Drawing on the flood of new material to emerge from Russian and Western sources in recent years, Beryl Williams focuses on Lenin's years in power and provides first-rate introduction to the life, ideology and impact of one of the formative figures of the 20th-century.

Within an overall chronological framework, Williams examines topics such as cultural revolution, foreign policy and expansion. As well as being an examination of Lenin’s life and work, this is an up-to-date evaluation of recent historiographical debates and literature in the context of the period.