Lenin by Lars T Lih
Lenin (1870-1924) was the leader of the communist Bolshevik party and founder of the Soviet Union. A key revolutionary thinker who spent much of his 30-year political career in exile, he went from relative obscurity to world fame in 1917 when the October Revolution made his party responsible for Russia's future. In this book Lars T. Lih presents a striking new interpretation of Lenin's political outlook. The standard view portrays Lenin as a pessimist with a dismissive view of the revolutionary potential of the workers. This book reveals that beneath the sharp polemics, Lenin was more a romantic enthusiast than a sour pragmatist, one who imposed meaning on the whirlwind of events happening around him by seeing them through the lens of his own heroic scenario of class leadership. This concise biography is based on wide-ranging new research that puts Lenin into the context both of Russian society and the international socialist movement of the early twentieth century. It also sets the development of Lenin's political outlook firmly within the framework of his family background and personal outlook. Using contemporary photographs, posters and prints, Lih illustrates the emotional and physical features of Lenin's world. A vivid and non-partisan portrait of a key figure in modern history, Lenin will appeal to a wide range of readers.
'Lars T Lih's short biography is hardly "Why Lenin was right", although it is no less dramatic for thatLih advances some seldom-heard historical and political arguments in an unassuming, informative way ... This excellent book advises us not to congratulate ourselves on our hindsight.' - Owen Hatherley, The Guardian 'The book is aimed at a general audience. It is well written, accessible, and probably the snappiest book on Lenin in the English language.' - The NEP Era: Soviet Russia 1921-1928 'Any book that rejects the received wisdom that Lenin was intolerant, cruel and tyrannical, thus laying the basis for the inevitable rise of Stalinism, is to be welcomed. As such, Lars T Lih's concise biography of Lenin is a useful addition.' - Socialist Review 'This is an important contribution to our understanding of Lenin ... This slim volume is a welcome contribution to the battle to combat the lies and myths of both the Stalinist tradition and the right wing opponents of Bolshevism. The scholarly research which informs it makes it a valuable addition to anyone's library.' - Socialist Alternative 'Lih's biography is both an excellent introduction to Lenin and a provocative interpretation that will challenge those familiar with his life and work.' - New Socialist, Canada 'Lars T Lih's excellent short biography of Lenin is a welcome addition to the serious socialist literature on classical Marxist history. Although it contains some nuggets from the archives and some references to interesting but lesser known contemporary sources, the book's chief merits are its strongly contextual interpretation of Lenin's life and its readable style.' - Worker's Liberty 'A carefully drawn, subtle yet compelling portrait of a revolutionary. This is probably the best and most reliable treatment we have had on Lenin in many decades, and it will fill a fair gap for scholars, students and the general public.' - Professor Ronald Suny, University of Michigan, author of The Soviet Experiment: Russia, the USSR and the Successor States 'A scholarly, highly accessible book. It uniquely links Lenin to a political project for human liberation ... the best treatment of Lenin and his ideas I have seen in recent years.' - Immanuel Ness, Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, City University of New York
Lars T. Lih is an independent scholar who has written widely on Soviet history. His books include Bread and Authority in Russia, 1914-1921 (1990), the English-language edition of The Stalin-Molotov Letters, 1925-1936 (1995) and Lenin Rediscovered: 'What is to be Done?' In Context (2006).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781861897930 |
| ISBN 10 | 1861897936 |
| Title | Lenin |
| Author | Lars T Lih |
| Series | Critical Lives |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Reaktion Books |
| Year published | 2011-03-01 |
| Number of pages | 240 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |