Far-left political ideologies and movements Books

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Book SynopsisWhere China's leadership and the sages of antiquity see eye-to-eye Since taking office, General Secretary Xi Jinping has promoted the 'Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation' - a concept which neatly binds together past vitality and future prosperity. Accordingly, Xi has incorporated allusions to the classics as part of his signature style, prescribing the ideas of Confucius, Mencius, and others as cures for the vexations of modernity. From both a domestic and an international perspective this is a strikingly novel approach, well worthy of closer examination. Xi Jinping's Adages pairs 35 classical references from Xi Jinping's key speeches with expert analysis, affording the reader a fascinating perspective on the thinking of a leader who believes China's ancient past can - and should - shape its future.

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Book SynopsisThrough a series of lively and accessible biographical essays, Red Valkyries explores the history of socialist feminism century Eastern Europe. By examining the revolutionary careers of five prominent socialist women active in the 19th and 20th centuries-the aristocratic Bolshevik, Alexandra Kollontai; the radical pedagogue, Nadezhda Krupskaya; the polyamorous firebrand, Inessa Armand; the deadly sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko; and the partisan turned scientist turned global women's activist, Elena Lagadinova-Kristen Ghodsee tells the story of the personal challenges faced by earlier generations of socialist and communist women. None of these women were "perfect" leftists. Their lives were filled with inner conflicts, contradictions, and sometimes outrageous privilege, but they still managed to move forward their own political projects through perseverance and dedication to their cause. Always walking a fine line between the need for class solidarity and the desire to force their sometimes callous male colleagues to take women's issues seriously, these five women pursued novel solutions with lessons for activists of today. In brief conversational chapters-with plenty of concrete examples from the history of the state socialist countries in Eastern Europe and contemporary reflections on the status of women in the world today-Ghodsee renders the big ideas of socialist feminism accessible to those newly inspired by the emancipatory politics of insurgent left feminist movements around the globe.Trade ReviewWe've needed this book longer than we know: celebrating and learning from revolutionary socialist women, Red Valkyries gifts us with models essential to today's struggles. Kristen Ghodsee breaks down the wall liberal feminism built in women's history, bringing to life a vision of emancipation that continues to be worth fighting for. -- Jodi Dean, author of ComradeWritten with clarity and zest, Red Valkyries is an illuminating introduction to the extraordinary lives of prominent socialist women in the Soviet Union and Bulgaria. -- Sheila RowbothamIn our historical moment, quotas of women in power positions and correct manners or expressions are obfuscating the long historical link between feminism and radical politics. Ghodsee's Red Valkyries is exactly the book needed to correct this misperception and help feminism to rejoin its radical past. The five figures analyzed were fighters who pursued the feminist cause through their full engagement in revolutionary political struggle. Can we still imagine this, in our era obsessed with victimization? -- Slavoj ZizekRed Valkyries is a fascinating alternative history of the feminist movement, told from the perspective of the east rather than the west. The women Ghodsee profiles are committed socialists who realise that women's liberation is incompatible with capitalism, and who also frequently struggle against the centralisation of power within their own countries. Required reading for anyone seeking out an alternative to #girlboss feminism. -- Grace BlakeleyA beautiful book about the intimate lives and bold ideas of a range of Communist women, people who built their revolutionary dreams into reality. Ghodsee lifts up the immense contradiction between the future-oriented social hopes of these revolutionaries, these exiles from the future, and the grip of the social conventions of the present. -- Vijay PrashadFunny and politically illuminating, Ghodsee writes with the clear-sighted directness of the revolutionary women she describes. Women's sexual, political and daily emancipation were the eye of the socialist storm for Kollantai, Krupskaya, Armand and Lagadinova. Ghodsee's book breathes new life into their stories of how to create a world without patriarchy. -- Elizabeth Armstrong, Smith CollegeKristen Ghodsee's new book is a well-documented and immensely personal guide to the 20th-century East European socialist women's movement. The author extracts from silence and saves from oblivion five women who have made an attempt to change not only their own, personal history, but also political, social and cultural history of women in Europe and worldwide. It is a story about a communist revolution in which women played a significant role, creating and implementing the project of a better world for all people. Reflections on the past are not, however, used to celebrate it nostalgically, but to draw conclusions for the future - how to act to build an alternative to the hegemony of capitalism and nationalism. This well-written, passionate story about the "red Valkyries" shows that socialism is not a song of the past, but still valid and long-awaited response to the challenges of the present world. Ghodsee argues that the history is not over, but rushes forward. Speeding up, however, it needs signposts to avoid falling into the abyss. The Red Valkyries will be perfect for this role. -- Agnieszka Mrozik, Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of SciencesUntil the late 20th century, you could pay close attention in school, graduate from a prestigious university with a degree in history and still never find out who Harriet Tubman was. Outrageous, right? But due to capitalist ideology and Cold War hangover, you could still do all that and never learn about Alexandra Kollontai or Inessa Armand, or any of history's great Communist women. Kristen Ghodsee's riveting account of these complicated, imperfect and inspiring lives is an outstanding corrective to our miseducation, one that's long overdue. -- Liza FeatherstoneCompelling...by telling unfamiliar and forgotten stories, [Red Valkyries] suggests there are other fronts on which the battle can be fought than those favoured by western feminists. -- Desmond Bullen * Northern Soul *Illuminating...Ghodsee equips us with five extraordinary role models whose tenacity, perseverance and dedication to revolutionary politics should serve as inspiration to anyone seeking to build a better world for all. -- Rachel Collett * Red Pepper *This is an eye-opening deep dive into an underexamined aspect of feminist history. -- Publishers WeeklyAs an expert in her field, [Ghodsee] deftly covers vast amounts of history, political theory, and complicated personal relationships....A timely and fascinating volume for those interested in Russian and socialist history. -- Halie Kerns * Library Journal *Ghodsee weaves these women's ideologies and feminist views into the larger picture of a time, that of multiple world wars, open revolution, burgeoning socialist societies, and the knowledge that extreme change was needed in dire circumstances. -- Kathleen Townsend * Booklist *A compelling book, a call for a broader understanding of the history of women's political practice, the ideas that informed it, and its implications for our own time. -- Ben Clarke * Chicago Review of Books *Any utopia first needs to be imagined. For that endeavor, Ghodsee's gripping book, with its important ideas distilled (yet not made banal) for those who might be encountering them for the first time, is available. -- Oana Uiorean * LIBER *

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Book SynopsisFrom Anthony Barnett, the creator and former editor-in-chief of openDemocracy, comes this blazing response to the confrontation between Trumpism and Biden in America, that sets out how the future of humankind is at stake. On 6 January 2021, Donald Trump tried to seize the US presidency by force. His aim: to consolidate his nativist rule. He was, and still is, supported by tens of millions of Americans. In response, Joe Biden's administration promises a massive economic shift while a decisive contest unfolds over voter suppression. This contest is of epochal importance. As the future of humankind passes through the prism of the most powerful country in the world, Barnett reflects on the stark, limited spectrum of possible outcomes. He shows that the frustration of Trumpism is thanks to the decades long resistance to market fundamentalism. But it remains divided and incoherent. It is time for the left to embrace an open, ecological politics or the world will be subordinated to the regimes of the Iron Men and their successors.Trade Review"Up against the wickedness of those who choose to abuse their wealth and power, Anthony Barnett sees a slender chance for hope in the USA, and challenges us to rethink how we do politics. I hope he's right." -- Caroline Lucas. Green MP for Brighton Pavilion; "A marvellous book that reads like a thriller. It shows us how the fascist inclinations are innate to the neoliberal system and offers a solid way out of the global perils without hesitating to discuss the socialist option."-- Ece Temelkuran, poet, journalist and author of How to Lose a Country; "A moving exploration of political possibility and an essential guide for making sense of our historical moment... Barnett provides an impressive account of today's unequal global order, with the US at the center, as well as the potential for genuine change, with a concrete vision of what liberation might entail."-- Aziz Rana, Professor of Law, Cornell University and author of The Two Faces of American Freedom; "With discontent uniting so many of us, at a time when the climate crisis demands real change, how can we break through deadening polarization? How do we build the democratic movement and the structures essential for us to take control? Barnett has done a wonderful job in capturing so much. I applaud his coherent challenge to keep organizing."-- Larry Cohen, Board Chair, Our Revolution and past president, Communications Workers of America; "A wonderful book that tells a compelling story of a democratic awakening. A worldly optimist, conscious of past defeats, Barnett sets out a possible route to a democratic future."-- David Edgerton, author of The Rise and Fall of the British Nation; "Anthony Barnett writes beautifully and with sharp insight, and about the possibilities opened up by historical contingency and human creativity."-- Professor Nick Pearce, Director, IPR, Bath; Head of the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit 2008 to 2010; "In this superb analysis from the democratic (and romantic) left, sometimes withering, essentially optimistic, Anthony Barnett generously delivers a rebuke to the pessimism that is paralysing a scattered opposition. He has given a lifetime to the cause of a saner, more democratic politics and his memory is long."-- Ian McEwan

