S.S. Mironov's book tells about little-known pages in the history of the Civil War in Russia. The author explores such problems as the internal struggle in the Red camp (discussions around the Brest Peace, the activities of the Left Communists, the Left Socialist Revolutionary Rebellion), Trotsky's role as a military leader of the Red Army, red and white terror, the role of the Greens in the victory of the Reds. The characteristics of a number of military-political leaders and military leaders of the warring parties are given, the fate of military specialists who went over to the side of the Red Army is shown, the work of red and white intelligence is analyzed, the significance of autonomist movements and the so-called limitrophic states during the Civil War is revealed. According to the author, both the White movement and the nationalist movements of the outskirts were historically doomed: the overwhelming majority of the Russian population followed the Reds.