E-Book Overview
Part of Pluto's 21st birthday series Get Political, which brings essential political writing in a range of fields to a new audience. This is an entirely new collection of Lenin's writing. For the first time it brings together crucial shorter works, to show that Lenin held a life-long commitment to freedom and democracy. Le Blanc has written a comprehensive introduction, which gives an accessible overview of Lenin's life and work, and explains his relevance to political thought today. Lenin has been much maligned in the mainstream, accused of viewing "man as modeling clay" and of "social engineering of the most radical kind." However, in contrast to today's world leaders, who happily turn to violence to achieve their objectives, Lenin believed it impossible to reach his goals "by any other path than that of political democracy." This collection will be of immense value to students encountering Lenin for the first time, and those looking for a new interpretation of one of the 20th century's most inspiring figures.
E-Book Content
Revolution, Democracy, Socialism
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I>86A www.plutobooks.com
Revolution, Democracy, Socialism
Selected Writings
V.I. Lenin
Edited by Paul Le Blanc 9780745327600
Jewish History, Jewish Religion The Weight of Three Thousand Years
Israel Shahak
Forewords by Pappe / Mezvinsky/ Said / Vidal
Black Skin, White Masks Frantz Fanon Forewords by Homi K. Bhabha and Ziauddin Sardar 9780745328485
The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Introduction by David Harvey 9780745328461
9780745328409
Theatre of the Oppressed Augusto Boal 9780745328386
Catching History on the Wing
Race, Culture and Globalisation
A. Sivanandan Foreword by Colin Prescod 9780745328348
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rev revolution
democracy m
socialism Selected Writings V.I. LENIN Edited and with an introduction by Paul Le Blanc
PLUTO PRESS
www.plutobooks.com
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First published 2008 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA www.plutobooks.com This collection copyright © Paul Le Blanc 2008 The right of Paul Le Blanc as volume editor and author of the Introduction and Commentary to the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13 ISBN-13
978 0 7453 2761 7 978 0 7453 2760 0
Hardback Paperback
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This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin. The paper may contain up to 70% post consumer waste. 10
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Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Publishing Services Ltd, Sidmouth, EX10 9QG, England Typeset by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Printed and bound in the European Union by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
xi
PART ONE: INTRODUCTORY ESSAY by Paul Le Blanc
1 Ten Reasons for Not Reading Lenin Lenin: A Succinct Biography Lenin’s Critics His Time and Ours Further Reading Notes
3 6 21 41 66 73
PART TWO: LENIN’S SELECTED WRITINGS, 1895–1923
2 Marxist Programme and Revolutionary Organisation 1895–96: Draft and Ex