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An important philosophical contribution highlighting the thoughts of one of the more important postwar advocates of liberalism in the 20th century." * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisA watershed moment in transgender theoryTrade Review'A terrific collection of essays - I couldn't put it down' -- Kathi Weeks, author of 'The Problem with Work' (Duke UP, 2011)'A vibrant and much needed collection - not just for trans people - but the left in general' -- Shon Faye, author of 'The Transgender Issue' (Penguin, 2021)'Stunning ... trans becomes in these pages the vibrant event of a historical materialism from below, intimate and urgent' -- Jules Gill-Peterson, author of 'Histories of the Transgender Child' (University of Minnesota Press, 2018)'Powerful ... with stunning sophistication and insights, 'Transgender Marxism' challenges capitalism's social foundations in gendered patterns of property, work, and entitlement to develop new forms of sociality beyond the family and its dyadic sexual division' -- Petrus Liu, author of 'Queer Marxism in Two Chinas' (Duke University Press, 2015)'Brilliant, thoughtfully researched, and compelling. An immense contribution to the trans liberation struggle and to trans studies scholarship' -- Dean Spade, Associate Professor of Law at Seattle University School of Law'Is there a transgender Marxism? This pioneering collection shows that the answer is there are many - inspired by psychoanalysis, union organizing, queer communities, Black struggles and more. Material realities matter, tremendously, in trans lives; and trans experiences can change our thinking about both capitalism and liberation' -- Raewyn Connell, author of 'Gender: In World Perspective' (Polity, 2020)‘A powerful contribution to the legacy of a Marx’ -- ‘Anti-Capitalist Resistance’‘This book provides the stepping-stones towards that much-needed Marxism, finally acknowledging the material realities and best strategies for all working class, oppressed trans people globally’ -- ‘Ebb magazine’Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction - Jules Joanne Gleeson and Elle O'Rourke 1. Social Reproduction and Social Cognition: Theorizing (Trans)gender Identity Development in Community Context - Noah Zazanis (reproductive health research assistant, New York) 2. Trans Work: Employment Trajectories, Labour Discipline and Gender Freedom - Michelle O'Brien (New York University) 3. Judith Butler's Scientific Revolution: Foundations for a Transsexual Marxism - Rosa Lee (editor at Viewpoint Magazine) 4. How Do Gender Transitions Happen? - Jules Joanne Gleeson 5. A Queer Marxist Transfeminism: Queer and Trans Social Reproduction - Nat Raha (University of Sussex) 6. Notes from Brazil - Virginia Guitzel (philosophy student, Federal University of ABC) 7. Queer Workerism Against Work: Strategising Transgender Labourers, Social Reproduction & Class Formation - Kate Doyle Griffiths (lecturer, Brooklyn College and editor of Spectre Journal) 8. The Bridge between Gender and Organizing - Farah Thompson (Black, bisexual trans woman who does tech while living in San Diego) 9. Encounters in Lancaster - JN Hoad (DIY transsexual in the North West of the UK) 10. Transgender and Disabled Bodies - Between Pain and the Imaginary - Zoe Belinsky (independent scholar) 11. A Dialogue on Deleuze and Gender Difference - The Conspiratorial Association for the Advancement of Cultural Degeneracy (Cultural Degeneracy and Sacrilege - a pseudonymous dialogue between friends) 12. Seizing the Means: Towards a Trans Epistemology - Nathaniel Dickson (PhD candidate, University at Bufflalo) 13. 'Why Are We Like This?' The Primacy of Transsexuality - Xandra Metcalfe (psychoanalytic communist and noise artist based in Melbourne) 14. Cosmos Against Nature in the Class Struggle of Proletarian Trans Women - Anja Heisler Weiser Flower (artist living in San Francisco) Afterword: One Utopia, One Dystopia - Jordy Rosenberg (Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst) Notes on Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisFired up by the outbreak of the First World War and outraged by the capitulation of most socialist parties to the demands of national bourgeoisies, Lenin sought to understand the deeper roots of the crisis of the world movement. The result was Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, which went on to become a core text for the international communist movement. But Lenin also sought to break with the Eurocentrism of the socialist movement, which tended to look down with disdain at or simply reject struggles for self-determination, especially among colonized peoples.This volume, with an introduction by the renowned abolitionist and anti-imperialist theorist Ruth Wilson Gilmore, brings together the texts on imperialism and those on the national question to provide a window into Lenin's global vision of revolution.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Ruthie Wilson GilmoreCritical Remarks on the National Question (1913)The Right of Nations to Self-Determination (1914)The Revolutionary Proletariat and the Right of Nations to Self-Determination (1915)Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism: A Popular Outline (1916)The Discussion on Self-Determination Summed Up (1916)Draft Theses on National and Colonial Questions for The Second Congress of The Communist International (1920)Memo Combatting Dominant Nation Chauvinism (1922)The Question of Nationalities or 'Autonomisation' (1922)Notes

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In his monumental Central Asia, Adeeb Khalid puts the region at the 'crossroads of history'. A laboratory of colonialism, revolution, nation building and telescoped social and cultural transformation, it has experienced 'every achievement of modernity and every one of its disasters'."---Daniel Beer, Times Literary Supplement"Khalid presents a masterful history of modern Central Asia which is at once scholarly, analytical and wonderfully accessible. . . .Adeeb Khalid deserves our gratitude for producing a path-breaking study of modern Central Asian history. One hopes it will pave the way for more."---Scott C. Levi, History Today ​​​​​​​"The book is successful in revealing the two centuries of political, social and cultural history of the peoples of Central Asia, and serves to further progress knowledge about this region."---Mirzokhid Askarov, Ethnic and Racial Studies"One of the newest and comprehensive studies on the region. It is a very broad and, at the same time, concise introduction to Central Asian history."---Marat Iliyasov, The Rest Journal"Formidably detailed, Central Asia is ideal for upper-level students wondering how a chronically misunderstood region has been shaped by broad currents and dominant powers of modern world history, in concert with local actors."---Andrew M. Wender, World History Connected

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Book SynopsisMahdi Amel (1936–87) was a prominent Arab Marxist thinker and Lebanese Communist Party member. For the first time in English, this collection makes available lengthy excerpts from six major works by Mahdi Amel. These include the two founding texts on colonialism and underdevelopment in which Amel began to grapple with the question of dependency, his treatise on sectarianism and the state, his critique of Edward Said’s analysis of Marx, his exposure of emerging Islamised bourgeois trends of thought as part of a broader critique of everyday thought, and his reflection on cultural heritage as perceived by Arab bourgeoisie. Amel’s writings serve as a reminder of the need to renew Marxist thought based on concrete and particular social realities, like colonialism.

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Book SynopsisThe publication of For Marx and Reading Capital established Louis Althusser as one of the most influential figures in the Western Marxist tradition. On Ideology charts Althusser's critique of the theoretical system unveiled in his own major works, and his developing practice of philosophy as a "revolutionary weapon."Trade ReviewOne reads him with excitement. There is no mystery about his capacity to inspire the intelligent young. -- Eric HobsbawmAlthusser traversed so many lives-so many personal, historical, philosophical and political adventures; marked, inflected, influenced so many discourses, actions and existences by the radiant and provocative force of his thought-that the most diverse and contradictory accounts could never exhaust their source. -- Jacques Derrida

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Book SynopsisA new take on a powerful and revolutionary movementTrade Review'I do not know of any other book that so effectively explains socialist feminism and brings it into conversation with global social movements. At a time when feminism is under fire, Afary has given us a powerful teaching tool!' -- Rosemary Hennessy, author of 'Materialist Feminism and the Politics of Discourse''A powerful critique of authoritarianism, capitalism, sexism, racism and other forms of tranny. Afary unpacks the complicated plethora of gender, race and class theories to show us the way toward a contemporary approach to socialist feminism that is revolutionary' -- Romarilyn Ralston, Black feminist abolitionist and Executive Director of Project Rebound at California State Fullerton'I highly recommend this very readable yet highly rigorous retelling and refiguring of socialist feminism. Afary's claim that humanism is far more flexible than the version that was dismissed in the 1980s is provocative and compelling' -- Judith Grant, Emerita Professor at Ohio University in Athens'When many of us are feeling discouraged with the state of our countries and of the world, Frieda Afary's timely book shows the way to understanding, consciousness, and activism. This book can help prepare young people to improve societies. As the grandmother of two African-American females, I am profoundly grateful for this amazing volume' -- Mary Elaine Hegland, Professor of Anthropology at Santa Clara University'Frieda Afary has dared to challenge the world of intellectuals to define a new action paradigm. How do women protect themselves? Afary debunks the distortions in the 'self to other' relationships, and critically analyses the conditions leading us toward peril and destruction. Whether you read this book all at once or in small settings with friends, you will be better prepared to live within the 21st century' -- Wonda Powell, Emerita Professor of History, Los Angeles Southwest College'Afary's work is important because it goes beyond theoretical inquiry to also include how the clashes of important powers impact the struggles of many people in their everyday lives today, particularly women and people of colour' -- Lisbeth Gant-Britton, author of 'Holt African American History'Table of ContentsIntroduction: Rethinking Socialist Feminism to Find a Pathway Out of Authoritarian Capitalism and Develop a Humanist Alternative 1. The Pandemic, the #MeToo Movement, and Contradictory Developments in Gender Relations 2. Distinctive Features of Authoritarian Capitalism/Imperialism Today and the New Challenges of Black Lives Matter and Global Uprisings 3. Women, Reproductive Labor, and Capital Accumulation: Theories of Social Reproduction 4. Alienated Labor and How It Relates to Gender Oppression 5. Black Feminism and Intersectionality 6. Queer Theories 7. Theorizing a Socialist Humanist and Feminist Alternative to Capitalism 8. Overcoming Domination: Reconceptualizing the Self-Other Relationship Conclusion: Socialist Feminist Revolutionary Organizing in the Twenty-First Century

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Book SynopsisThis book reinterprets the history of nineteenth and twentieth-century revolutions by composing a constellation of "dialectical images": Marx's "locomotives of history," Alexandra Kollontai's sexually liberated bodies, Lenin's mummified body, Auguste Blanqui's barricades and red flags, the Paris Commune's demolition of the Vendome Column, among several others. It connects theories with the existential trajectories of the thinkers who elaborated them, by sketching the diverse profiles of revolutionary intellectuals-from Marx and Bakunin to Luxemburg and the Bolsheviks, from Mao and Ho Chi Minh to José Carlos Mariátegui, C.L.R. James, and other rebellious spirits from the South-as outcasts and pariahs. And finally, it analyzes the entanglement between revolution and communism that so deeply shaped the history of the twentieth century. This book thus merges ideas and representations by devoting an equal importance to theoretical and iconographic sources, offering for our troubled present a new intellectual history of the revolutionary past.Trade ReviewOffering one of the most unsentimental yet non-reactionary meditations on revolution ever written, Traverso comes not to bury or praise the earthly drive to "take heaven by storm" but to understand it anew. Enriched by a lifelong study of historiography and politics, immense historical knowledge, theoretical polyamory, and a compelling artistic eye, this book also features splendid humility in exploring its slippery, complex and important subject. For those who long to craft a different order of things, Traverso's account is essential. For those who want to ponder what spirits revolutions or makes shipwrecks of them, this rare work roams the globe and the library, reflecting on Phnom Penh and Havana, not only Paris and Moscow, and thinking with Weber, Arendt, Fanon and Constant, not only Trotsky, Lenin and Mao. -- Wendy Brown, author of In the Ruins of NeoliberalismThis brilliant essay on the images of revolutions is a unique experiment, which has no equivalent in the vast historiographic literature on the subject. Inspired by Marx, Trotsky ,and Walter Benjamin, it is built as a montage of dialectical images, which function as lamps that illuminate the past. Enzo Traverso, probably the most gifted historian of his generation, does not hide his hostility to what he calls the "octopus of universal commodity reification"; without idealizing the past revolutions , he wants to preserve, in this fascinating and heterodox piece of research, the memory of historical experience. Quoting Benjamin: we cannot ignore the claim that the past has on us. * Michael Löwy *A perfect partnering of author and subject! Enzo Traverso is the Marxist scholar most gifted to present us with a masterfully articulated appraisal of the perplexing presence of concepts and images of revolutions in the political imagination. His astonishing scholarly expertise is on display with stunning elegance to reveal a rich tapestry of material from the 19th and 20th centuries, along with a multitude of riveting actors and thinkers. Revolution is a monumental advance in its sophisticated and supple interpretations; it is also a virtuoso performance in the art of refreshingly precise, rigorously compact exposition, complemented by a novelist's flair for narrative power and dramatic verve. -- Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus, University of MichiganBrilliant and beautiful. Now this book exists, it's hard to know how we did without it. -- China MiévilleVividly written, full of sparkling details and sharp theoretical insights... -- Hannah Proctor * Radical Philosophy *Something for every revolutionary. * Socialist Worker *

