First published 2023
November 1917. The Bolsheviks have seized control of Russia, and American diplomats in St. Petersburg and Moscow face an impossible puzzle. David Francis, the American ambassador, must decide whether to recognize this radical new government. The regime's true intentions remain murky. Meanwhile, the Great War rages on, and keeping Russia in the fight against Germany could determine the conflict's outcome. American officials launch desperate negotiations to maintain the alliance. They offer aid, make promises, and deploy every diplomatic tool at their disposal. Yet Lenin and his revolutionaries have their own agenda. As winter deepens and the old order crumbles, the Americans watch their efforts unravel. The Bolsheviks will sign their separate peace with Germany, abandoning the war effort entirely. These frantic months of failed diplomacy establish the foundation for decades of mistrust and rivalry between two emerging superpowers.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, political-science, world-war-i, russia, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, political-intrigue
Setting: Russia, St. Petersburg, Moscow
Period: November 1917
592 pages · Paperback · Princeton University Press