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Memoirs of a British Agent: Being an Account of the Author's Early Life in Many Lands and of His Official Mission to Moscow in 1918 (Papermac)

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This book was first published in 1932, fifteen years after the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia. It covers, not only the authors, personal experiences in Russia at that time but his earlier times in Malaya on a rubber plantation. The Malaya portion could have easily been ommited since Lockhart wrote a later account of these years in a book published in 1936. What makes this book worth reading is the Author's description of the chaos which abounded in the Soviet Union before and after Lenin seized power. As an official of the British Foreign Office assigned to their offices in St Petersburg and Moscow he gives a first hand account of the total destruction of old views held by most Soviets and the introduction of Marxist values. His description of the absolute incompetance which was rife in the British Foreign Office at that time and their refusal to accept the consequences of the Revolution is reminiscent of Jimmy Carter and the American Governments refusal to take Khommeini seriously in Iran sixty years later. While this book may be dated in some ways it is still worth reading and provides a reminder that we continue to ignore History' teachings.

When it was first published in 1932, "Memoirs of a British Agent" achieved bestseller status both in the United States and in Great Britain. R.H. Lockhart's account of the years he spent representing Britain's Foreign Office in Russia is still immensely entertaining and informative today. Lest the book's title mislead you, Lockhart was not an espionage agent; he was a diplomat. He was Britain's Vice-Consul in Moscow, then Acting Consul-General, then official "unofficial" representative to the new Bolshevik regime in Russia, between the years 1912 and 1918. In his memoirs, Bruce Lockhart describes his attempts at rubber farming as a young man in Malaysia and the circumstances that led to his seeking a career in the Foreign Office. Perhaps because he was a talented linguist, or just because he had gained the favor of his superiors in the Foreign Office, Lockhart was given the post of British Vice-Consul in Moscow shortly after joining the Service. In these memoirs, Lockhart gives us his insights into Russian culture and politics during the last years of Tzarist rule, the circumstances of Russia's participation in World War I, and Russia's descent into Bolshevism. Lockhart came to love the Russian people and consider Moscow his home while he witnessed the last Tzar unwittingly ensure his own downfall and the succeeding Provisional Government inevitably fail. Lockhart gives an honest account of the errors in British and Allied policies during these precarious years in Russia. We get a close-up view of the eternal rift between diplomatic knowledge and political imperative. And we witness history repeating itself when foreign policies are adopted for political, not logical, reasons, and so inevitably fail. "Memoirs of a British Agent" is a supremely literate and insightful first-hand account of the fascinating and turbulent time in Russia that gave birth to the Soviet Union through the eyes of a foreigner who knew many prominent members of both the Tzarist and Bolshevik regimes personally. Lockhart manages to convey great sympathy for Russians of various ideologies while at the same time speaking bluntly of their shortcomings. Rarely has a book that is so informative been so entertaining. "Memoirs of a British Agent" is a real page-turner. If Bruce Lockhart were still living, I would want to thank him personally for such an enjoyable memoir. Highly recommended.

This excellent work, written 70 years ago, is a true story that reads like a novel. It is the account of the author's life in Russia both before and after its two revolutions. As the British Consul in Moscow, the author was acquainted with all of the main historical characters in Russia's great tragedy, from Tsarist ministers, to the men behind both the first and second revolts. He paints a grim picture of the life there after Lenin took power, but he doesn't spare either himself or others when he speaks of shortcomings in polcy. His personal life also comes under scrutiny, and he is honest about his failings. There is fear when he is arrewted by the Cheka, but it all comes out well in the end. One wonders how much more detail there would have been in this book if the author had waited to write it after World War II, or even a bit later. It is a thriller that is true, and well worth reading for its historical insights into the Russia of 1914-1918!