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, here is the extraordinary true story of one of the most powerful men, and ruthless dictators, who ever lived. Mao Zedong had control over more people for a longer period than any other leader in history. In this intimate biography we learn not only about the imperial grandeur of his life in a country racked by poverty and the vicious infighting at his court, but also about his extraordinary personal habits that equal those of deceased Korean supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, another infamous and idiosyncratic dictator, equally deified and worshipped by his followers: Mao''s teeth turned black because he would only brush them with tea; he hardly ever bathed but then received Krushchev in his swimming pool where he obliged the Soviet President to join him. Li''s revealing account also chronicles Mao''s voracious sexual appetite that led to the seduction of thousands of peasant women because he believed in the mythical healing power of sex. Zhisui Li spent more time with Mao than perhaps any other person. He witnessed first-hand the catastrophic events that Mao''s dotage and paranoia sparked in a country that revered him as a demi-god. The Private Life of Chairman Mao is a landmark biography, as fascinating as it is important to the understanding of modern China, and a must buy for fans of Wild Swans.Trade ReviewLi is Mao's Boswell * Irish Times *A unique political and historical autobiography of inestimable worth, an astounding chronicle of human weakness, political intrigue and corruption and the near destruction of a great nation by a great ego -- Martin BoothOne of the most vivid descriptions of a dictator ever written * The Times *A classic . . . I see Dr. Li as the Tacitus of modern China -- Hugh Trevor-Roper

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW YORKER AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023''An indelible feat of reporting and an urgent read ... It''s a privilege to read books like these'' Te-Ping Chen, author of Land of Big Numbers''A powerful reminder of the ways in which China''s future depends on who controls the past'' Peter HesslerA documentary filmmaker who spent years uncovering a Mao-era death camp; an independent journalist who gave voice to the millions who suffered through Covid; a magazine publisher who dodges the secret police: these are some of the people who make up Sparks: China''s Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future, a vital account of how some of China''s most important writers, filmmakers, and artists have overcome crackdowns and censorship to challenge the Chinese Communist Party on its most sacred ground - its monopoly on history.In traditional China, dynasties rewrote history to justify their rule by proving that their predecessors were unworthy of holding power. Marxism gave this a modern gloss, describing history as an unstoppable force heading toward Communism''s triumph. The Chinese Communist Party builds on these ideas to whitewash its misdeeds and justify its rule.But in recent years, critical thinkers from across the land have begun to challenge this state-led disremembering. Using digital technologies to bypass China''s legendary surveillance state, their samizdat journals, guerilla media posts, and underground films document a pattern of disasters: from past famines and purges to the ethnic clashes and virus outbreaks of the present.Based on years of research in Xi Jinping''s China, Sparks challenges stereotypes of a China where the state has quashed all free thought, revealing instead a country engaged in one of humanity''s great struggles of memory against forgetting - a battle that will shape the China that emerges in the mid-21st century.Trade ReviewIan Johnson is one of the most experienced and thoughtful Western journalists writing about China. Now he has turned his attention to one of the most important battles in contemporary China: the struggle to control history ... Moving and full of human character and detail. It's a compelling read, beautifully written, and the product of deep research carried out in China over many years ... an exemplary tribute. -- Rana Mitter * Literary Review *Sparks is a work of scholarship, investigative journalism of a kind that rarely happens in the age of slashed budgets, with eyewitness accounts of brutality that will chill your blood ... Johnson’s stories bring these numbers, and this history, chillingly alive. -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *A skilful exploration… Johnson’s skill lies in demonstrating the philosophical links between China’s geography and its political and cultural landscape ... It is deeply satisfying to read a book about China that could only have been written after decades of serious engagement with the country. -- Amy Hawkins * The Guardian *A striking account ... This immersive survey combines interviews, firsthand reportage, and historical research to paint a moving group portrait of China’s political dissidents. * Publishers Weekly *Mr Johnson’s ability to evade controls and gain the trust of his subjects is evident in his compellingly written work. The result is a rare insight into the extraordinary risks that some Chinese take to illuminate the darkest corners of communism. -- James Miles * The Economist *An indelible feat of reporting and an urgent read, Sparks is alive with the voices of the countless Chinese who fiercely, improbably, refuse to let their histories be forgotten. It's a privilege to read books like these. -- Te-Ping Chen, author of Land of Big NumbersA revelation: this historian from overseas spent years penetrating the world of underground Chinese historians, becoming in his own right a recorder of pioneers such as Hu Jie, Ai Xiaoming, and Jiang Xue, who use text and video to record China's lost history. -- Liao Yiwu, author of The Corpse Walker, God is Red and For a Song and a Hundred SongsThis compelling and highly enjoyable book will greatly enhance the general reader's understanding of the subtle counter-currents of resistance at work in Chinese society below the smooth surface of control and compliance. -- Sebastian Veg, author of Minjian: The Rise of China's Grassroots IntellectualsA powerful narrative of how the human spirit has survived the cruel repression of Maoist totalitarianism and is still doing the same against Xi Jinping's determined efforts to impose a new form of digital totalitarianism ... A must read for anyone interested in the Chinese and China. -- Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African StudiesIan Johnson has conducted some of the most important grassroots research of any foreign journalist in China. With Sparks, he turns his attention to history - not the sanctioned, censored, and selective history promoted by the Communist Party, but the independent histories that are being written and filmed by brave individuals across the country. This book is a powerful reminder of the ways in which China's future depends on who controls the past. -- Peter Hessler

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Book SynopsisThis introductory text is a critical theory toolkit on how to how to make use of Karl Marxâs ideas in media, communication, and cultural studies.Karl Marxâs ideas remain of crucial relevance, and in this short, student-friendly book, leading expert Christian Fuchs introduces Marx to the reader by discussing 15 of his key concepts and showing how they matter for understanding the digital and communicative capitalism that shapes human life in twenty-first century society. Key concepts covered include: the dialectic, materialism, commodities, capital, capitalism, labour, surplus-value, the working class, alienation, means of communication, the general intellect, ideology, socialism, communism, and class struggles.Students taking courses in Media, Culture and Society; Communication Theory; Media Economics; Political Communication; and Cultural Studies will find Fuchs' concise introduction an essential guide to Marx.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Dialectic 3. Materialism: The Base/Superstructure-Problem 4. Commodities, Capital, Capitalism 5. Labour and Surplus-Value 6. The Working Class 7. Alienation 8. Means of Communication and the General Intellect 9. Ideology 10. Socialism and Communism 11. Class Struggles

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1985, Thomas Sowellâs book is a crisp, lucid and commonsensical introduction to Marxâs own writings and to Marxist theory. It combines readability with intellectual rigour and distils more than a quarter of a century of Thomas Sowellâs research and thought on the philosophical and economic doctrines of Karl Marx.Its central theme is that Marxian philosophy must be understood before Marxian economics can be defined. The book discusses Marxâs ideas, including his philosophy of history, concept of capitalist exploitation, morality and business cycle theory. The authorâs treatment is balanced, though often critical and displays a mastery of Marxâs own writings which are liberally extracted throughout the text. Trade Review‘Among the best short accounts of Marxism ever, whatever the reader’s own politics are. I found it a real pleasure to read, clear and tight, full of both common sense and intellectual rigour.’ – Bernard Crick‘Very readable … The non-Marxist Mr Sowell is distinctly successful in opening up the scope and brilliance of Marx’s very interesting mind.’ – Brigitte Berger, New York Times Book ReviewTable of Contents1. Economics and Philosophy 2. The Dialectic Approach 3. Philosophic Materialism 4. The Marxian Theory of History 5. The Capitalist Economy 6. Marxian Economic Crises 7. Marxian Value 8. Political Systems and Revolution 9. Marx the Man 10. The Legacy of Marx

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Book SynopsisBetween 1970 and 1975 Jon Swain, the English journalist portrayed in David Puttnam''s film, The Killing Fields, lived in the lands of the Mekong river. This is his account of those years, and the way in which the tumultuous events affected his perceptions of life and death as Europe never could. He also describes the beauty of the Mekong landscape - the villages along its banks, surrounded by mangoes, bananas and coconuts, and the exquisite women, the odours of opium, and the region''s other face - that of violence and corruption.Trade ReviewA remarkable heart-breaking book -- Gavin YoungJon Swain's powerful and moving book goes further than anything else I have read towards explaining the appeal of Indo-China and its tragic conflicts... A brilliant and unsettling examination of the age-old bonds between death, beauty, violence and the imagination, which came together in Vietnam and nowhere else -- J. G. Ballard * Sunday Times *An absolutely riveting book... Haunting, compulsive and beautifully written, River of Time looks set to become a classic -- Alexander Frater * Observer *His book is a damning indictment and a triumphant witness. Brief, wrenching, it is surely the freshest and most sensitive account of those times -- Michael Binyon * The Times *A sombre, magnificent book * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisThe first book from a former intelligence community insiderTrade Review‘Excellent… Former CIA analyst Jung H. Pak cuts through the regime’s opacity and the fog of gossip.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘Jung H. Pak has managed to shed more light on the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, than virtually anyone… An important book, both for the professional expert and for those who simply want to gain insight into the “hermit kingdom” and its enigmatic leader.’ -- James Clapper, former US Director of National Intelligence‘The young dictator comes under close scrutiny in this intelligent account.’ * Sunday Times *‘[Becoming Kim Jong Un] could be the most definitive account of North Korea’s supreme leader.’ * Newsweek *‘[An] expert assessment… An insightful analysis of perhaps the world’s most dangerous dystopia.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘How did a lazy, basketball-loving kid become the world's shrewdest tyrant by the age of twenty-six? Jung H. Pak's brilliant analysis strips away Kim's cult, bluster, and caricature to reveal a mind that is quite chillingly rational, with a rat-like cunning for out-smarting his enemies, be they close family members or nuclear-armed states. Easily the most insightful portrait of the man behind the propaganda.’ -- D. B. John, author of Star of the North‘Jung Pak exudes the authority and glamour of the spook.’ * The Times *‘Jung H. Pak’s sober but absorbing portrait of North Korea’s leader should be the starting point for any scholar, journalist, or policymaker trying to make sense of the most dangerous regime on earth. Pak ties together biography, national security analysis, and policy prescription with the precision one would expect from a scholar and former intelligence officer.’ -- Michael J. Green, former Asia adviser to President George W. Bush, and director of Asian studies at Georgetown University‘Becoming Kim Jong Un is the most complete account to date of a dictator who has too often been caricatured by the public. Highly readable, thoughtful, and dispassionate, this book offers important insights into an enigmatic leader who will shape the destiny of not only the Korean Peninsula but of the Northeast Asian region and the world. It’s the next best thing to receiving a top-secret CIA briefing.’ -- Sue Mi Terry, former CIA analyst and former Korea director at the National Security Council‘Cogently and concisely treating a broad sweep of issues central to North Korea, Dr Pak makes an essential contribution to the collective understanding of one of the world’s most dangerous and complex problems. It is must-read for the expert and casual observer alike.’ -- Mark Lippert, former US ambassador to South Korea and Trustee, The Asia Foundation

