Communism Books - Page 6

Lenin to Gorbachev: Three Generations of Soviet Communists

Joan Frances Crowley, Dan Vaillancourt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent book about the leaders of the Soviet Union. This book traces the history of this important social experiment through the various party leaders. The authors seem to favor the communist philosophy so much that they ignore some important points about the weakness within the system that eventually led to it's collapse. Still, the book presents a ton of information in an easy to read format.

Editorial Review:

This brief work examines Marx's ideas and the three generations of Soviet communists that followed him: the revolutionaries, the social architects, and the businessmen. In Lenin to Gorbachev the authors provide an introduction to communism through a focus on the turbulent history of the USSR and its leaders. Since the book was first published in 1987, the world has witnessed the end of the Soviet Union and the continuing power struggle between hard-line communists and reformers. In a special supplement added in 1994, the authors provide a postmortem of the Gorbachev administration and an introduction to Yeltsin, the reformer, and the uncertain future of the independent Russian states.

The Communist Road To Power In Vietnam (Westview Special Studies on South & Southeast Asia)

William J Duiker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Communist Road to Power in Vietnam 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 11 people found this review helpful.

A very well written book with good visual aids to know what is going on. the new items added to the book really enhance the over-all reading experience

Great History of Vietnam 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Duiker is one of the best, if not the best, writers on modern Vietnamese history.

This book avoids spin and tells the actual events that led from Colonial suffering to revolution and beyond.

Any fan of Duiker should really give this book a read - enthralling.

Also check out: Ho Chi Minh: A Life by Duiker.

Editorial Review:

In this new edition of his widely acclaimed study, William Duiker has revised and updated his analysis of the Communist movement in Vietnam from its formation in 1930 to the dilemmas facing its leadership in the post–Cold War era. Making use of newly available documentary sources and recent Western scholarship, the author reevaluates Communist revolutionary strategy during the Vietnam War. Based on primary materials in several languages, this respected work is essential for an understanding of Vietnam in the twentieth century.

A new view of society and other writings (Everyman's library, ed. by Ernest Rhys. Science. [no. 799])

Robert Owen

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> Political Doctrines -> Communism

The Passing of an Illusion : The Idea of Communism in the Twentieth Century

Francois Furet

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Subjects -> History -> Russia

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

François Furet was acknowledged as the twentieth century's preeminent historian of the French Revolution. But years before his death, he turned his attention to the consequences and aftermath of another critical revolution—the Communist revolution. The result, Le passé d'une illusion, is a penetrating history of the ideological passions that have fueled and characterized the modern era.

"This may well be the most illuminating study ever devoted to the question of appeal exerted not only by Communism but also by the Nazi and other fascist varieties of totalitarianism in this century."—Hilton Kramer, New Criterion

"A subtle, nuanced but gripping study of the most pervasive and destructive illusion in the 20th century." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"The Passing of an Illusion . . . is both a profound work of intellectual history that takes its place alongside other great studies of the leftist heresy . . . and a relentless diagnosis of the self-subversive risks that are inherent in democratic regimes. "—Roger Kaplan, Washington Times

" A remarkable book. . . . Stimulating and challenging. . . . A man widely read in several languages, Furet clearly knew his way around 20th-century Europe, even unto the dark alleys that figure on no existing map. "—Mark Falcoff, Commentary

"A history of ideas, this work is not for the faint of heart, yet those who challenge it will discover a signal contribution to the literature of Communism."—Booklist

"Imperious and stunningly confident, grand in conception and expansive in manner, packed with fascinating detail and often incisive judgements."—John Dunn, Times Higher Education Supplement

"The Passing of an Illusion is brilliant, and one would be hard pressed to find better writing of history than the first chapter, which traces the roots of modern political thinking back to the nineteenth century."—J. Arch Getty, Atlantic Monthly

"A brilliant and important book. . . . The publication of the American edition makes accessible to the general reader the most thought-provoking historical assessment of communism in Europe to appear since its collapse."—Jeffrey Herf, Wall Street Journal

François Furet (1927-1997), educator and author, was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and was elected, in 1997, to become one of the "Forty Immortals" of the Académie Française, the highest intellectual honor in France. His many books include Interpreting the French Revolution, Marx and the French Revolution, and Revolutionary France. Deborah Furet, his widow, collaborated with him on many projects.

Che Guevara Speaks: Selected Speeches and Writings

Ernesto Guevara

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> People, A-Z -> ( G ) -> Guevara, Che

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Che Guevara Speaks: Selected Speeches and Writings 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 26 people found this review helpful.

Anyone who has believed the myth of Che Guevara should read not only this book, but also the denunciation of his victims.

These speeches are mere propaganda a-la Stalin and Fidel Castro.

His victims, those who survived this man's criminal career, speak from their hearts and not from the powerful position that people like Che Guevara used to oppressed the Cuban people,

These faked prophets denied the Cuban people the freedom they professed were bringing!

Che Guevara today is no more that a sad caricature of what once was a powerful Orwellian propaganda machine.

The truth about this man will show up. Many were duped. Many wanted to believe this man. He died the same way he treated hundreds of Cubans in the firing squad under his direct orders.

The best of Che 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book contains some of the great works of Ernesto Che Guevara, such as, "Socialism and Man in Cuba," a classic, and the speech to the Tricontinental Congress where he called for "Two, Three, Many Vietnams." If you only know Che as an icon on a poster or t-shirt, buy this book to read what he had to say.

Editorial Review:

A faithful reflection of Che as he was, or, better, as he developed -- from the preface by Joseph Hansen. Includes works not available elsewhere in English.

