---
product_id: 48089781
title: "August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics)"
brand: "aleksandr solzhenitsynh. t. willetts"
price: "HK$495"
currency: HKD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 6
url: https://www.desertcart.hk/products/48089781-august-1914-a-novel-the-red-wheel-i-fsg-classics
store_origin: HK
region: Hong Kong
---

# August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics)

**Brand:** aleksandr solzhenitsynh. t. willetts
**Price:** HK$495
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics) by aleksandr solzhenitsynh. t. willetts
- **How much does it cost?** HK$495 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hk](https://www.desertcart.hk/products/48089781-august-1914-a-novel-the-red-wheel-i-fsg-classics)

## Best For

- aleksandr solzhenitsynh. t. willetts enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted aleksandr solzhenitsynh. t. willetts brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics)

## Images

![August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41i9NGtFI5L.jpg)
![August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Ary5aVMIL.jpg)
![August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31+J3AUG6KL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Another crushing indictment ...
  

*by M***W on Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2022*

I have been a Solzhenitsyn fan since the 1970s. I read his Gulag trilogy and it struck me to my core ("There is no law" -- how prophetic is that?) I idolized his acerbic treatment of the hypocrisy of the inherited Soviet establishment, the Soviet "workers' paradise", and the "new Soviet man", which proved to be total fabrications once the USSR collapsed. I read the original trade release of August 1914, which is a much-stripped down narrative from the larger, more intimidating version I just finished reading. The larger tome expands the original narrative, delves more deeply into aspects of the coming revolution which were not covered in the earlier version, and serves as another crushing indictment of the personalities, institutions and forces which little understood (or cared to understand) what was happening to or around them. Like a foreboding tragedy, this first installment in the Red Wheel cycle sets the "wheel turning" (so to speak), and not in a positive sense. His masterful descriptions and character sketches make for compelling reading and broaden the understanding of the building cataclysm, which unleashed political dynamics we are still dealing with in Putin's attempted Soviet-style revival. Truly worth the time and effort invested.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Best Translation of an Epic Work
  

*by K***Y on Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2014*

"August 1914" kicks off the epic "Red Wheel" as Solzhenitsyn tries to capture the coming of the Russian Revolution in a series of novels. Another man's book is on Solzhenitsyn's mind; how can a Russian novelist write an epic on war and not confront Tolstoy and "War and Peace"? Tolstoy even makes a brief appearance at the start of the book. Solzhenitsyn guides the reader through the disastrous Russian invasion of East Prussia in August 1914 and unveils a number of characters-some real and some imaginary. There are haunting portraits of General Samsanov and Tsar Nicholas II. There are also descriptions of the battle and Solzhenitsyn's background from World War Two help him a great deal; these are some of the greatest battle scenes I have ever read. He guides the reader through the staff headquarters and to the front lines. He also offers unforgettable characters drawn from all of Russian society: a well off family at home, young officers connecting with the men, radical students, gentle peasants serving as troops. While his narrative is excellent, Solzhenitsyn is not as strong when he attempts to mimic the "camera eye" used by John Dos Passos in the USA trilogy. Nor does he quite succeed when he lists a number of headlines from the newspapers or offers detailed history in small print. But these are minor flaws that do not take away from the grand epic.If you are reading the work in English, make sure you use the version translated by H.T. Willetts that was released in 1989 and FSG published the paperback in 2000. This is the translation included in the Kindle. This version, unlike the original, contains a scathing look at Lenin as well as a detailed description of the rise and death of Stolypin, the one Russian statesman who may have been able to lead Tsarist Russia through the chaos it would succumb to during the Great War.Be warned. This is an epic undertaking. The book is almost a 1,000 pages and I advise you keep notes on characters, events and places. This is not a book for everyone. But it is a great epic and, if not up to the level of "War and Peace", "August 1914" is still in the same ballpark. How many other recent novels can we make that claim about?

### ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Very Strange Book
  

*by M***S on Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2016*

Ye Gods, where to start... Solzhenitsyn is a very able storyteller, in the classic Russian style, which is good and bad. I wanted to read about the Russian experience during WWI, and I had heard that the book was about the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914, which I was interested in. The first half is an excellent historical novel, capturing the experiences and flavor of the Imperial Russian Army invading East Prussia in the sweltering summer during the first month of the war.  Solzhenitsyn expertly weaves together the different experiences of Generals, Colonels and Enlisted soldiers as the battle goes horribly wrong for the Russian Second Army. But then the narrative suddenly turns into a completely different book, about the life and views of the assassin of the Imperial Minister of the Interior in 1910. Although interesting from a historical perspective, is has literally nothing to do with the Battle of Tannenberg. It is also long and richly written in the Russian style, causing this part to drag on forever. I found myself skipping long passages where Solzhenitsyn was waxing poetic about the social problems in Kiev and on how the minister Stolpyn had fought hard for many years to try to modernize Russia while protecting the crown. The book then jumps again into a third part that has little to do with the others. For 1/4 of the book Solzhenitsyn goes on and on about all of the difficulties Emperor Nicholas II had wearing the crown. He writes of the never ending fight to appease the nobles and about the fear and confusion in the days leading up to declaring war in 1914. Once again Solzhenitsyn has long passages where he describes the political situation and the hand-wringing Emperor Nick did in the final hours before issuing the declaration. Forgot to mention-- in the center of the book there is a passage about Lenin going into self-exile in France from Russia. This has nothing to do with anything else in the book.Neither the second nor third parts have anything to do with the first part. Completely separate books that were thrown together. I have read Solzhenitsyn at length and loved the Gulag Archipelago and Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich. After reading August 1914, however, I fear paying money to read November 1916. I will just have to borrow that one from the library.

## Frequently Bought Together

- August 1914: A Novel: The Red Wheel I (FSG Classics)
- November 1916: A Novel: The Red Wheel II: 02 (FSG Classics)
- March 1917: The Red Wheel, Node III, Book 1 (The Center for Ethics and Culture Solzhenitsyn Series)

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hk/products/48089781-august-1914-a-novel-the-red-wheel-i-fsg-classics](https://www.desertcart.hk/products/48089781-august-1914-a-novel-the-red-wheel-i-fsg-classics)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Hong Kong*
*Store origin: HK*
*Last updated: 2026-02-28*