Trotsky

An American Library Association Great Graphic Novel for Teens Nominee

This polarizing figure set up a world conflict that lasted through the twentieth century, and in Trotsky: A Graphic Biography, the renowned comic artist Rick Geary uses his distinct style to depict the stark reality of the man who was a hero to some, a ruthless demon to others. Trotsky’s life becomes a guide to the creation of the Soviet Union, the horrors of World War I, and the establishment of international communism as he, Lenin, and their fellow Bolsheviks rise from persecution and a life underground to the height of political power. Ranging from his boyhood in the Ukraine to his fallout with Stalin and his moonlight romance with Frida Kahlo, Trotsky is a stunning look at one of the twentieth century’s most important thinkers and the far-reaching political trends that he launched.

Praise

“A concise and powerful overview of one of the twentieth century’s most influential people.”—Michael Lorah, Newsarama.com

“Geary ably distills the events that occupied many hundreds of pages written by Marxist historian Isaac Deutscher and Trotsky himself, touching on such matters as the idea of permanent revolution and the impossibility of socialism in one country. Geary traces Trotsky's evolution from farm boy to bookish adolescent to revolutionary to Bolshevik strategist. He also provides a solid, if necessarily brief, account of the rivalry that developed between Trotsky, desirous of power, and Joseph Stalin, even more so, and the unhappy conclusion to which that rivalry eventually led . . . Trotsky, veteran of tsarist prisons and armored trains, got to dally with Frida Kahlo for a few happy moments before the end-but that end is plenty graphic, so to speak, and Geary does not shy from depicting it. A swift-moving, generally accurate view of Trotsky's life, guaranteed to send orthodox Stalinists into fits.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

“An ace at history in comics form, Geary turns here to the Russian revolution as seen through the life of Leon Trotsky.”—Steve Weinberg, Booklist

"A principle architect and hero of the Russian Revolution, then a pariah and exile under Stalin, Leon Trotsky, born Lev Davidovich Bronstein, is a perpetually controversial figure . . . Geary does a good job treating a touchy subject objectively . . . Best known for his ongoing series of graphic novels looking at famed murders, here [Geary] recreates Russia of the period in his own distinct style. It's instantly recognizable while never distracting; detailed, but not cluttered. Occasional flights of fancy, like his portraits of Trotsky done in the style of negative and positive propaganda posters, are wonderful."—Publishers Weekly

About the Author(s)

Rick Geary

Rick Geary is an award-winning cartoonist and illustrator. His most recent projects include J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography and his continuing graphic series, A Treasury of Victorian Murder and A Treasury of XXth Century Murder. He has worked for Marvel Entertainment Group, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Heavy Metal, and has contributed to National Lampoon and The New York Times Book Review.

photo: Rick Geary