Hotel Lux
An Intimate History of Communism's Forgotten Radicals

This was an interesting history book about some lesser-known early communists, who all lived in, or socialised in, the Hotel Lux in Moscow in the 1920s. The Hotel Lux was anything but luxurious, but provided accommodation for many of the international band of idealists who worked with the Comintern......more

3.75 ⭐️ I am not a huge history reader so started this book on the promise of a lesbian love story alone but was held by the author’s unique style of writing! I’ve seen other reviewers comment they didn’t like the way the author segued into personal stories of his experiences researching and writing......more

The establishment of the title was home for a period to various revolutionaries from various countries. This is a story of revolution, friendship, sapphism, activism and politics. I had come across some of these people before but not so indepth. An interesting take on the time period.......more

I know it’s early days, but this riveting book is definitely going to be one of my highlights of 2025. So much I never knew – even though I’m a confirmed Russophile and student of all things Russian – and so many people I’d never heard of. I discovered them all in this richly researched history of t......more

I'll admit it wasn't immediately clear to me that his was a non-fiction book. It was some pages in before I realised the writing style was not a 'quirky' way of framing a story, but instead the recounting of an actual historian finding these things out! I think that added to the difficulty of me 'get......more