2nd Edition

Lenin and the Making of the Soviet State: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)

Jeffrey Brooks, Georgiy Chernyavskiy

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Editorial Review:

Vladimir Ilich Lenin (1870 – 1924) led the first successful revolt against market-based liberal democracy and founded the Soviet State in 1917, serving as the new nation’s chief architect and sole ruler for the next five years. This collection of primary sources allows readers to learn about Lenin through his own words and emphasizes Lenin’s actions rather than his ideology. Jeffrey Brooks and Georgiy Chernyavskiy have translated newly available documents that make it possible to provide a more accurate portrait of a ruthless political strategist whose actions created a new political, economic, social, and cultural system that in its heyday challenged the military, technological, and cultural might of the United States. Document headnotes, a chronology, questions for consideration, and a selected bibliography offer additional pedagogical support and encourage students to analyze the actions and beliefs of a man who transformed world history and whose legacy continues to affect social and political movements throughout the world.

Commies: A Journey Through the Old Left, the New Left and the Leftover Left

Ronald Radosh

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> 20th Century -> 1945 - Present

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Red Diaper Baby Grows Up 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Ronald Radosh seemed fated to be an activist on the left. Not only were his parents left-wing activists, but his mother's cousin was an anarchist and his uncle Irving was killed fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Just in case his pedigree wasn't sufficient to inculcate him in the ways of socialism and communism, his parents also made sure he attended Camp Woodland ("commie camp" as the author terms it) in the summer. After elementary, Mr. Radosh attended Elisabeth Irwin (well-known for its left-leaning faculty) before graduating and moving to Madison, Wisconsin for college. In "Commies", Mr. Radosh leads us on his journey with the American left in this autobiographical and cautionary tale. We accompany him as he attends college and graduate school, experiences marital difficulties, secures work as a teacher, debates communist doctrine with fellow-travelers, and drops more than a few famous names (Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley to name just three) with whom he has come into contact. As time passes, he begins to perceive chinks in the leftist armor: blindness towards Castro's behavior in Cuba, doctrinaire confederates, and the harsh treatment he receives after his findings in the Rosenberg case slowly create serious doubts. His numerous trips to El Salvador in the 1980s and the refusal of his friends to acknowledge the crimes of the Sandinistas act as the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

"Commies" is reasonably well-written and contains numerous interesting anecdotes; however, it is an autobiography. This book is not the history of American leftism in the 20th century, but instead a recounting of the author's interaction with the people and ideas of the left during this time frame. This is by no means the first book of this genre written and is to some extent, therefore, similar to the others. What differentiates this book form some others is how much of himself he pours into the present tome. This same passion, however, also detracts from the story at times. The marches, protests, arguments over the true meaning of communism/socialsm and the like become a bit too much and the previously mentioned name dropping does begin to create the impression of a self-absorbed individual with an axe to grind. Ultimately, his unique experience and otherwise good writing make this a serviceable book for those wanting to gain some appreciation for the subject. Additionally, this tale provides further validation of Emerson's warning:

"A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming."

Editorial Review:

Commies is a brilliant memoir of growing up in the culture of radicalism. But it also about the hard decisions faced by those professing a radical faith. For Radosh himself, the crisis came when he concluded in his authoritative book on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg that the couple (in whose behalf he had demonstrated as a boy) had indeed been guilty of spying. Attacked as a traitor, Radosh began to question his political commitments. His disillusionment climaxed in the 1980s when he traveled through Central America as a journalist and historian and ran into his old comrades there still searching for the revolution.

Communism and its Collapse (Making of the Contemporary World)

Stephen White

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Editorial Review:

Ranging from the Russian revolution of 1917 to the collapse of Eastern Europe in the 1980s, this study examines the course of Communist rule. By focusing primarily on the USSR and Eastern Europe Stephen White covers the major topics and issues affecting these countries, including:

* communism as a doctrine
* the evolution of Communist rule
* the challenges to Soviet authority in Hungary and Yugoslavia
* the emerging economic fragility of the 1960s
* the complex process of collapse in the 1980s.

Featuring the latest research, Communism and Its Collapse is a thorougly comprehensive account of the rise and fall of communism .

The communistic societies of the United States;: From personal visit and observation: including detailed accounts of the Economists, Zoarites, Shakers, ... numbers, industries, and present condition

Charles Nordhoff

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Editorial Review:

Virtually every "utopia" in existence as of 1875 is described, with material on social customs, guiding philosophy, food, clothing, attitudes toward sex and more. Primary source for communes, social and sexual odd groups. Basic work in field. 39 illustrations.

The Amerasia Spy Case: Prelude to McCarthyism

Harvey Klehr, Ronald Radosh

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Amerasia affair was the first of the great spy cases of the postwar era. In June 1945, six people associated with the magazine Amerasia were arrested by the FBI and accused of espionage on behalf of the Chinese Communists. But only two, the editor of Amerasia and a minor government employee, were convicted of any offense, and their convictions were merely for unauthorized possession of government documents. Harvey Klehr and Ronald Radosh provide a full-scale history of the first public drama featuring charges that respectable American citizens had spied for the Communists.

The Amerasia case remained a staple in American political life for the next half-decade. It provoked charges by conservatives of a cover-up of extensive Communist infiltration of the government and accusations by liberals of a witch-hunt designed to intimidate the press. And it played a significant role in the hearings held to examine Senator Joseph McCarthy's charge that the State Department had been infiltrated by a clique of 'card carrying Communists.' Klehr and Radosh, the first researchers to have obtained the FBI files on the case, show that a cover-up was indeed orchestrated by prominent government officials.