Russia in 1919

Russia in 1919 – is a book which was written by Arthur Ransome, English journalist, writer, intelligence agent, MI5 agent. In this book, Arthur Ransome reports on his visit to Russia in 1919. Ransome visited Russia in early 1919, when living conditions were dire but hopes for the future remained high. As a reporter, he describes the situation in Revolutionary Russia frankly, in his surprisingly clear writing style. He meets and converses with a wide variety of Russians in this historical era, including two meetings with Lenin. Militarily, the Bolsheviks were under serious threat, but the victorious workers of Petrograd and Moscow in the October Revolution were still grimly in power. Ransome's brief but elegantly written account reflects living conditions and provides an insight into the mindset of Bolshevik administrators trying to provide food and clothing in a country paralyzed after World War I and now besieged by Western powers. For those unfamiliar with the Russian Revolution, this book might be a good first taste.