John Reed

Romania during World War I faced a unique situation. Although ruled by a German king, it had strong cultural and historical ties to France and the West. The young nation also had territorial ambitions that it hoped to satisfy. As a result, the country maintained cautious neutrality in the early years of the war before ultimately deciding to enter the conflict on the side of the Allies in 1916. One of those who witnessed this situation was the American journalist John Reed. Internationally known for his famous account of the Bolshevik Revolution, Ten Days that Shook the World, John Reed’s writings about Romania are, until now, virtually unknown. As a journalist of great talent and a witness to the situation in Romania in 1915, on the eve of its entry into the war, John Reed’s accounts are insightful reading for anyone interested in this period of Romanian history or the author himself. Edited, with an introduction by Dr. A. K. Brackob, this volume brings together these writings and reveals John Reed’s unique perspective on Romania. Born in Portland, Oregon on October 22, 1887, John Reed was among the most highly acclaimed journalists of his day, famous for his first-hand accounts of the Mexican Revolution, where he rode alongside Pancho Villa, in addition to his famous book on the Russian Revolution. Reed was also a political activist and a founding member of the Communist Labor Party of America. He died in Russia on October 17, 1920, and is one of only three Americans buried in the Kremlin Wall.

"This book is a slice of intensified history?history as I saw it.” So begins John Reed’s first-hand account of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Much anticipated when it was published in 1919, Reed’s narrative remains as riveting today as when the events he describes were still reverberating throughout the world. Reed was hardly a disinterested observer, and his involvement in the Communist labor movement lends urgency and passion to his classic account. He vividly describes events in Petrograd in November 1917, when Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace and seized the reins of power. Despite Reed’s personal leanings, which he made no attempt to hide, the book garnered praise from luminaries across the political spectrum. George F. Kennan, the American diplomat, and father of the policy of Soviet containment, said that ? Reed’s account of the events of that time rises above every other contemporary record for its literary power, its penetration, its command of detail. It will be remembered when all others are forgotten." Reed was committed to telling the story of the Russian revolution as truthfully as possible. That the book was banned by Russian premier Josef Stalin is a testament to the author’s success in carrying out his mission. One hundred years after Russia and the world trembled, Ten Days that Shook the World brings alive the momentous events of 1917.

This book is the basis for the Academy Award winning 1981 film "Reds". Reed's classic eyewitness account captures the opening days of the Russian Revolution. His passionately involved narrative describes the fall of the provisional government, the assault on the Winter Palace, Lenin's seizure of power, and other tumultuous events.

From the bands roots in north London, through their emergence as part of 2-Tone and onto their late 80s fall and subsequent rise via the Madstock festivals, House of Fun celebrates a very British musical phenomenon. Formed in the heyday of punk, Madness were true originals who mixed ska and reggae rhythms with social comment and music hall humour to become a British group like no other. They were the most successful UK singles band of the Eighties, offering a larky down-to-earth take on Thatcher's Britain through hits like 'My Girl', 'One Step Beyond', 'House Of Fun' and 'Baggy Trousers'. Their appeal endures to this day, Madness' latter-day concerts having become fun-packed celebrations of one of the best-loved songbooks in British pop. Like most bands Madness had their trials and tribulations, including band disputes, accusations of racism and an eventual split. But by then they had become a unique part of British pop history. John Reed tells their colourful story with a perceptive industry eye and the help of insights from many insiders and colleagues of the band.

Dieci giorni che sconvolsero il mondo, pubblicato nel 1919, narra, in chiave di reportage, gli avvenimenti della Rivoluzione d'ottobre. Al centro del libro, il popolo russo: soldati, operai, contadini, tutti alla disperata ricerca di un mondo migliore. Un affresco della situazione in Russia prima e durante la Rivoluzione, attraverso discorsi, dialoghi e comportamenti di coloro che ne furono i protagonisti. Il testo non una semplice descrizione dei fatti, ma un susseguirsi di scene vissute, da cui emergono sentimenti, emozioni, rabbia e frustrazioni provate e sofferte dalle masse. Nelle pagine di John Reed, la rivolta prende vita, permettendo a un lettore ignaro di rivivere un periodo fondamentale della nostra storia.