RedsPwnAllSome examples:
Sutton wrote that Trotsky went through the Finnish-Russian border at Tornea on June 13, 1917. First Tornea is at the Swedish-Finnish border and also not to mention the fact that Finland didn’t exist yet!
He also claims that there was 700,000 Green Army troops in the Civil War, that fought as well. Erm….ok. Not sure where he got that. I’ve never heard of any ‘Greens’ before in the Russian Civil War. Atleast, not as an army he claims they were. All I’ve read on from them was that they were peasants trying to defend their respective homelands not an actual army that became a united into a cohesive national force.
And he also has an view of the Mexican Revolution that I feel is very incorrect. Though for the benefit of the doubt I read again on this revolution again before judging him on it again.
Either way despite, being small thing it does make just a bit wary. If someone can get mistakes like these wrong can we still trust them on the big points. No doubt even the best of historian is going to make a mistake….though……I would be somewhat well read on the Russian Civil War before taking his Bolshevik book as a end all on the subject (though I guess who shouldn’t take any book as a “end all” on any subject anyway!).