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Book SynopsisA collection of previously unpublished postcards from the former Eastern Bloc â sinister, funny, poignant and surreal, they depict the social and architectural values of the period. Brutal concrete hotels, futurist TV towers, heroic worker statues â this collection of Soviet era postcards documents the uncompromising landscape of the Eastern Bloc through its buildings and monuments. They are interspersed with quotes from prominent figures of the time, that both support and confound the ideologies presented in the images. In contrast to the photographs of a ruined and abandoned Soviet empire we are accustomed to seeing today, the scenes depicted here publicise the bright future of communism: social housing blocks, Palaces of Culture and monuments to Comradeship. Dating from the 1960s to the 1980s, they offer a nostalgic yet revealing insight into social and architectural values of the time, acting as a window through which we can examine cars, people, and of course

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the policy, ideology and politics of Xi Jinping, State President and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and China's ruler for life.Through comparisons with former CCP leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, it assesses whether, having abandoned many of the key precepts of the Era of Reform and the Open Door, the conservative supreme leader's restitution of Maoist standards might enable China to sustain economic growth and project hard and soft power worldwide. The book also examines whether the Communist Party will succeed in retaining the support of 1.4 billion Chinese in the face of unprecedented challenges in the economic and geopolitical arenas. It also provides a comprehensive picture of Xi's rise to power; his AI-assisted and legalistic surveillance and control mechanisms; China's evolving economic system; Xi's foreign and national-security policies and the implications of the 20th Party Congress of October 2022 from both domestic and foTable of ContentsForeword/Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction: Retrogressions under Xi Jinping in Light of the Institutional Reforms of His Relatively Liberal Forebears 2 The Rise of Xi Jinping, His Work Style and Members of the Xi Faction 3 Xi’s Ideological Agenda: To Push Forward Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era 4 Xi Jinping’s Surveillance-State Apparatus and Its Impact on Society 5 Xi’s Economic Agenda: Boosting Party Control over Business while Avoiding Decoupling from the International Marketplace 6 Xi’s Foreign Policy Agenda: China to Become Rule-Setter of the World 7 Conclusion: The 20th Party Congress and Beyond: Xi Jinping Becomes “Leader for Life” but China Faces Unprecedented Challenges Index

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Book SynopsisWith this book Henry A. Giroux argues that insurrection has become a dominant motif for the USA and other countries torn between the promises and ideals of democracy and an emergent authoritarianism. He argues that education is central to the idea of insurrection, showing how on the one hand it contributes to an insurrectional authoritarianism, wedded to a fascist legacy that calls for racial purity, militarism, ultra-nationalism, and state terrorism. On the other hand he presents the idea of insurrectional democracy which has a long legacy in the battle for racial justice, economic equality, and a politics of inclusion. The book explores how both positions are motivated by specific visions, values, and particular understandings of education and agency. He also shows how powerful images, social media, and the internet are in merging political education, power, and cultural politics. Giroux makes an impassioned call for an insurrectional democracy that makes education central to politicTrade ReviewInspiring! Henry Giroux is essential reading in today’s political climate when democracy is at risk, and Insurrections lays it all out. Giroux makes startlingly clear that the insurgent forces of anti-democracy need our attention immediately. Right-wing extremism and White Supremacy must be met by organizing common cause against catastrophes ranging from environmental collapse and armed mobs overtaking our national institutions to racism, sexism, xenophobia, and homophobia. Most fundamentally, Giroux spotlights the Right’s central strategy of reimagining education in line with a Goldman Sachs vision through book banning and “Anti-Woke” legislation, and the urgent imperative that educators have to fight back. As Giroux outlines our dire need for critical thought, there is no thinker with more of a finger on the pulse! * Robin Goodman, Professor of English, Florida State University, USA *To say this book is topical and socially important would be vast understatements as the stakes include democracy itself. This book is excellent for typifying Giroux’s habitually careful scholarship, hard-hitting and compelling arguments, analytic and systematic thought, wide-ranging use of critical scholarship, literary references, and mass media, and devising of new terms to describe new social realities and imagine alternatives. A terrific read, an extremely important intervention. I can’t wait to teach it. * Kenneth J. Saltman, Professor of Educational Policy Studies, University of Illinois Chicago, USA *The James Baldwin quote that comes at the end of Insurrections: Education in an Age of Counter-Revolutionary Politics might easily have been one of its beginning epigrams: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” In this latest book, Giroux fearlessly stares down the implications of the extremely alarming conditions that led to the January 6th attack on the Capital and analyzes the very real threat they pose to democracy. This is an extremely brave, startlingly lucid and terrifying book that nonetheless offers a path forward and a much-needed infusion of hope. * Carol Becker, Professor of the Arts, Dean of Columbia University School of the Arts, USA *In this courageous and urgent book, Henry Giroux sets out an unsparing overview of the ghastly forces now coalescing into a merciless and uniquely American fascism. He shatters any grounds for complacency or resignation and persuasively outlines the forms of collective action and imagination essential for resistance. * Jonathan Crary, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Modern Art and Theory, Columbia University, USA *Henry Giroux's phenomenal book couldn't be more urgent, as it calls us to imagine, dream, learn, act, and build against ascendant fascism. Vitally, Insurrections also illuminates a vision of insurrectional democracy grounded in critical education, lighting a path forward in these perilous times. Brilliant! * Maya Schenwar, editor-in-chief of Truthout and co-author of Prison by Any Other Name, USA *Insurrections is a passionate argument for an “insurrectional democracy” to counter-act and triumph over today’s massively violent anti-democratic forces. Erudite, encyclopedic, and carrying forth Giroux’s unflagging indictment of violence, this book is an indispensable tool-kit for hope, health, and radical education. * David Palumbo-Liu, Stanford University, author of Speaking Out of Place: Getting Our Political Voices Back, USA *Table of ContentsPart I: Politics in the Age of Counter-Revolution 1. Introduction 2. Necropolitics, and the Politics of White Nationalism 3. The Rebranding of Fascist Politics in the Digital Age 4. The Threat of Remembering 5. Counter-Revolutionary Politics Part II: Social Media and The Fascist Threat 6. Social Media as a Disimagination War Machine 7. Capitalism’s Observation Posts and the Politics of Denial 8. Politics as Civil War and the Culture of Violence 9. Weaponizing Culture 10. Civil Wars and the Politics of Ethicide Part III: The Public Imagination Under Siege 11. Cultural Apparatuses and the Politics of Commonsense 12. Anti-Capitalist Consciousness and the Crisis of Education 13. Politics Under Siege 14. The Necessity of a Comprehensive Politics Part IV: Toward an Insurrectional Democracy 15. Hideous Freedoms— Lessons to be Learned from the Convoy Movement 16. Making Education Central to Politics and Everyday Politics 17. Insurrectional Democracy and the Politics of Education 18. Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisNo other Marxist text has come close to achieving the fame and influence of The Communist Manifesto. Translated into over 100 languages, this clarion call to the workers of the world radically shaped the events of the twentieth century. But what relevance does it have for us today? In this slim book Slavoj Zizek argues that, while exploitation no longer occurs the way Marx described it, it has by no means disappeared; on the contrary, the profit once generated through the exploitation of workers has been transformed into rent appropriated through the privatization of the ‘general intellect’. Entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have become extremely wealthy not because they are exploiting their workers but because they are appropriating the rent for allowing millions of people to participate in the new form of the ‘general intellect’ that they own and control. But, even if Marx’s analysis can no longer be applied to our contemporary world of global capitalism without significant revision, the fundamental problem with which he was concerned, the problem of the commons in all its dimensions – the commons of nature, the cultural commons, and the commons as the universal space of humanity from which no one should be excluded – remains as relevant as ever. This timely reflection on the enduring relevance of The Communist Manifesto will be of great value to everyone interested in the key questions of radical politics today.

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Book SynopsisThe rise of authoritarian movements presents an increasing illiberal trend in international affairs. A rapidly modernizing China is at the vanguard of this phenomenon. Does this signal the demise of Western democracy and the dawn of an authoritarian era in world politics? In this book, Chris Ogden argues that the world is on the verge of a capitulation to China’s preferred authoritarian order. As other world powers adopt such values, they are facilitating the normalization of this authoritarianism into a dominant global phenomenon. This shift, he says, will transform global institutions, human rights and political systems, and herald an authoritarian century.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Whose International Order? 1. Controlled Politics 2. China’s Worldview 3. Economic Ascent 4. Competing Institutions 5. Asian Behemoth 6. The Global Stage Conclusion: Realities and Eventualities

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Book SynopsisFor over a century, Karl Marx’s critique of capitalism has been a crucial resource for social movements. Now, recent economic crises have made it imperative for us to comprehend and actualize Marx’s ideas. But without a knowledge of Karl Marx’s life as he lived it, neither Marx nor his works can be fully understood. There are more than twenty-five comprehensive biographies of Marx, but none of them consider his life and work in equal, corresponding measure. This biography, planned for three volumes, aims to include what most biographies have reduced to mere background: the contemporary conflicts, struggles, and disputes that engaged Marx at the time of his writings, alongside his complex relationships with a varied assortment of friends and opponents. This first volume will deal extensively with Marx’s youth in Trier and his studies in Bonn and Berlin. It will also examine the function of poetry in his intellectual development and his first occupation with Hegelian philosophy and with the so-called “young Hegelians” in his 1841 Dissertation. Already during this period, there were crises as well as breaks in Marx’s intellectual development that prompted Marx to give up projects and re-conceptualize his critical enterprise. This volume is the beginning of an astoundingly dimensional look at Karl Marx – a study of a complex life and body of work through the neglected issues, events, and people that helped comprise both. It is destined to become a classic.Trade Review“A fully new approach to the content and evolution of Marx’s multifaceted oeuvre and the theoretical originality of his mature writings. — John Milios, author, The Origins of Capitalism as a Social System

