Trotskyism that isn't Trotsky

[Questionable]

Which works not written by Leon Trotsky himself do Trotskyists value? I'm talking about the likes of James P. Cannon and Tony Cliff. I tried looking at their stuff on Marxists.org myself but I'm not really sure which ones are significant and which aren't. For instance James Cannon had written a lot of stuff about specific strikes in the 20s-30s that I couldn't find much relevancy in.

[Take The Long Way Home]

the fuck?

[Questionable]

the fuck?

Yeah, yeah, my main tendency is Marxist-Leninist, but I read everybody's shit. I look at LeftCom stuff as well, and anarchist, etc.

[Flying Purple People Eater]

I haven't read all that much about him, so I can't really answer on behalf of other people. However, I have met many people who admire Trotsky himself yet find Trotskyists abhorrent.

[l'Enfermé]

Marx, Engels, Lenin. Other than that all the various Trot sects don't agree on much.

[DDR]

I recomend Iñaki Gil de San Vicente, but probably none of his writtings are translated, even thou still worth to check out.

[Grenzer]

I'm not a Trotskyist, but the only works by Trotskyists I've seen that were worth a damn other than Trotsky's were Cannon's works. I own a few myself. Funnily enough Ernest Mandel wrote the introduction for the current Penguin edition of Capital. Couldn't say if he's written anything worthwhile though.

Good on you for reading into everything. I read all kinds: Trotskyist, Stalinist, Maoist, and Left Communist.. hell I'm reading some of Bob Avakian's works right now(lol). The only thing I don't really read much is Anarchist theory because for the most part, it doesn't exist. I do own some prints of Tiqqun's stuff, however. The prose in that is fucking awesome.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

The OP is asking for the following:

Which works by James P. Cannon and Tony Cliff, along with other prominent Trotskyist authors, are worth reading?

[Questionable]

The OP is asking for the following:

Which works by James P. Cannon and Tony Cliff, along with other prominent Trotskyist authors, are worth reading?

This. So far Ghost Bebel and DDR are the only ones who've helped me out (Sorry guys, your input is appreciated but not what I'm looking for).

[sixdollarchampagne]

I enjoyed Cannon's History of American Trotskyism. The book is based on a series of lectures by Cannon, and I found it very readable. He also wrote about the IWW (at http://marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1955/iww.htm ), which would probably be interesting, since he was a Wob organizer himself.

Was Tony Cliff a Trotskyist? I never knew that.


Which works not written by Leon Trotsky himself do Trotskyists value? I'm talking about the likes of James P. Cannon and Tony Cliff....

[Ostrinski]

There doesn't seem to be many people on revleft who have a good word for Tony Cliff. Although the user Jimmie Higgins is in the International Socialist Organization which is a somewhat unorthodox Trotskyist party in the Cliff tradition. He's definitely also part of the upper crust of Trotskyism on this site in terms of being able to formulate a very intelligent argument and sustain it well so if you're interested in this you might contact him.

[jookyle]

I'm sure Ted Grant is worth reading. He did form the IMT after all, which seems to be one of the larger Trotskyite organizations.

[Hit The North]

Alex Calinicos's book, Trotskyism (1990) (http://www.marxists.de/trotism/callinicos/index.htm) might help to highlight the major contributors to the tradition after Trotsky.

Or take you pick from this lot:

Archive of Trotskyist Writers (http://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/index.htm)

[newdayrising]

For entertainment, I'd recommend Posadas if you're into UFOs and stuff.

[BOZG]

If you're going to read Cannon, I'd start with The Struggle for a Proletarian Party (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1940/party/) which is probably his most significant contribution. Should be read in conjunction with Trotsky's In Defence of Marxism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/idom/dm/index.htm) because they are so closely linked. I'd also recommend James P. Cannon and the
Early Years of American Communism: Selected Writings and Speeches, 1920-1928 (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/earlyyears/earlytoc.htm) which is, as the name implies, a collection rather than a single book but gives a good idea to the early days of the CP and the type of party Cannon struggled for. Socialism on Trial (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1941/socialism/index.htm), The First Ten Year of American Communism and The History of American Trotskyism are probably his three other significant works but you'd need to find the latter two in book form through Pathfinder Press.

