Lenin On The Train – Catherine Merridale

Description

Lenin on the Train tells the gripping story of how, in the depths of the First World War, a single journey changed the course of history. With Europe in chaos and Russia on the brink of revolution, a small group within the German government devised a radical plan: they would secretly transport Vladimir Lenin, Russia’s most notorious revolutionary, from exile in Switzerland back to his homeland in a sealed train. Their hope was that his return would deepen Russia’s internal turmoil, forcing the country out of the war and shifting the balance of power.

Catherine Merridale masterfully reconstructs this extraordinary journey, taking readers across a war-ravaged continent alongside Lenin and his fellow revolutionaries. From the tense negotiations that made the trip possible to the eerie landscapes they passed through, Merridale brings to life the drama and uncertainty of the moment. Travelling through Germany, Sweden, and the snow-laden reaches of Finland, Lenin finally arrived at Petrograd’s Finland Station, where his return would ignite a revolution and reshape Russia’s future.

Blending vivid storytelling with meticulous research, Lenin on the Train captures not only the journey itself but also the wider chaos of Russia in 1917: the collapse of the Tsarist regime, the fragile Provisional Government, and the desperate search for new political order. Through contemporary accounts and firsthand observations, Merridale offers a fascinating portrait of Lenin—an exile many underestimated, who would soon become the architect of Soviet Russia.

Hailed as “a jewel among histories” (The Times), this book is a compelling and richly detailed exploration of one of the most pivotal moments in modern history.

Shortlisted for THE TIMES, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, and ECONOMIST Books of the Year (2016).