World Revolution, 1917–1936: The Rise and Fall of the Communist International (The C. L. R. James Archives) - Softcover

James, C. L. R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0822363240 ISBN 13: 9780822363248

Publisher: Duke University Press Books, 2017

Synopsis

Originally published in 1937, C. L. R. James's World Revolution is a pioneering Marxist analysis of the history of revolutions during the interwar period and of the fundamental conflict between Trotsky and Stalin. James, who was a leading Trotskyist activist in Britain, outlines Russia's transition from Communist revolution to a Stalinist totalitarian state bureaucracy. He also provides an account of the ideological contestations within the Communist International while examining its influence on the development of the Soviet Union and its changing role in revolutions in Spain, China, Germany, and Central Europe. Published to commemorate the centenary of the Russian Revolution, this definitive edition of World Revolution features a new introduction by Christian Høgsbjerg and includes rare archival material, selected contemporary reviews, and extracts from James's 1939 interview with Trotsky.

About this title

Review:

"World Revolution is a key part of the revolutionary Marxist tradition and well worth reading today."--Tony Phillips"Socialist Review" (11/01/2017)

"The timing of the re-publication of World Revolution, to mark the centenary of the 1917 Russian Revolutions, might make the reader think that the work is only of historical interest. It is not. It is worth reading today because of the contemporary resonances. . . . If you are interested in the development of Marxist philosophy, in response to the horrors of the Stalinist counter-revolution, I recommend that you read World Revolution."-- (05/02/2018)

"This edited version of James's account of the internal tremors of the Bolshevik regime and its conflated relation to international communism is valuable from the standpoint that it also includes opinions on how the book was received and interpreted after its publication. Therefore, one of the main strengths of this edition is not just James's analysis, but the reviews of World Revolution that turn it into a complete guide that depicts his conversion and dedication to Trotskyism. . . . A classic survey that should be read by scholars, students, or individuals with a general interest in the development of the Soviet Union, Marxism, Trotskyism, and international communism between the wars."-- (10/17/2018)

"Vital. . . for those interested in reclaiming something from the revolutionary traditions of the twentieth century."-- (09/01/2019)

About the Author:

C. L. R. James (1901–1989), a Trinidadian historian, political activist, and writer, is the author of The Black Jacobins, an influential study of the Haitian Revolution. He is also the author of The Life of Captain Cipriani, Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History, and Beyond a Boundary, all also published by Duke University Press.

Christian Høgsbjerg is a historian and works for Leeds University Centre for African Studies. He is the author of C. L. R. James in Imperial Britain and the coeditor of The Black Jacobins Reader, both also published by Duke University Press.

About this edition

• Publisher: Duke University Press Books
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0822363240
• ISBN 13: 9780822363248
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 544
• Editor: Høgsbjerg Christian