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Book SynopsisJose Carlos Mariategui (1894-1930) is widely recognised across Latin America as one of the most important and innovative Marxist thinkers of the twentieth century. Yet his life and work are largely unknown to the English speaking world. In this gripping political biography - the first written in English - Mike Gonzalez introduces readers to the inspiring life and thought of the Peruvian socialist. As one of the first modern thinkers to discuss what Marxism has to offer, and to learn from, the struggles of Indigenous peoples, his ideas have an immediate relevance in the context of Standing Rock and other native-led fights challenging pipelines across North America.Trade Review“Mariátegui’s Marxism involved a deep, almost archaeological, appreciation for the deposition and accumulation of Peruvian history's sedimentary layers. In his brief life he probed the complex particularities of that social formation across economics, history, politics, literature, and ideology. He intervened tirelessly in local affairs. At the same time, he knew these immediate, local concerns did not exist in pristine isolation from wider relations. With unparalleled determination, he insisted Peruvian reality could only be grappled with insofar as its innumerable entanglements with the rest of Latin America, and indeed the world—through the history of colonialism and capitalism—were fathomed and assimilated into revolutionary strategy. Latin America's socialist revolutions would never be a mere copy of European traditions, but they were nevertheless bound up in a shared universal project of emancipation. Mariátegui’s heretical Marxism involved a utopian-revolutionary dialectic, in which select elements of indigenous communal traditions of the pre-capitalist past were combined with a forward-looking post-capitalist future, where the difference of the particular wasn't cancelled by the project of the universal. This impressive book by Mike Gonzalez turns Mariátegui’s dialectic back on its author, parsing Mariátegui’s life and work with all the necessary attentiveness to time and place, while simultaneously borrowing selectively from its riches to help reinvent a living Marxism and revolutionary politics adequate to our present."—Jeffery R. Webber, author of The Last Day of Oppression, and the First Day of the Same: The Politics and Economics of the New Latin American Left "Mike Gonzalez has long championed José Carlos Mariátegui. His 2007 article in International Socialism is still one of the best introductions to Mariátegui, and if this book can bring this fascinating Latin American revolutionary to a wider English-speaking audience, so much the better."—Steve Cushion, author of A Hidden History of the Cuban Revolution in The Chartist Praise for Hugo Chavez: Socialist for the Twenty-first Century: “Mike Gonzalez possesses a extraordinarily rich knowledge of the Latin American left, has engaged critically with the politics of modern military institutions, and has an abiding interest in independently-minded public figures. He has brought these singular attributes together in this lucid portrait of Hugo Chavez. “ —Professor James Dunkerley, Queen Mary University “For activists and scholars alike, this is an excellent biography, which mirrors in its nuances and subtleties the complexity of the Bolivarian process and the figure of Chavez himself.” —Jeffery R. Webber, Queen Mary University of London, author of The Last Day of Oppression and the First Day of The Same “A seminal work on the ideological and political formation of the former Venezuelan President and leading figure of twenty-first century socialism.” —Francesco Di Bernardo, LSE Review of BooksTable of Contents Introduction: the resurrection of a Marxist Peru caught between colonialism and modernity Learning his trade: Mariátegui’s “stone age” 1919: the year of change The discovery of Marxism: Mariátegui in Europe World crisis and the interpretation of Peruvian reality Seven Essays, a Marxist interpretation The agony of Mariátegui Mariátegui’s gift Bibliography (and resume of Mariátegui’s works)

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Book SynopsisAlfred Sohn-Rethel’s Intellectual and Manual Labour is one of the major texts of post-war Marxist theory. A tremendous influence on the central figures of the Frankfurt School, with ongoing relevance to current debates about value, abstraction, and domination, Sohn-Rethel’s ideas are here presented at their fullest scope and with their greatest theoretical clarity. Out of print for many years, this Historical Materialism edition contains a new introduction by Chris O’Kane, an afterword by Chris Arthur, and a compilation of the responses to Intellectual and Manual Labour published in the Italian journal Lotta Continua, including a substantial article by Antonio Negri.

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Book SynopsisIn Law of Value and Theories of Value, Tiago Camarinha Lopes presents the genesis of Karl Marx's understanding of the law of value by showing that the labor theory of value of utopian socialists and the utility theory of value of the Marginalist Revolution are subject to equal criticism by Marx's Critique of Political Economy. Following Marx's distinction between classical and vulgar political economy, Camarinha explains the difference between a reactionary and a progressive strand in the world of non-Marxian economics. Commonly portrayed as a dated work targeting the general framework of economic thought of the 19th century, Das Kapital appears here as the blueprint for the ongoing construction of economic science of the working class in any period of History.Table of ContentsAcknowledgement List of Figures Introduction 1 The Independence of the Science of Value 2 The Law of Value in Classical Political Economy  1 The Law of Value as the Invisible Hand  2 The Law of Value as Exchange of Equivalents  3 The Law of Value as Contradiction between Value and Price 3 The End of Classical Political Economy Value or Price? 4 Value The Naturalization of the Labor Theory of Value in Utopian Socialism  1 Appropriation of Political Economy by the Labor Movement  2 The Laborer's Theory of Value of Utopian Socialists  3 The Right to the Full Results of Labor  4 The Naturalization of the Labor Theory of Value  5 Desideratum of Utopian Socialism: Simple Commodity Production 5 Price The Naturalization of the Utility Theory of Value in the Marginalist Revolution  1 Seizure of Political Economy by Capital  2 The Consumer's Theory of Value in Jevons, Menger and Walras  3 Output as a Relation between Human and Nature  4 The Naturalization of the Utility Value Theory  5 Desideratum of the Marginalist Revolution: Simple Commodity Production 6 Marx's Path to Political Economy 7 The Law of Value in Marx's Critique of Political Economy  1 Marx's Theory of the Commodity  1 The Law of Value as Unity of Value and Price  2 The Law of Value as Lack of Control over Economic Reproduction  3 The Law of Value as an Objective Phenomenon 8 The Law of Value under the Rule of Capitalist Economic Planning  1 Capitalist Economic Planning  2 The Aim of Capital Final Remarks References Index

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Book SynopsisRenowned journalist Malaika Jabali debunks myths, centres forgotten socialists of colour who have shaped our world, and shows us socialism is not all Marx and Bernie Bros-it can be pretty sexy.We've all dated someone who took control of the relationship-you know, someone who makes you feel like you're unhappy because you're just not putting in the work, or it's all in your head. But when you think about trying to meet new people, it feels terrifying. Like, have you looked at Tinder recently? It's rough out there! Your tough-love new best friend, award-winning journalist, policy attorney, and life-long socialist Malaika Jabali is here to say: we are all in a generations-long toxic relationship with Capitalism, and it is time to get the h*ll out of there and move ALONG. She gives you everything you need to know about what a healthy relationship could actually look like, issue by issue-from healthcare and housing to the whole concept of American democracy-with our new boo: Socialism. And no, Socialism isn't the boring, grey, authoritarian, Cold-War-era monster that you've heard about. With accessible explanations and illustrations, often surprising graphs and stats, and some Drake memes, this book will show you that we NEED to build a world that's safer, kinder, cleaner, healthier, and more equal. And that this isn't a utopian dream - it's within our grasp, if we collectively decide to call out Capitalism for what it really is and wake up to a better future. Fun, smart, and inspiring, It's Not You It's Capitalism is the hottest new relationship in your life!

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Book SynopsisToday power is in the hands of Wall Street and Silicon Valley. How do we understand this transformation in power? And what can we do about it?We cannot change anything until we have a better understanding of how power works, who holds it, and why that matters. Through upgrading the concept of hegemony-understanding the importance of passive consent; the complexity of political interests; and the structural force of technology-Jeremy Gilbert and Alex Williams offer us an updated theory of power for the twenty-first century.Hegemony Now explores how these forces came to control our world. The authors show how they have shaped the direction of politics and government as well as the neoliberal economy to benefit their own interests. However, this dominance is under threat. Following the 2008 financial crisis, a new order emerged in which the digital platform is the central new technology of both production and power. This offers new opportunities for counter hegemonic strategies to win back power. Hegemony Now outlines a dynamic socialist strategy for the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewA landmark piece of work combining theoretical rigour and innovation with a magisterial mapping of the landscape of contemporary power. Gilbert and Williams have produced an essential guide to socialist strategy today. -- Nick SrnicekGilbert and Williams offer practical and hopeful strategies for changing the "directions of travel" of the contemporary conjuncture - especially in the U.S. and U.K. But what makes Hegemony Now uniquely impressive is how seamlessly their politics emerges from their sophisticated analysis of the conditions and actualities of the present. Grounded in rich theorizing and a strong commitment to historical specificity, they pull post-Marxism back from the brink by taking up the under-theorized concept of material interests. Mapping the relations among economics, politics, and culture, they refuse to give in to the seductions of simplicity, choosing instead to make visible some of the complexities and contradictions that have produced a distinct set of interconnected crises. This is a book that crosses the divide between political economy and cultural studies, but it is a must-read for anyone trying to make sense of the apparent chaos of contemporary life and the possibilities for a better future. -- Lawrence GrossbergIn engaging and accessible prose, Gilbert and Williams provide an astute political analysis of our current conjuncture...an important provocation for the left. -- Michael HardtIn the process of clarifying and updating the often misunderstood (and occasionally maligned) concept of hegemony, Gilbert and Williams also provide us with a valuable analysis of the "long 1990s": an account of its constitution, a diagnosis of its crisis and a map for its overcoming. Anyone committed to the latter must engage with this book. -- Rodrigo Nunes, author of Neither Vertical Nor Horizontal: A Theory of Political OrganisationThe task for socialists is to live without illusions without becoming disillusioned. Gilbert and Williams have written a timely contribution in how the left acts strategically - learning from the successes and failures of the last decade. -- Aaron Bastani[Gilbert and Williams] have done a brilliant job stripping away much of the complexity that makes post and neo-Marxist language so difficult to engage with for ordinary mortals ... this book repays close attention. -- Gavin O'Toole * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisThe world is out of joint, so much so that disobeying should be an urgent act for everyone. In this provocative essay, Frédéric Gros explores the roots of political obedience, social conformity, economic subjection, respect for authorities, constitutional consensus. Examining the various styles of obedience provides tools to study, invent and induce new forms of civic disobedience and lyrical protest. Nothing can be taken for granted: neither supposed certainties nor social conventions, economic injustice or moral conviction. Thinking philosophically requires us to never accept truths and generalities that seem obvious-it restores a sense of political responsibility. At a time when the decisions of experts are presented as the result of icy statistics and anonymous calculations, disobeying becomes an assertion of humanity. To philosophise is to disobey. This book is a call for critical democracy and ethical resistance.Trade ReviewIn this personal reflection of remarkable clarity and intelligence, the author shows above all how the decision between obedience and disobedience ultimately remains a personal matter. * Le Monde *The philosopher Frédéric Gros analyses the wellsprings of our passivity. Citizens submit out of fear, social conformity, or pleasure, but also to escape their own responsibility. Yet disobedience is not incompatible with democracy. * Libération *This specialist in political philosophy dissects the mechanisms of obedience. * Télérama *Inspiring! * Elle *A masterly political and ethical reflection. This essay examines the inner condition of the political and social subject, asking why it is hard to disobey even when the world imposes desperate conditions of life. * Les Inrockuptibles *A call to resist conformity and tyranny. -- Alain Finkielkraut * Philosophie magazine *

