'This is thrilling history' - RANA MITTER, AUTHOR OF CHINA'S GOOD WAR

'A big book on a big idea. Sassoon is able to work on a grand scale, and he's not afraid to take big swings' - LITERARY HUB, MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Revolutions is a sparkling account of political upheaval and the power of history. We think of revolutions in terms of fleeting events, such as the fall of the Bastille or the storming of the Winter Palace. In reality, they take decades to burn out, if they ever do.

Historian Donald Sassoon takes the long view of some of the most famous upheavals: the English Civil War, the American War of Independence, the national uprisings that unified Italy and Germany, and the French, Russian and Chinese revolutions. This is a history rich in irony and surprises. As Sassoon shows in this tour de force account, revolutions usually catch revolutionaries themselves by surprise, and the consequences are difficult to fathom at any remove. Revolutions will change how you think about the transformative moments in history, both big and small.

"A big book on a big idea. Sassoon is able to work on a grand scale, and he's not afraid to take big swings with his analysis. He also has an excellent eye for sparkling anecdotes and character sketches" - Lit Hub Most Anticipated Books of 2025

"Acerbic, informative, opinionated, deeply researched, and surprisingly fun" - Washington Examiner

"The leading chronicler of the history of socialism ... exhibit[s] impressive range and subtlety." - Literary Review

"Entertaining . not least for its novel insights and new perspectives . Full of surprising observations and conclusions" - Inside Story

"Astute. enlivening . engaging. It stands apart from all the many books on revolutions I have encountered" - Times Literary Supplement