The Anatomy of Revolution

2021 Reprint of the 1938 First Editon. Full facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The Anatomy of Revolution outlines the "uniformities" of four major political revolutions: the English Revolution of the 1640s, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the 1917 Russian Revolution. Brinton notes how the revolutions followed a life cycle from the Old Order to a moderate regime to a radical regime, to Thermidorian reaction. The book has been described as a "classic," "famous" and a "watershed in the study of revolution." It has been influential enough to have inspired advice given to US President Jimmy Carter by his National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski during the Iranian Revolution. Revised editions of Brinton's book were published in 1952 and 1965, and it remains in print. Our edition reprints the classic account first published in 1938

Brinton summarizes the revolutionary process as moving from "financial breakdown, [to] organization of the discontented to remedy this breakdown ... revolutionary demands on the part of these organized discontented, demands which if granted would mean the virtual abdication of those governing, attempted use of force by the government, its failure, and the attainment of power by the revolutionists. These revolutionists have hitherto been acting as an organized and nearly unanimous group, but with the attainment of power it is clear that they are not united. The group which dominates these first stages we call the moderates .... power passes by violent ... methods from Right to Left".
Contents: Old regimes -- First stages of revolution -- Types of revolutionists -- Rule of the moderates -- Accession of the extremists -- Reigns of terror and virtue -- Thermidor -- Summary of the work of revolutions.