Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York : Ecco, c2009.
Description
Traces the origins of the communist ideology through its collapse in many nations following Perestroika, in an extensively researched volume that also explores communism's current incarnations. The Rise and Fall of Communism explores how and why Communists came to power; how they were able, in a variety of countries on different continents, to hold on to power for so long; and what brought about the downfall of so many Communist systems.--From publisher description.
User reviews
LibraryThing member zen_923
Well-written, well-researched and very informative. The author did a good job of identifying the factors of the rise and fall of communism not only in one country, but in all communist states that ever existed. I also like how objective he is when telling the story. The only problem i had while
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reading this book were the names. There are just too many names and it can overwhelm you sometimes. However, you can't really consider that as a flaw since it is only natural for a book detailing the entire history of communism in just 617 pages to be crammed with so many characters. I highly recommend this book! Show Less
LibraryThing member Fledgist
An examination of the emergence, rule, and downfall of Communist systems around the world.
LibraryThing member samstark
This book is the product of decades of scholarship, and it shows in the clarity and precision of its analysis. Brown defines his object from the start and gives satisfying, digestible explanations of what kept Communism alive and what killed it. That clarity comes at a cost of breadth and life.
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Many topics (such as Africa and Latin America) are omitted, and the book is often EXTREMELY boring. As with Priestland this book made me wonder if "Communism" is really an ideal historical topic, or whether the author really should have written a more focused book about what he knows best, which seems to be the postwar Soviet Union. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dilip-Kumar
A superb account of the rise and fall of communism and the communist states. Written in a direct, simple style, eschewing philosophical and existential jargon, it presents all sides of the phenomenon in a sober and factual manner. While the earlier chapters cover ground that is probably already to
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the keen reader, although they contain a valuable summary of Stalin's excesses and the sufferings of the people, it is the latter part that is of most interest, as it recounts the growth of glasnost and perestroika, the struggles of Gorbachev and Yeltsin, and the dominoes effect of the breakup of the Soviet Union on the erstwhile 'people's democracies' of Eastern Europe. Of absorbing interest are also the author's discussion of the remaining communist states, especially China and Cuba, which have struck out in different ways from the Soviet model. Show Less
Awards
Alec Nove Prize (2009)
W.J.M. Mackenzie Book Prize (2009)