In this book, Lindenberg recounts his youth in the Tsarist Empire up until the beginning of the revolution in November 1917. With the perspective of a keenly aware young person, he observes life in the Tsarist Empire, the initial excitement of the revolution, and the sudden disillusionment that followed the dreams and turmoil of the upheaval. Lindenberg thus describes a small but significant piece of European history from a very personal viewpoint.