The Hammer And The Anvil : Dispatches from the Frontline of the Russian Civil War, 1918-1919

Written in a unique style, which combines poetic flourishes with first-rate reportage, Larissa Reisner's reports include vivid descriptions of the disastrous retreat from Volga naval base at Kazan and the miraculous turnaround which emerged after the arrival of Trotsky's famous armoured train and the heroic defence of the hitherto unknown outpost of Sviyazhsk. In this crucible, the beginnings of what would become the Red Army and Red Navy were forged. In addition to a new translation of Larissa Reisner's writings from this period, this book includes a chapter by Trotsky from his autobiography, plus brief biographies of leading participants, most of whom did not survive the Stalin era and were subsequently written out of history.