The History of Pugachev (Phoenix Press)

The history of Pugachev's rebellion against Catherine the Great is amazing, thrilling, and of great importance to the politics of Russia. Pushkin's 1833 account is sober and scholarly, although some fine points of scholarship have been refined since 1833. Pushkin correctly credits Colonel Ivan Mikhelson with the heavy lifting in suppressing the rebels, though better-known men were also involved. It is a marvel to consider how savage was the Russian hinterland in 1773, how divided by religious and tribal faction, and how insecure Catherine was with a war against the Ottomans, preparation for war in Poland, another pretender to the throne ("Princess Tarakanova") and the Black Plague in Moscow. It is understandable that she lost patience with the Cossacks and destroyed the fortress of the Zhaporozhian Cossacks in 1775. It is difficult to credit that anyone could have mistaken the coarse, stocky, illiterate Pugachev for the dead Emperor Peter III. That volunteers flocked to Pugachev's command by the tens of thousands must have reflected a general readiness for revolution. That Pugachev was able to capture or destroy so much of Russia before being caught is also cautionary. Instructive and enlightening, and a good read. Recommended.

bad..

Arrived quickly and as described.

OK, Pushkin was a great Russian poet, but his historical writing does not stand the test of time. I give him credit for writing abount something that is not well known in the West. The Pugachev uprisings were indeed something the Russian monarchy under Catherine II needed to worry about. Here was a guy going around saying he was Peter III and leading the masses against the unjust system which oppressed the serfs, Cossacks, and other nationalities. It is a wonder this man managed to stir up so much trouble.The translation is somewhat stilted. The footnotes should have been included in the text of the writings and not after. After reading this, one gets the idea that history does repeat itself. Over a hundred years after this episode, the Russian Revolution reared its ugly head.

Very good. The notes (pp.111-154) in this book are very much detailed and highly informative. Compare the corresponding notes (pp.532-536) in "Alexander Pushkin: Complete Prose Fiction" - translated by Paul Debreczeny, published by Stanford University Press.

Page one of Pushkin's history was a good read - but the rest wasn't. Very dry. Poor paper. poor print, dull cover - most vanity publications are better produced.Learnt however that the date of Pugachev's execution was the same date as my birthday - that's another one to add to the list: Louis XVI, Lenin, George Orwell. And who was born on that date? - Benny Hill !