You Say You Want a Revolution?, Daniel Chirot
You Say You Want a Revolution?, Daniel Chirot
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You Say You Want a Revolution?
Radical Idealism and Its Tragic Consequences

Author: Daniel Chirot

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Unabridged: 6 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/03/2020


Synopsis

In You Say You Want a Revolution?, Daniel Chirot examines a wide range of right- and left-wing revolutions around the world—from the late eighteenth century to today—to provide important new answers to these critical questions.

From the French Revolution of the eighteenth century to the Mexican, Russian, German, Chinese, anticolonial, and Iranian revolutions of the twentieth, Chirot finds that moderate solutions to serious social, economic, and political problems were overwhelmed by radical ideologies that promised simpler, drastic remedies. But not all revolutions had this outcome. The American Revolution didn't, although its failure to resolve the problem of slavery eventually led to the Civil War, and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe was relatively peaceful, except in Yugoslavia. From Japan, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia to Algeria, Angola, Haiti, and Romania, You Say You Want a Revolution? explains why violent radicalism, corruption, and the betrayal of ideals won in so many crucial cases, why it didn't in some others—and what the long-term prospects for major social change are if liberals can't deliver needed reforms.

About Daniel Chirot

Daniel Chirot is the Herbert J. Ellison Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Henry Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is the author of many books, including The Shape of the New: Four Big Ideas and How They Made the Modern World with Scott L. Montgomery, which was named one of the New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of the Year.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on December 31, 2020

Excellent history of global revolutions and how this often did not work out well -- though occasionally did. More importantly, the author offers warnings/conclusions as to what may happen in the near future if the warnings from history are not taken seriously. Not sure anything can be done though, w......more

Goodreads review by Sanjay on December 25, 2020

I kept reading it off and on, finally finishing this month. It's a heavy book but enormously revealing. The book can trigger complete U turns in your beliefs and understanding of political revolutions. Had to go back and forth between chapters as it talks about several revolutions of different times......more

Goodreads review by Nate on March 16, 2021

Very thought provoking book. Chirot takes you into the insides of several revolutions over the past few hundred years, looks for trends, and then draws some conclusions. Although I am not well-studied enough to have a good opinion, I appreciate the conclusions presented, and the details given. I hop......more

Goodreads review by York on February 15, 2021

Decent, brisk history of most of the revolutionary movements of the 20th century measured against the French Revolution. Nothing truly groundbreaking but the distilled commonalities provide a good base with which to gauge current events.......more

Goodreads review by Andy on September 29, 2024

with the growing unease of American politics, many young people are looking for a violent revolution to change America for the better. this book did a wonderful job of explaining what a revolution could actually look like and its tragic consequences......more