Other stuff from the US SWP / Pathfinder tradition would be The Logic of Marxism, Polemics in Marxist Philosophy and the Origins of Materialism by George Novack which obviously all deal with Marxist philosophy. Unfortunately due to those parasitic fucks at Pathfinder, you'll only find this stuff in book form. (As a side note, I believe the Logic of Marxism played a role in Pathfinder's disgusting attempt to sue the Marxist Internet Archive). Felix Morrow's Revolution and Counter Revolution in Spain (http://www.marxists.org/archive/morrow-felix/1938/revolution-spain/index.htm) is probably considered one of the best overviews of the Spanish revolution in the Trotskyist tradition. Farrell Dobbs has written a four volume history of the Minneapolis strikes in the 1930s which I believe is excellent but I've never read. The four books are the Teamster Rebellion, Teamster Power, Teamster Politics, Teamster Bureaucracy. Once again, only available in book form.

[BOZG]

Just double checked and realised that The First Ten Years of American Commmunism is made up of Letters to a Historian (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/ltrindex.htm), The Russian Revolution and the Black Struggle in the United States (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1959/black.htm), E.V. Debs (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1956/debs.htm), The IWW (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1955/iww.htm) and two more short commentaries on Theodore Draper's The Roots of American Communism but they aren't online.

[DDR]

This. So far Ghost Bebel and DDR are the only ones who've helped me out (Sorry guys, your input is appreciated but not what I'm looking for).

Since I got you interested here are his articles in Insurgente and Kaos en la Red:

http://insurgente.org/index.php/articulos/inani-gil-de-san-vicente?limitstart=0

http://old.kaosenlared.net/colaboradores/inakigildesanvicente

Google Translate works fairly well to anyone interested.

[sixdollarchampagne]

There doesn't seem to be many people on revleft who have a good word for Tony Cliff. Although the user Jimmie Higgins is in the International Socialist Organization which is a somewhat unorthodox Trotskyist party in the Cliff tradition. He's definitely also part of the upper crust of Trotskyism on this site in terms of being able to formulate a very intelligent argument and sustain it well so if you're interested in this you might contact him.

When I first read "... He's definitely ask part of the upper crust of Trotskyism ..." I thought you were talking about Tony Cliff, but reflection made it clear you were referring to Jimmie Higgins. Out of curiosity, does anyone know, did Cliff even call himself a Trotskyist? As far as I know, Cliff was a state cap. I have thought for years that there really is no "Trotskyism" in opposition to Trotsky's defense of the USSR. With respect, it would be good for the state caps to find another way to describe themselves, leaving the "T" word alone. Truth in advertising! :)

[The Idler]

Why is Unorthodox Trotskyism the label no groups seems to want to claim?

[Lev Bronsteinovich]

BozG got most of the best Cannon writings in. Plus Morrow's book on the Spanish Civil War. I like Cannon's "Speeches to the Party," But it not the place to start -- it details the 1952-3 split in the SWP and the International over Pabloism. Also chronicles the partial split in the SWP that led to its descent into reformism about a decade later. I love "First Ten Years of American Communism." It is a good companion read to Draper's second volume on the History of the CPUSA. Also, "The First Ten Years of American Trotskyism," is a rather good.

The Spartacist's article, "The Genesis of Pabloism is also worth a read. Start with Cannon's "First Ten Years. . . " Cheers.

I don't consider Cliff a Trotskyist -- he abandoned Soviet Defensism in response to the Korean War -- and backdated it to the time of the Moscow Trials.

[Geiseric]

Nobody here's read Socialism on Trial? That's my favorite Cannon book, it really talks about everything.

I'm not sure Tony Cliff was ever part of the 4th international either. I could be wrong, but from what I gather he started the SWP in England independently of the whole trotskyist movement. He joined the RCP which was a split from the 4th international I think.

[BOZG]

Nobody here's read Socialism on Trial? That's my favorite Cannon book, it really talks about everything.

I'm not sure Tony Cliff was ever part of the 4th international either. I could be wrong, but from what I gather he started the SWP in England independently of the whole trotskyist movement. He joined the RCP which was a split from the 4th international I think.

I mentioned Socialism on Trial above. I've read it but would like to re-read it again. There were some bits it that I remember struck me as a bit off but I guess it has to be taken into context considering that it is effectively the transcripts of a court case.

I also have a copy of Cannon's Letters from Prison which is a compilation of his letters written during his incarceration under the Smith Act in 1944. I never got around to reading it but I'd guess that it's probably worth the read. Also only available in book form.

Cliff was indeed a member of the Fourth International beginning with the Revolutionary Communist League in his native Palestine. When he joined the RCP in Britain it was also a member of the Fourth International.