One Hundred Years of Socialism: The West European Left in the Twentieth Century - Softcover

Sassoon, Donald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1565844866 ISBN 13: 9781565844865

Publisher: New Pr, 1998

Synopsis

This book by acclaimed historian Donald Sassoon traces the fortunes of the political parties on the left in Western Europe through the twentieth century. Sassoon charts the course of socialism across fourteen countries, from the Second International to the birth of the welfare state to the student uprisings of the 1960s and beyond. Unique, comprehensive, and "appropriately ambitious" (Los Angeles Times), One Hundred Years of Socialism demonstrates that throughout their history, the fortunes of capitalism and socialism have been inextricably linked. Capitalism may now appear to be triumphant, but how much does it owe to the socialist legacy? Can socialism go global and continue to be a force for change in the twenty-first century?

About this title

Review:

'Admirable...a compelling guide to the recent history of Social Democratic parties' --Tony Judt, TLS

'The author has scaled a mountain of scholarship and returned with an indispensable work of reference and reflection' --Norman Birnbaum, Political Quarterly

'A majestic work. Nothing like this great survey exists in any language...an unfailing pleasure to read' --The Economist

From the Back Cover:

“A remarkable new work of historical analysis, which will soon establish itself a classic, Donald Sassoon’s lucid and erudite 'One Hundred Years of Socialism', demonstrates that ... the effective parties of the left, whether social democratic or (in a few cases such as France and Italy) communist ... have served to regulate and socialise the wealth-creating and directionless economic dynamism of capitalism, not replace it.”
ERIC HOBSBAWM, 'Guardian'

“A majestic work. Nothing like this great survey exists in any language ... stylishly written, with an ironic wit and vivid gift of metaphor, the book is an unfailing pleasure to read.”
ECONOMIST

“Epic ... an encyclopaedic comparative work drawing freely on the histories of countries as diverse as Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark and Finland ... its greatest strength lies in his placing of the left-right ideological battle within the context of the change and development of a capitalist system. Thus, [Sassoon] says, there has been no defeat of socialism by capitalism; the crisis of socialism was precipitated by the expansion of and changes in capitalism.”
ALAN THOMPSON, 'Times Higher Education Supplement'

“Brilliant ... Sassoon’s view is based on quite phenomenally extensive reading and knowledge. Yet we never feel ourselves to be drowning in a morass of unconnected or undigested detail. Nor does learning here preclude liveliness and wit ... an astonishing achievement, which deserves to become a classic of socialist history.”
ANTHONY ARBLASTER, 'Tribune'

“Sasson’s book is remarkable. A massive and original synthesis which deserves to become a classic, there is nothing comparable to it in the English language.”
DAVID MARQUAND

About this edition

• Publisher: New Pr
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1565844866
• ISBN 13: 9781565844865
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 992