Through exclusive archive access and interviews, Dmitri Volkogonov provides a reinterpretation of the life and ruthless career of Leon Trotksy, one of the most influential figures of the 20th century whose faith in the world socialist revolution remained undimmed to the end. This biography examines Leon Trotsky's career as a revolutionary before World War I, including his success as chief organizer of the October revolution, becoming a military hero of the Russian civil war, and his outspoken criticism of the Stalinist style of leadership. Expelled from the Communist Party, written out of the history of the revolution, and murdered in Mexico by Stalin's agents, Volkogonov shines a light on this dynamic public speaker, brilliant organizer, and theorist. Through interviews with Stalin's overseas hit-squad and relatives of Trotsky, as well as access to top-secret Soviet archives, Trotsky lends insight into one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century.