Trotsky: A Biography is a biography of the Marxist theorist and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879–1940) written by the English historian Robert Service, then a professor in Russian history at the University of Oxford. It was first published by Macmillan in 2009 and later republished in other languages. Having converted to the Marxist revolutionary movement in early life, Trotsky had been a member of the Bolshevik Party and a significant figure in the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the Bolsheviks to power in the Russian Empire. Following the death of Vladimir Lenin, Trotsky's rival Joseph Stalin ascended to the Soviet leadership, with Trotsky fleeing into exile, where he was murdered in Mexico. Following his death, various biographers produced works studying Trotsky; Service's differs from many of these in its emphasis. He argues that Trotsky has been romanticized by western leftists for decades, instead claiming that Trotsky laid the groundwork for the Stalinist totalitarian state in the Soviet Union and that had he become Soviet leader rather than Stalin, the end result would have been very similar. The book received a mixed reception upon publication. The mainstream British and American press was overwhelmingly positive. Conversely, reviews in peer-reviewed, academic journals were more critical, highlighting factual errors throughout the text and viewed his work as an attempt to discredit Trotsky as a historical figure.In 2010, a rebuttal to his historical interpretation was written by American political theorist and Trotskyist David North in his work, “In Defense of Leon Trotsky”. Source: Wikipedia (en)