What are some good books that will help me understand Marxism-Leninism?

[Karabin]

Ever since I joined this forum it has dawned on me that I really do not know that much about Marxism-Leninism.

I've read the Communist Manifesto before, but I will re-read it again soon so I can get a better understanding. However, is it still applicable in Western society today?

I also own a copy of Lenin's State and Revolution and I feel keen on reading that, but I think it is better for me to re-read the Manifesto before I read that.

I also want to get Das Kapital, but I'm worried that it might be a bit too advanced for a 17 year old. Will I have much trouble understanding it? I read somewhere before on the forum that it's best to read Chapter III first before starting from the very beginning or something like that so you don't get bored of it straight away.

Are there any other books that people can recommend to me? Books that sort of just explain the ideas of Marxism and Leninism, and preferably none that are too complex

[Igor]

I personally wouldn't try to understand any of the specific tendencies before I had a solid overall understand of Marxism. Only then would I start wondering about Marxism-Leninism myself. Marx is a good place to start here, I'd read up more on him than just the Manifesto (which is really just the most basic of the most basic stuff and very vague, it's a pamphlet) than I started worrying about understanding dudes like Lenin.

But honestly, I personally found Capital to be surprisingly easy read, but I guess it's a matter of personal tastes. If you're worried, try a reading guide. I've heard lots of good things about this one here (http://www.amazon.com/Companion-Marxs-Capital-David-Harvey/dp/1844673596/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1) even though I got to say I haven't read it myself.

[Binh]

Lars Lih's Lenin bio; Lenin's Left-Wing Communism; this list, starting from the top of each section: http://planetanarchy.net/booklist.htm

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

The Communist Manifesto has little to do with Marxism-Leninism, since it was written decades before Lenin was on the scene.

Marx's writings contribute to the body of work of Marxism, not Marxism-Leninism.

[JPSartre12]

Marx's Wage Labour and Capital can give you a gist of his economic perspective before jumping into Das Kapital. His Critique of the Gotha Program is a nice starter, and I'd also recommend Crisis Theory (from Theories of Surplus Value), the Grundrisse, and the German Ideology.

They can give you a nice foundation before you move on to the post-Marx Marxism (Lenin, Stalin, Mao, etc), but try to read them all with an open mind. They're a nice first step :)

[citizen of industry]

The Marx Engels Reader edited by Robert C. Tucker is an excellent work. Make sure you get the second edition. I recommend it the fundamentals of Marxism, as it covers the important works related to philosophy, economics, and revolutionary program. I wouldn't say it is too advanced for a 17 year old.

After that I would read State and Revolution. Lenin sources most of his passages in the book from Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State, 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, and The Civil War in France. The relevant passages are all in the Reader. Left Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder, What is to be Done? and Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism also important works by Lenin and all very short.

At that point, if you are really into it and comprehending it, I'd hit up the Marxian economics and read all the volumes of Capital. Grundrisse is a good work to read before Capital, because it is a kind of outline, or rough draft and covers all the themes in Capital.

That's just my two-cents though. The best advice is to read what interests you the most.

[Manic Impressive]

Gulag Archipelago is a good starter for learning about Marxism-Leninism

[Mr. Natural]

Marxist economics is a weak area of mine, so I'm going to check out David Harvey's Companion to Marx's Capital, recommended by Igor.

For an overall view of Marx's and Engels' major writings complete with brief explanatory analyses, I recommend Robert Tucker's Marx-Engels Reader (1978).

[Brosa Luxemburg]

Well, do you mean Marxism-Leninism as Stalinism or Marxism-Leninism as Leninism?

In the case of the former, I would reccomend the following:
Foundations of Leninism by Stalin (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1924/foundations-leninism/index.htm)
Trotskyism or Leninism by Stalin (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1924/11_19.htm)
Economic Problems of the USSR by Stalin (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1951/economic-problems/index.htm)

If you notice, in the Economic Problems of the USSR Stalin defends some pretty bourgeois things...but I'll let you figure that one out yourself ;)

In the case of the later, anything here really.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/sw/index.htm

[Ocean Seal]

Ever since I joined this forum it has dawned on me that I really do not know that much about Marxism-Leninism.

I've read the Communist Manifesto before, but I will re-read it again soon so I can get a better understanding. However, is it still applicable in Western society today?

I also own a copy of Lenin's State and Revolution and I feel keen on reading that, but I think it is better for me to re-read the Manifesto before I read that.
I personally recommend Left Wing Communism an Infantile Disorder.



I also want to get Das Kapital, but I'm worried that it might be a bit too advanced for a 17 year old. Will I have much trouble understanding it? I read somewhere before on the forum that it's best to read Chapter III first before starting from the very beginning or something like that so you don't get bored of it straight away.
Try to read the capital. With revleft experience it should become easier. But don't get discouraged, its long and it takes time to process.


Are there any other books that people can recommend to me? Books that sort of just explain the ideas of Marxism and Leninism, and preferably none that are too complex
You should probably learn about Trotskyism/Stalinism and hopefully you'll realize that both branches are pretty useless, dogmatic, and silly.

Some Stalinist stuff includes Grover Furr, Stalin himself, Hoxha and Ismail's posts.

Some Trotskist stuff includes, Trotsky, Alan Woods, Kevin Murphy and so on.

[Khalid]

Foundations of Leninism (http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/FL24.html) by Joseph Stalin is probably the best summary of Marxism-Leninism. It's very informative and easy to read.

[Comrades Unite!]

The best place to start is with Karl Marx,Friederich Engels and Lenin.
Even if you dislike Stalin, he does have good writings so check him out aswell.

Use this website http://www.marx2mao.com/

If you don't care about Marxism-Leninism-Maoism then just read as far as Stalin.