It is an era that redefined history. As the 1790s began, a fragile America teetered on the brink of oblivion, Russia towered as a vast imperial power, and France plunged into monumental revolution. But none of these remarkable events occurred in isolation. In The Great Upheaval, acclaimed historian Jay Winik masterfully illuminates how their fates combined in one extraordinary moment to change the course of civilization.
Winik brings his vast, meticulous research and narrative genius to the cold, dark battlefields and deadly clashes of ideologies that defined this age. Here is a savage world war, the toppling of a great dynasty, and an America struggling to survive at home and abroad. Here, too, is the first modern Holy War between Islam and a resurgent Christian empire. And here is the richest cast of characters ever to walk upon the world stage: Washington and Jefferson, Louis XVI and Robespierre, Catherine the Great, Adams, Napoleon, and Selim III. Exquisitely written and utterly compelling, The Great Upheaval vividly depicts an arc of revolutionary fervor stretching from Philadelphia and Paris to St. Petersburg and Cairo—with fateful results. A landmark in historical literature, Winik's gripping, epic portrait of this tumultuous decade will forever transform the way we see America's beginnings and our world.
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"I gave it four stars because it keeps your interest and skillfully managed a lot of historical information in a coherent manner. I provides an in-depth primer of what went on in France and Russia while the colonies separated from Britian. "
— Ken (4 out of 5 stars)
“Winik includes the vivid, telling human details that stick with the reader. He does a spectacular job…This is one of those books you want to buy for friends and family. And our country’s current leaders.”
— USA Today“A remarkable work of history, a sweeping panorama of great leaders, great thinkers, great battles and great stakes, with nations and civilizations hanging in the balance. Gripping…Dramatic…The Great Upheaval itself is a kind of musical composition with three principal melodies or strains.”
— Wall Street Journal“Epic and vivid. His ambitious triple play—weaving together the stories of Russia, America, and France—offers a fresh take on the era, and his enthusiasm gives readers a treat. Winik strips away the patina of mythology to reveal the contradictions and internal battles that make historical figures so intriguing.”
— Christian Science Monitor“Thrilling in scope and elegant in style and argument.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" Excellent book and very interesting. Enjoyed the French and American Revolution. The Russian part was hard to understand. But overall a good read. "
— Steve, 5/28/2011" would have liked if the book had the word "suddenly" edited out. a small thing, yes, but it appears so many times it could be made into a college drinking game "
— Jim, 3/29/2011" Worth reading for the insights into Russia... "
— Brent, 12/15/2010" it paints with a broad brush (example takes 5 pages for all of Washington's life) but it paints on a different canvas by focusing on all of europe and the united states during the time after the american revolution till 1800. "
— Colin, 3/10/2010" This was an excellent book in relating the events happening around the world during the late 1700s to early 1800. "
— Kathryn, 1/19/2010" I read this one because I liked "April 1865". This one totally blew me away. Read it, lent it out, and then read it again... probably not for the last time. Such creative linking of events that are usually studied separately. "
— Meredith, 9/13/2009" Richly detailed account of the revolutionary spirit that swept through Russia, France, and America in the last decade of the 18c. The precariousness of the early American Union is strikingly evident in Winick's telling of the first decade of its existence. "
— Fred, 4/30/2009Jay Winik is the author of the New York Times bestseller April 1865, among other works. He is a senior scholar of history and public policy at the University of Maryland and a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Sam Tsoutsouvas is a veteran actor and lyricist with experience on the stage and in television, films, and audiobook narration. He has acted in regional theater and on Broadway in everything from Shakespeare plays to musical comedy. His television appearances include Law & Order and Soldier of Fortune, Inc. His film roles include the minister in Ghost, and he provided voice for two film documentaries, Ezra Pound: American Odyssey and Lodz Ghetto, which was nominated for several awards. He has narrated more than a dozen audiobooks, and his reading of Journeys of Socrates was a finalist for the 2006 Audie Award for Best Narration in the inspirational/spiritual category, a narration that AudioFile magazine praised as “masterful.”