Just Finished Reading: Revolutions – A Very Short Introduction by Jack A Goldstone (FP: 2014)

Of course with my interest in all things revolutionary this was a must read for me. With so much ground to cover I hoped that it could provide me with some much needed perspective. Interestingly, and before moving on to various categories of revolution, once definitions had largely been put to bed the author concentrated on the process of revolution – their causes, their leaders and their outcomes. It became very clear that although the underlying causes of revolution seem, at first sight, to be essentially straight forward the fact that revolutions are rare events – never mind successful revolutions which are even rarer – illustrates the case that it is the complex interactions between these ‘simple’ elements that enable revolutions to periodically disrupt everything they touch.

The historical examples outlined in the book are categorised to illustrate the authors recurring themes: there are the Constitutional Revolutions in America, France, Europe (1830 and 1848) as well as Meiji Japan. There are the ideologically driven Communist Revolutions in Russia, China and Cuba. There are Revolutions dedicated to the overthrow of tyrants and dictators as in Mexico, Nicaragua and Iran (more of which later), the so-called ‘Colour’ Revolutions in the Philippines, Eastern Europe, the USSR and Ukraine and the recent Arab Revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria.

Revolution, as we can see on our television screens, is still very much with us. It is a present phenomenon not an historical phenomena. Revolutions are most certainly not over and we can expect more to erupt in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Where people are oppressed, where economies are failing, where dictators rule, where ideology grows and where foreign interests encourage it the possibility, indeed the likelihood of Revolution – violent or otherwise – exists in its infant form right now. Revolutions come as a surprise, sometimes to the revolutionaries themselves, because no one, either inside or outside the country can see all of its elements in enough detail simultaneously. Only generally in retrospect can we see all of the elements working together to produce the final surprising outcome. That’s one reason why Revolutions are so fascinating.

This was another hit for me from the most impressive VSI Series by Oxford University Press. This is actually the last VSI book I own presently so I’ll be buying more next year. I’ll see if I can push the boat out a bit and challenge myself to explore the waters outside my usual comfort zone. With VSI I doubt if I’ll be disappointed by taking the risk.