Easy revolutionary reading

[X5N]

I'm something of a novice when it comes to revolutionary socialist theory and such. But I have trouble reading things like The Conquest of Bread or even The Communist Manifesto -- my reading comprehension isn't very good.

So, what are some good revsoc books that are fairly easy to read? Ideally, introductory-level type stuff.

[Kalinin's Facial Hair]

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm

Good introduction by Engels.

And try re-reading the Manifesto or look for someone more versed in theory than you or even a friend to study with. Same goes for Kropotkin.

[Brutus]

The vulgar Marxism of the second international is good.
Instead of das kapital, read 'The economic doctrines of Karl Marx' by Karl Kautsky. Q uploaded the eBook a few weeks ago.

[Taters]

The vulgar Marxism of the second international is good.

Good advice. Kautsky's "The Class Struggle" (http://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1892/erfurt/), one of my favorites, is an easy read.


Instead of das kapital, read 'The economic doctrines of Karl Marx' by Karl Kautsky. Q uploaded the eBook a few weeks ago.

Link?

[Fourth Internationalist]

Link?

http://www.revleft.com/vb/economic-doctrines-karl-t180787/index.html?t=180787

[Vanilla]

If you are interested in anarchism read The ABC of Anarchism (http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/alexander-berkman-what-is-communist-anarchism) by Alexander Berkman. