This work investigates how the Russian intelligentsia perceived and responded to the rise of Bolshevism during the volatile period of 1917 to 1922. Jane Burbank, a scholar specializing in Russian history, utilizes a range of primary source materials, including contemporary essays, journals, and political pamphlets, to examine the ideological divide between the Bolshevik regime and the educated elite. The book argues that these intellectual responses were not monolithic, but rather a complex spectrum of accommodation, resistance, and critical analysis that shaped the early Soviet political landscape.

Historians and scholars of Russian studies frequently cite this text as a foundational resource for understanding the intellectual climate of the early Soviet era. The prose is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to synthesize diverse political viewpoints into a coherent historical framework.