Babel, Isaac, 1920 Diary, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.

A much-awaited translation of Babel's diary, which contains many sketches that helped form the content of Red Cavalry. The diary contains the kind of surprising and contradictory details that are often seen in Babel's fiction.

Carden, Patricia, The Art of Isaac Babel, Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1972.

A well-regarded critical study of Babel's fiction, offering a substantial look at the historical, cultural, and personal influences on his work, as well as acute literary analysis of the writing.

Hallett, Richard, Isaac Babel, New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1973.

A thorough, brief introduction to the life and work of Babel, which serves to sort through many conflicting stories about his life and the history of his time.

Pirozhkova, A. N., At His Side: The Last Years of Isaac Babel, Grace Paley, foreword. New York: Steerforth Press, 1996.

A memoir by...