1920 Diary

Description

The Russian writer Isaac Babel (1894-1940) is acknowledged to be one of the great masters of 20th century literature, hailed as a genius by such critics as Lionel Trilling and Irving Howe. The work for which he is best known is a cycle of stories called Red Cavalry, which depicts the exploits of the Cossack cavalry during the Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1920 and is based on Babel's experiences as he rode with the Cossacks during the campaign. Babel kept a diary during this period, in which he recorded the devastation of the war, the extreme cruelty of the Polish and Red armies alike towards the Jewish population in the Ukraine and Eastern Poland, and his own conflicted role as both Soviet revolutionary and Jew. The 1920 Diary was a vital source for Red Cavalry as well as a compelling narrative. Contents Illustrations Editor’s Acknowledgments Editor’s Note on the Translation Introduction: Isaac Babel's “Red Cavalry” Diary Appendix: Babel’s Publications in the Red Cavalryman Notes