Reviews for Marxism and Revolution: Karl Kautsky and the Russian Marxists, 1900-1924

The average rating for Marxism and Revolution: Karl Kautsky and the Russian Marxists, 1900-1924 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-09-03 00:00:00 Dennis Richards The first serious biography of one of the most important activist-intellectuals of the twentieth century. Beginning as one of the founders of the Belgian resistance movement during WW2, Mandel went on to become a major economist with works like Marxist Economic Theory and Late Capitalism; he was one of the principal leaders of the Trotskyist Fourth International, and played an important role in the Belgian strike wave in the early 60's and the May 1968 events in France. Stutje's biography is sympathetic, but critical; I think the author's own pessimism somewhat colors the last chapters. I had respected Mandel since reading some of his economic works in the 70's and 80's, but there was much here that was new to me, especially about his earlier life. The book is occasionally difficult to follow because the author switches back and forth in time, sometimes by as much as a decade; there were also events I would have expected to be included which were left out. This is not a book which will appeal to the casual reader, but anyone interested in Marxist thought or the history of post-WW2 Europe will find it fascinating.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-07-13 00:00:00 Jay Williams Minder dan verwacht, ik had gehoopt dat er iets meer plaats in het boek was voor zijn ideeën, theorieën e.d, maar die komen helaas maar mondjesmaat en sterk samengevat langs. Het boek is meer gefocust op zijn ''verzetsleven'', zijn gesprekken en omgang met andere intellectuelen en diens sociale leven en karakter. Maar als je dit enkel als biografie leest, dan zal je op je wenken worden bediend! Mandel had een interessant en bewogen leven