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Book SynopsisA classic book that analyzes and defines media appeals specific to American pro-fascist and anti-Semite agitators of the 1940s, such as the application of psychosocial manipulation for political ends. The book details psychological deceits that idealogues or authoritarians commonly used. The techniques are grouped under the headings "Discontent", "The Opponent", "The Movement" and "The Leader". The authors demonstrate repetitive patterns commonly utilized, such as turning unfocused social discontent towards a targeted enemy. The agitator positions himself as a unifying presence: he is the ideal, the only leader capable of freeing his audience from the perceived enemy. Yet, as the authors demonstrate, he is a shallow person who creates social or racial disharmony, thereby reinforcing that his leadership is needed. The authors believed fascist tendencies in America were at an early stage in the 1940s, but warned a time might come when Americans could and would be "susceptible to ... [the] psychological manipulation" of a rabble rouser. A book once again relevant in the Trump era, as made clear by Corey Robin's new introduction.Trade ReviewBeyond all doubt the most illuminating study of the techniques and the propaganda of the native American Fascist which has yet appeared. -- Cary McWilliams * New York Times *To judge from this first volume, the Studies in Prejudice Series is likely to make many significant contributions to our knowledge of the dynamics of intergroup relations, social movements, and societal change as well as of prejudice as such. Löwenthal and Guterman especially deserve praise for a wise and significant volume. -- ALFRED MCCLUNG LEE * PUBLIC OPINION QUARTERLY *

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Book SynopsisThe veritable tsunami of anxieties that are affecting individual lives, the increasingly dysfunctional nature of society and the potential catastrophes of global conflict and of climate change, have a common cause. The inability of capitalism or the state to respond to existential crises and internal contradictions is the cause of what William Briggs terms A Cauldron of Anxiety. Briggs defends a Marxist perspective that would challenge this and provides an optimistic vision for the future.

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Book SynopsisOne of the common features of communist regimes is the use of art for revolutionary means. Posters in particular have served as beacons of propaganda - vehicles of coercion, instruction, censure and debate - in every communist nation. They have promoted the authority of state and revolution, but have also been used as an effective means of protest. This is the first truly global survey of the history and variety of communist poster art. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field and examines a different region of the world: Russia, China, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba. This beautifully illustrated, comprehensive survey will appeal to a wide audience interested in art, history and politics.Trade Review"On the centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution, Ginsberg has edited a comprehensive presentation of the often vivid propaganda that, for the eyes of hundreds of millions in a pre-social media age, celebrated and condemned the likes of Castro, Mao, Lenin, Stalin, and the apparatchiks who tried to implement their theories and schemes. . . . Over 330 illustrations demonstrate the range and the scope beyond the U.S.S.R. and the P.R.C., with chapters on Korea, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, Vietnam, and Cuba put in context with scholarly essays that cross-reference recurring themes."-- "Spectrum Culture" "Radiant. . . . A visual feast and an illuminating global study."-- "Publishers Weekly" "The first major survey of communist poster art considers the visual legacy of propaganda graphic design in nations around the world."-- "Hyperallergic" "This volume presents and analyzes communist posters from around the world. . . . The images are of high quality throughout. The specific posters were chosen to highlight important artistic and political features of this type of communication within the social and political milieu. Particularly compelling is the discussion of posters and dissent in Eastern Europe. . . . This volume is an important addition to the work on communication and legitimation in communist countries. . . . Recommended."-- "Choice"Table of ContentsIntroductionRussia/Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1917–91Mongolian People’s Republic, 1924–92Eastern Europe, 1945–91People’s Republic of China, 1949–Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 1948–Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 1945–Republic of Cuba, 1959–ReferencesBibliographyNotes on ContributorsPhoto AcknowledgementsIndex

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Book SynopsisWhen leading scholar of Marx, Roman Rosdolsky, first encountered the virtually unknown text of Marx's Grundrisse - his preparatory work for his masterpiece Das Capital - in the 1950s in New York Public Library, he recognized it as "a work of fundamental importance," but declared "its unusual form" and "obscure manner of expression, made it far from suitable for reaching a wide circle of readers." David Harvey's Companion to Marx's Grundrisse builds upon his widely acclaimed companions to the first and second volumes of Capital in a way that will reach as wide an audience as possible. Marx's stated ambition for this text - where he was thinking aloud about some of possible metamorphoses of capitalism - is to reveal "the exact development of the concept of capital as the fundamental concept of modern economics, just as capital itself is the foundation of bourgeois society." While respecting Marx's desire to "bring out all the contradictions of bourgeois production, as well as the boundary where it drives beyond itself," David Harvey also pithily illustrates the relevance of Marx's text to understanding the troubled state of contemporary capitalism.Trade ReviewDavid Harvey provoked a revolution in his field and has inspired a generation of radical intellectuals. -- Wolfgang Streeck, Max Planck Institute for the Study of SocietiesHarvey is a scholarly radical; his writing is free of journalistic clichés, full of facts and carefully thought-through ideas. -- Richard Tuck, Harvard UniversityFew people have penetrated the heartland of contemporary cultural theory and critique as explosively or insightfully as David Harvey. * Financial Times *One of the most perceptive and intelligent thinkers the progressive movement has. * Wall Street Journal *A consistent and intelligent voice on the left. * Times Higher Education *It is often said of Marx that you need to read to the end to grasp what comes at the beginning. True to that maxim, after a lifetime of studying and interpreting Marx, David Harvey has finally returned to where Marx's critique of political economy effectively began, in the famous Grundrisse. Harvey likens his Companion to accompanying the reader on a long hike, pointing out key landforms, junctions and hazards along the way. So put on your boots, fill your water bottle, and join Harvey in his dazzling venture to bring Marx's 'most interesting and difficult' book to life. -- Brett ChristophersAn indispensable companion to the Grundrisse. Harvey's newest is as illuminating for experienced readers as it is helpful for those who are encountering Marx's great text for the first time. -- Nancy FraserNo matter how many times I read the Grundrisse by myself, I find it a difficult text. When I read it with David Harvey, however, the text is illuminated with light from the present. Harvey uses Marx's insights to make sense of the tricks capital plays today, from its drive towards financialization to its devastation of the planet. This is an extraordinary ability. For it reminds us not only of the relevance of Marx, but by making capitalism legible in the here and now, Harvey re-commits us to struggles against it. He is truly the Marx whisperer of our times. -- Tithi Bhattacharya, Co-Author of Feminism for the 99%Superbly lucid. -- Charles Mudede * The Stranger *Building on his acclaimed companions to the first and second volumes of Capital, Harvey carefully examines the drafts Marx's wrote in the 1850s, and illustrates their relevance to understanding the troubled state of contemporary capitalism. * Climate & Capitalism *When it comes to the critique of capitalist society over the last half century, few thinkers can rival David Harvey's influence and originality... -- Benjamin Tetler * Marx & Philosophy Review of Books *Just as Das Kapital provided orientation amid the Great Recession, the Grundrisse-and Harvey's interpretation of it-could be an indispensable guide to navigating our political situation today, specifically when it comes to the question of how to deal with a rapidly developing artificial intelligence and the continued, seemingly inexorable rise of China -- Samuel McIlhagga * Foreign Policy *

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Book SynopsisIf the question of communism is making a comeback today, this renewed interest is often accompanied by an abandonment of any concrete political perspective. Critical philosophies are flourishing and proliferating, but, folded into the academic terrain, they often remain disconnected from the global issues associated with the present crisis of capitalism, contributing, in turn, to the fragmentation of the resistances that are opposed to it.Instead of locking the perspective of emancipation into the registers of utopia, or relegating it to the side of an empty populism, Isabelle Garo studies in this book the conditions of a contemporary revival of the alternative as a collective construction, anchored in real aspirations and struggles and inseparable from a rethinking of the theoretical work. By addressing the impasses faced by many of the most fashionable radical theorists - Badiou, Laclau, the theorists of the commons, and revisiting them in relation to Marx and Gramsci also allows us to re-read the latter from the point of view of contemporary questions of the state and the party, of work and property, of conflict and hegemony. Thus, to rethink strategy is above all to re-explore the question of mediations, whether they be forms of organisation or existing mobilisations, as sites par excellence of political invention.Trade ReviewOverall, Isabelle Garo's Communisme et stratégie is a book that gives hope for the possibility of radical change. Rejecting the pessimism of the Frankfurt School and denouncing theory's fetishism for doomsday narratives, her work stands out in capturing a crucial moment that is demanding a better future. Grounding her positive outlook in a thorough analysis of Marx's political thought, she does not seek to affirm that we simply need to take his word as law, but that his political vision is valuable exactly because it takes into account the historical conjuncture it is inscribed in. -- Solange Manche * Marx and Philosophy Review of Books *Isabelle Garo's book deserves to be read for its polemical originality and the force of its proposals. -- Michael Löwy * Le Monde Diplomatique *Garo's theoretical work combines philological rigour with a reflection on the challenges facing Marxism and an emphasis on the need to re-fuse Marxism with the activity of the working class, social movements and the people. -- Juan Dal Maso * Révolution Permanente *Isabelle Garo's book does not propose ready-made solutions, but it does open up a major project that should be tackled by all those who intend to make the convergence of different struggles into something more than simply an abstract watchword. -- Jean Quétier * Cause Commune *In this brilliant essay, Isabelle Garo restores critical and political power to the communist proposal. Rereading Marx, she understands communism as being, above all, a strategy, a vigorous counter-offensive against capitalism, thanks to the emancipatory convergence of the struggles led by the oppressed. This book is an outstanding contribution to critical and political radicalism in our times. -- Michael LöwyThis book offers a new perspective in the debate on communism relaunched in the 2000s. Garo turns the problem upside down and revisits key contemporary interventions in the light of a scrupulous and contextualized study of Marx's theory. Communism appears thus not as an abstract idea but as the strategic question that can open up new perspectives for the revolutionary struggles of our time. -- Stathis Kouvelakis, author of Philosophy and Revolution. From Kant to Marx

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Book SynopsisRobert Conquest's The Harvest of Sorrow helped to reveal to the West the true and staggering human cost of the Soviet regime in its deliberate starvation of millions of peasants and remains one of the most important works of Soviet history ever written.More deaths resulted from the actions described in this book than from the whole of the First World War.Epic in scope and rich in detail, The Harvest of Sorrow describes how millions of peasants in the USSR were dispossessed and deported as a result of the abolition of private property, and how millions in the newly established ‘collective’ farms of the Ukraine and other regions were then deliberately starved to death through impossibly high quotas, the removal of all other sources of food and their isolation from outside help.With the publication of this and his earlier book, The Great Terror, which revealed the truth about Stalin’s political purges, Robert Conquest revealed to the West the staggering human cost of the Soviet regime.Trade ReviewThis narrative is even more dreadfully surreal, more astoundingly alien, than that of The Great Terror -- Martin AmisMassive and devastating ... The Harvest of Sorrow reveals the truth about the dreadful years as fully and unflinchingly as Mr Conquest's The Great Terror presented it about Stalin's later crimes * The Times *A harrowing story, told with great power and a wealth of detail * Evening Standard *It is to Robert Conquest's undying credit that he has at last brought this incredible story into the light of day * Spectator *Majestic ... The detachment of Conquest's telling adds to the story's horror and its effectiveness * Sunday Times *The first thoroughgoing account of the tragedy ... heartrending * Telegraph *Essential reading for those who wish to understand the nature of the Soviet system * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisFollow Peter Millar on a journey in the heart of Cold War Europe, from the carousing bars of 1970s Fleet Street to the East Berlin corner pub with its eclectic cast of characters who embodied the reality of living on the wrong side of the wall.

