What do revolutions - almost always made in the name of freedom - really change? In this engaging survey, Durschmied looks at major revolts, upheavals, and revolutions over the last 200 years, describing and enriching our understanding of each of these historic and dramatic events. Using historical texts and eyewitness accounts, he analyzes the French, Mexican, and Russian revolutions; the 1919 Germany uprising and the failed putsch against Hitler in 1944; Japan's longest day during the abolishment of the emperor cult; the Cuban Revolution; and finally the Iranian Revolution that ousted the Shah in 1979. Each revolution has its own dynamic and fascinating cast of characters, but all too often, as this well-researched work shows, the end result is the same: mayhem, betrayal, glory, and death.