. A cossack replied, “We are hungry too.” The military slowly started to defect. It was the police that attacked the crowds viciously, even resorting to indiscriminate machine gunning of the crowds from rooftops. The police even resorted to dressing in cossack and military uniforms to give the illusion of military support for the Czar.

The Nicholas abdicated and the Kerensky faction moved to join the various factions in forming a provisional government that took over governing the nation. Kerensky served as Minister of Justice (ended the death penalty) and Minister of War. He didn’t follow the will of the people and continued to fight the disastrous war on the Eastern Front. Lenin and Trotsky took most of Kerensky’s early popular support and the second revolution that year began.

Rappaport first-hand accounts of what was happening in the streets of Petrograd add much to the history of the Russian revolutions. Personal descriptions of the fighting in the streets and even the speeches of Lenin add an important feel to the revolution. Most of the first-hand accounts came from US and British citizens who were not fighting for one side or another. They offer an unbiased look at the fall of one the great powers of Europe. Excellent reading.

Caught in the Revolution is a meticulously researched account of the months surrounding the 1917 Russian Revolution. The book focuses on the experiences of foreign nationals in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) who were caught up in the violence of the revolution. Rappaport carries the reader from the first conflict of February 1917, through to the final revolutionary spasm in October of 1917.

Rappaport has delved into the diaries and correspondence of ambassadors, nurses, reporters, bankers, anarchists, and expats. Her long fascination with the topic shines through in the breadth of detail she brings to bear. Rappaport also provides a detailed history of the Revolution itself, so even those who have never studied the October Revolution will be able to follow the book. Coming out for the centennial anniversary of the event, and considering the state of current affairs, the release of this book is exquisitely well-timed.

The book is intended more for the serious history reader/scholar. My major complaint with the book is that Rappaport has provided almost too much information. The book would have made a wonderful narrative (in the vein of Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts) if she had chosen to focus on the experiences of a few key players. As it stands, we are able to learn a little bit about quite a number of foreign expats, to the point where it is hard to remember who everyone is. The lack of background for the same people also makes it difficult to connect with them as real people, rather than just words in a diary.

In all though, Russian scholars and lovers of history will likely find this book informative and intriguing. And, with everything else that is going on in the world right now, the more casual reader might be interested in picking up this book for a valuable perspective on revolution.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Caught in the Revolution will be available for purchase on February 7th, 2017.

This is a fascinating look at the Russian Revolution, but it's also a LOT of information. There are so many different people that the narrative jumps between that it's difficult to keep track of what's going on. Perhaps not the best book for people jumping into Russian history, or the casual reader, but intended for readers who have a longstanding interest in the Revolution who are looking for more details and first-hand accounts. This isn't a book you can pick up whenever--it reads more like a textbook and I feel like I need to take notes to truly understand the timeline. I wish it had been broken into chapters based on each person's perspective.

When the cataclysmic events of 1917 overtook Russia, there were a surprising number of foreigners in the city – nannies, diplomats, journalists, Red Cross nurses, spies and businessmen. From Emmeline Pankhurst to Somerset Maugham and from Arthur Ransome to legendary ambassador George Buchanan right down to humble waiters, many of these ex-pats wrote accounts of what was happening – even if they sometimes couldn’t understand it all. Helen Rappaport has done an impressive amount of research and gathered together the testimonies and eye-witness accounts of these foreigners stranded in the capital and through their diaries, letters and dispatches we get a vivid and authentic account of what it was like to be in Petrograd in that momentous year as the Russian Empire collapsed and the Romanov dynasty came to an end. If I have any criticism of the book it is that there are so many people quoted that it sometimes all feels a bit chaotic – but perhaps that only reflects the times. An invaluable and unmissable book for anyone interested in Russia and its Revolution.