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Book SynopsisA new abridgement of Marx and Engels's 1846 reckoning with the philosophical tradition, edited and with an introduction by philosopher Tom Whyman. Edited and with an introduction by philosopher Tom Whyman, this new abridged version The German Ideology sheds new light on one of the most difficult, disputed texts in Marx's oeuvre. Written in 1846 and subsequently abandoned by Marx and Engels, only to be rescued in the 1930s by researchers in the USSR, The German Ideology is the high point of Marx's philosophical thought: a brilliantly insightful, still thrillingly radical work of materialist philosophical therapy. Yet there remains no wholly satisfactory stand-alone version in English, with only a heavily abridged 1970 edition edited by C.J. Arthur, or a facsimile edition taken from Vol. 5 of the Marx-Engels Collected Works, which does not include satisfactory scholarly notes, currently available. In this new Repeater Classics edition, Tom Whyman seeks to remedy this. By expanding on generally-available abridgements to include the bulk of the section on Max Stirner, as well as amending the translation, adding notes and providing a new critical introduction, this new edition of The German Ideology will allow non-specialists to engage with this critical work for the first time. At a time when interest in Marx's work is increasing, as people look for an alternative to our currently failing political system, this new edition of The German Ideology will bring Marx's most substantial vision of what communism might actually be like to a whole new audience.Trade Review"A much-needed popular edition of The German Ideology. Read this if you want to understand the explosive philosophy of Marx and Engels."

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPrefacePrison Notebooks Notebook 6 (1930–1932)Notebook 7 (1930–1931)Notebook 8 (1930–1932)Notes Notebook 6: Description of the Manuscript and Notes to the TextNotebook 7: Description of the Manuscript and Notes to the TextNotebook 8: Description of the Manuscript and Notes to the TextSequence of Notes by Title or Opening Phrase

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Book SynopsisThis international bestseller plumbs archives in the former Soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of Communism around the world: terror, torture, famine, mass deportations, and massacres. The authors show how and why, wherever the ideology of Communism was established, it quickly led to crime, terror, and repression.Trade ReviewAn 800-page compendium of the crimes of Communist regimes worldwide, recorded and analyzed in ghastly detail by a team of scholars. The facts and figures, some of them well known, others newly confirmed in hitherto inaccessible archives, are irrefutable. The myth of the well-intentioned founders--the good czar Lenin betrayed by his evil heirs--has been laid to rest for good. No one will any longer be able to claim ignorance or uncertainty about the criminal nature of Communism, and those who had begun to forget will be forced to remember anew. -- Tony Judt * New York Times *When The Black Book of Communism appeared in Europe in 1997 detailing communism's crimes, it created a furor. Scrupulously documented and soberly written by several historians, it is a masterful work. It is, in fact, a reckoning. With this translation by Jonathan Murphy and Mark Kramer, English-language readers may now see for themselves what all the commotion was about. -- Jacob Heilbrunn * Wall Street Journal *The Black Book of Communism, which is finally appearing in English, is an extraordinary and almost unspeakably chilling book. It is a major study that deepens our understanding of communism and poses a philosophical and political challenge that cannot be ignored. The book's central argument, copiously documented and repeated in upwards of a dozen different essays, is that the history of communism should be read above all as the history of an all-out assault on society by a series of conspiratorial cliques led by cruel dictators (Lenin, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Kim II Sung, Pol Pot, and dozens of imitators) who were murderously drunk on their own ideology and power...Courtois and his collaborators have performed a signal service by gathering in one volume a global history of communism's crimes from the Soviet Union to China, from the satellite countries of Eastern-Europe to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and North Korea, and to a lesser degree in Latin America and Africa...The Black Book is enormously impressive and utterly convincing. -- Michael Scammell * New Republic *To the extent that the book has a literary style, it is that of the recording angel; this is the body count of a colossal, wholly failed social, economic, political and psychological experiment. It is a criminal indictment, and it rightly reads like one. -- Alan Ryan * New York Times Book Review *Most sensible adults are aware of communism's human toll in the Soviet Union and elsewhere--the forced starvations in the Ukraine, the Great Purge of the 1930s, the Gulag, the insanity of China's Great Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot's murder of one in every seven Cambodians, Fidel Castro's firing squads and prisons. All these horrors are now brought together in what the French scholar Martin Mali, in his foreword, calls a 'balance sheet of our current knowledge of communism's human costs, archivally based where possible and elsewhere drawing on the best available secondary evidence'...The book is all the more damning because each of the contributing scholars is either a former communist or close fellow traveler...That The Black Book infuriated the French left is a sure mark of its intrinsic worth. -- Joseph C. Goulden * Washington Times *The Black Book is a groundbreaking effort by a group of French scholars to document the human costs of Communism in the 20th century. Its publication caused a sensation in France when it was first released in 1997, but Americans were not able to see for themselves what the furor was all about until October 1999, when Harvard University Press finally released an English translation. It was worth the wait. Taking advantage of many newly available archives in former Communist states, the authors (many of them former Communists themselves) have meticulously recorded the crimes, terror and repression inflicted by Communist regimes across the world. It is a powerful work. -- Mark A. Thiessen * National Review *The authors of The Black Book of Communism are part of a welcome change in the moral-philosophical landscape in Paris, and one hopes elsewhere, as a result of which liberal and left-of-center intellectuals, scholars and politicians judge the crimes of communist regimes with the same severity they've applied to those of Nazism and fascism. -- Jeffrey Herf * Washington Post Book World *Arguing with the passion of former believers, [the contributors] charge that communism was a criminal system. They all make the case well. * Foreign Affairs *Now The Black Book of Communism is available in English, thanks to a stellar edition from Harvard University Press that appeared late last year, with an excellent introduction by Martin Malia, professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley. -- Stephen Goode * Insight *This black book has been a best seller across Europe. It details all the misery inflicted by Communism throughout the world: 25 million dead in the Soviet Union, 65 million in China, 1.7 million in Cambodia...Not a pleasant book, a necessary one. -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *A sober and balanced piece of work. [The Black Book of Communism] is particularly good on the origins of the Soviet police state under Lenin and on Stalin's Great Terror. It should be read by anyone who still has illusions that the Bolshevik revolution was a good thing--and anyone who believes that something worthwhile was lost when the Berliners destroyed the Wall 10 years ago. -- Paul Anderson * The Tribune *A serious, scholarly history of Communist crimes in the Soviet Union, Eastern and Western Europe, China, North Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Africa, and Latin America...The Black Book does indeed surpass many of its predecessors in conveying the grand scale of the Communist tragedy, thanks to its authors' extensive use of the newly opened archives of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. -- Anne Applebaum * Weekly Standard *A generally even-toned and informative book, and one that will serve as a healthy dose of medication for those still afflicted by a wish to treat the Bolshevik revolution as a mistake, however monumental, or something that 'had to happen'...The Black Book's guiding purpose is to cut through the dense tissue of apologetics that has been deployed in the communist interest, both those devised in the thick of repression and those added after the collapse. -- Ben Webb * New Times *The Black Book of Communism] consists of scholarly yet readable (and superbly translated) essays, some based on recently opened Soviet archives, and covers the communist revolutions in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, including Cuba...The Black Book [is] a most important volume of contemporary history produced by a group of French Sovietologists...On finishing this magnificent volume, it is impossible not to see that in three-quarters of a century Soviet communism had left nothing behind except death and destruction. -- Arnold Beichman * Weekend Post *The heart of the Black Book is a compilation and description--in mesmerizing objective prose-- of the slaughters visited upon populations around the world by communist dictators in the 20th century...The Black Book is an elegantly simple and valuable record of a time many would like to forget--but will have to deal with. -- John Omicinski * Scottsdale Tribune *I can't think of any book that would be more important for Americans to read. If you are going to read only one book this year, make it The Black Book of Communism. This is an 800-page history of the terror, repression and killings of communism stretching from the Bolshevik Revolution to the present. Written by scholars who are ex-communists or former fellow travelers, the book establishes beyond doubt that communism is the greatest crime against humanity in the 20th century. -- Charley Reese * The Sentine *An important scholarly achievement of exhaustive breadth based on new archival material from the Stalin era...This impressive and important book is well worth the price. -- Zachary T. Irwin * Library Journal *A unique attempt by French historians--as important in its way as the works of Solzhenitsyn--to chronicle the crimes of communism wherever it has attained power in the world. Not the least remarkable thing about this book is that this is the first time such a study has been made. For the cumulative toll of victims of communist rule, estimated by the authors at between 85 and 100 million, dwarfs even the crimes of the Nazis...A devastating and important book, already hailed in Europe, and the more harrowing for its sobriety. * Kirkus Reviews *In France, this damning reckoning of communism's worldwide legacy was a bestseller that sparked passionate arguments among intellectuals of the Left. Courtois, along with the other distinguished French and European contributors, delivers a fact-based, mostly Russia-centered wallop that will be hard to refute: town burnings, mass deportations, property seizures, family separations, mass murders, planned famines--all chillingly documented from conception to implementation. * Publishers Weekly *In the end, the Black Book's body counts--necessary as they are--are less important than the soul-destroying connections between Marxist idealism and the violence committed in its name. -- Lawrence Osborne * salon.com *The publishing sensation in France this winter (1999) has been an austere academic tome, Le Livre Noir du Communisme, detailing Communism's crimes from Russia in 1917 to Afghanistan in 1989...[The Black Book of Communism] gives a balance sheet of our present knowledge of Communism's human costs, archivally based where possible, and otherwise drawing on the best secondary works, and with due allowance for the difficulties of quantification. Yet austere though this inventory is, its cumulative impact is overwhelming. At the same time, the book advances a number of important analytical points. -- Martin Malia * Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents* Foreword: The Uses of Atrocity Martin Malia * Introduction: The Crimes of Communism Stephane Courtois I. A State against Its People: Violence, Repression, and Terror in the Soviet Union Nicolas Werth * Paradoxes and Misunderstandings Surrounding the October Revolution * The Iron Fist of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat * The Red Terror * The Dirty War * From Tambov to the Great Famine * From the Truce to the Great Turning Point * Forced Collectivization and Dekulakization * The Great Famine * Socially Foreign Elements and the Cycles of Repression * The Great Terror (1936 -1938) * The Empire of the Camps * The Other Side of Victory * Apogee and Crisis in the Gulag System * The Last Conspiracy * The Exit from Stalinism Conclusion II. Word Revolution, Civil War, and Terror Stephane Courtois, Jean-Louis Panne, and Remi Kauffer * The Comintern in Action Stephane Courtois and Jean-Louis Panne * The Shadow of the NKVD in Spain Stephane Courtois and Jean-Louis Panne * Communism and Terrorism Remi Kauffer III. The Other Europe: Victim of Communism Andrzej Paczkowski and Karel Bartoek * Poland, the "Enemy Nation" Andrzej Paczkowski * Central and Southeastern Europe Karel Bartoek IV. Communism in Asia: Between Reeducation and Massacre Jean-Louis Margolin and Pierre Rigoulot Introduction * China: A Long March into Night Jean-Louis Margolin * Crimes, Terror, and Secrecy in North Korea Pierre Rigoulot * Vietnam and Laos: The Impasse of War Communism Jean-Louis Margolin * Cambodia: The Country of Disconcerting Crimes Jean-Louis Margolin Conclusion Select Bibliography for Asia V. The Third World Pascal Fontaine, Yves Santamaria, and Sylvain Boulouque * Communism in Latin America Pascal Fontaine * Afrocommunism: Ethiopia, Angola, and Mozambique Yves Santamaria * Communism in Afghanistan Sylvain Boulouque Conclusion: Why? Stephane Courtois * Notes * Index * About the Authors

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Book SynopsisIn the 1930s many Western intellectuals looked with hope and admiration at the great `Soviet experiment'', the planned transformation of the economy that was supposed to lay the foundation for the world''s first socialist society. Later, with the onset of the Cold War, the image of the `Evil Empire'' predominated in the mind of Westerners. Yet what was it really like to be a citizen of Soviet Russia during this period? Everyday Stalinism is a pioneering history of everyday life in Soviet Russia. Rather than consider the history of the period from the perspective of the Soviet Party and its leaders, Sheila Fitzpatrick considers what life was like for ordinary people. A highly accessible study, Everyday Stalinism shows the ways of life, behaviours, and skills developed by citizens in order to cope with the extraordinary social and political change that Stalinism brought, ranging from scarcity of consumer goods, to the condemnation of religion, to bureaucratic red tape and state regulation of education, jobs, and career advancement.Trade ReviewOf the two, Fitzpatrick is incomparably the finer historian . . . . There is no doubt abou the quality of Fitzpatrick's research . . . * THES, 12/04/2002 *"A fine work--engrossing, well written, superbly documented, and much needed to boot....[The book's sources] make absolutely fascinating reading....An assiduous scholar, Professor Fitzpatrick seems to have scrutinized every relevant scrap of paper. Her explication is a model of balance and judiciousness....Individual memoirs apart, most histories of this period were written from the top--that is, showing how the policies were shaped and implemented, rather than how they were perceived and experienced by their subjects. It is the latter...that constitutes the major distinction of Fitzpatrick's book."--Abraham Brumberg, The Nation"The author's rich materials challenge readers to build their own model of Stalin's people, their complicity and resistance."--Wilson Quarterly"A most welcome addition to the literature on Stalin's Russia....Fitzpatrick has used the entire range of sources available, from familiar memoirs and postwar interview material to contemporary research and an array of archival information....The book is a major contribution to understanding this extraordinary period. Its lucid prose and the inherent interest of its subject matter should make it accessible to undergraduates, as well as to more specialized readers."--Choice"One of the most influential historians of the Soviet period describes what it was like to live under Stalin in the 1930s--the frantic, heroic, tragic decade of collectivization, forced-draft industrialization, and purges, when ordinary Russians struggled to a find a wearable pair of shoes and lined up in subzero weather at two o'clock in the morning in the hope of getting 16 grams of bread....They were years of unimaginable hardship and brutality but also of idealism, a surreal melange that [Fitzpatrick] captures with admirable matter-of-factness."--Foreign Affairs"A fine crossover book for both upperlevel and introductory courses....Well written."--Roger W. Haughey, Georgetown University"Everyday Stalinism should prove invaluable for any course on Soviet history. Knowing how a nation's people actually lived, thought, and felt is essential to any real understanding of the past. On this, Fitzpatrick--who has done more than any other scholar to make the complexities of the social history of the Stalin years come alive--delivers as no one else can."--John McCannon, Norwich UniversityReview from previous edition "Fitzpatrick makes subtle use of the press and of police reports that assist in giving us one of the most comprhensive accounts of what it meant to live in Stalin's Russia in the 1930's" * Kirkus Reviews *Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; CONCLUSION; NOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe astonishing drama of Cold War nuclear poker that divided humanity - reissued with a new Postscript to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the wall. During the night of 12–13 August 1961, a barbed-wire entanglement was hastily constructed through the heart of Berlin. It metamorphosed into a structure that would come to symbolise the insanity of the Cold War: the Berlin Wall. Frederick Taylor tells the story of the post-war political conflict that led to a divided Berlin and unleashed an East–West crisis, which lasted until the very people the Wall had been built to imprison breached it on 9 November 1989. Weaving together history, original archive research and personal stories, The Berlin Wall, now published in fifteen languages, is the definitive account of a divided city and its people in a time when humanity seemed to stand permanently on the edge of destruction.Trade ReviewA gripping, impassioned history of the Cold War’s most malevolent symbol * New York Times *Superb, fast-paced and readable history * Evening Standard *Masterful * Guardian *Compulsive reading -- London Review of Books

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Book SynopsisIs socialism desirable? Is it even possible? This book presents a moral case for socialism and argues that the obstacles in its way are exaggerated.Trade Review"Characteristically lucid, engaging and gently humorous... Cohen says things that need to be said, often better than anyone else; and his last book is especially effective as an argument against the obstacles to socialism typically ascribed to human selfishness. His style of argument is very accessible, and it is certainly a more attractive mode of persuasion than dreary analyses of how capitalism actually works."--Ellen Meiksins Wood, London Review of Books "Is socialism really such an alien way of organizing human society? In this stimulating essay titled Why Not Socialism? (just 92 pages long), the late Oxford philosopher G. A. Cohen invites us to think seriously about what socialism has to offer in comparison with capitalism."--Sanford G. Thatcher, Centre Daily Times "Beautifully written... In sublimely lucid fashion, Cohen draws up taxonomies of equality, offers ethical objection to capitalism ... and distinguishes between two questions: is socialism desirable?; and, if desirable, is it feasible? ... Tiny books are all the rage in publishing nowadays; this is one of the few that punches well above its weight."--Steven Poole, The Guardian "[A] stimulating and thoughtfully argued advocacy of the better world that we need to fight for."--Andrew Stone, Socialist Review "A quietly urgent book."--Owen Hatherley, Philosophers' Magazine "Cohen brings his characteristic clarity to his final defence of socialism."--Tim Soutphommasane, The Australian "No doubt the best forms of socialist organization will emerge, like everything else, after much trial and error. But a vast quantity of preliminary spadework is necessary to excavate the assumptions that keep us from even trying. With Why Not Socialism?, Cohen has turned over a few shovelfuls, bringing us a little nearer the end of the immemorial--but surely not everlasting--epoch of greed and fear."--George Scialabba, Commonweal "[Here] we have a renowned scholar producing an accessible, concise work addressing a vital topic from a committed, progressive standpoint: would that more of today's academic star scholars would follow this example."--Frank Cunningham, Socialist Studies "Why Not Socialism? is a lucid and accessible statement of some of Cohen's deepest preoccupations."--Alex Callinicos, Radical Philosophy "However small the package ... the problems that Cohen addresses in this slim volume are of enormous importance, and can be taken seriously by readers ranging from those with only a tangential interest in the field, to serious scholars of egalitarian and socialist thought."--Robert C. Robinson, Political Studies ReviewTable of ContentsCHAPTER I: The Camping Trip CHAPTER II: The Principles Realized on the Camping Trip CHAPTER III: Is the Ideal Desirable? CHAPTER IV: Is the Ideal Feasible? Are the Obstacles to It Human Selfishness, or Poor Social Technology? CHAPTER V: Coda Acknowledgment

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Book SynopsisWhy is our society so unequal? Why, despite their small numbers, do the rich dominate policy and politics even in democratic countries? Why is it often difficult for working people to organize around common interests? How do we begin building a more equal and democratic society? These are the questions that are answered in Confronting Capitalism.Even though political organizing can be very hard, political education does not have to be. This will be the book that a generation of socialists turn to for strategy and understanding. Combining elements of Marxism and modern social science with clear language, Chibber is able to outline the core dynamics of our economy and politics. This book provides an indispensable map of how our world works and a proposal for how socialists might overcome the odds and build a democratic and egalitarian future.Trade ReviewThis is an extraordinary book on the dynamics and politics of capitalism. I cannot think of anyone other than Chibber who could achieve such clarity and such depth. -- Anwar Shaikh, Professor of Economics at the New School for Social Research and author of Capitalism: Competition, Conflict, Crises.Arriving just as we're all tempted by despair, Confronting Capitalism brilliantly illuminates our current predicament and guides us towards the only way out. Chibber reminds us that there is no way to fight injustice without confronting capital. And there is no effective confrontation of capital without a mass working-class movement. This book is both a clear primer for new leftists as well as a clarifying call to arms for seasoned veterans. -- Krystal Ball, host of Breaking Points and Krystal Kyle & FriendsA lucid and compelling account of the essential nature of capitalism, and how its shackles can be removed by a revived labor movement animated by a commitment to solidarity and the common good. -- Noam ChomskyIn this slim but mighty account, a social theorist tackles the issues of global inequality, extreme wealth, and rampant corruption in democratic countries, while explaining the structures of international capitalism and how the world can move toward a more equitable future. -- Miguel Salazar * New York Times *

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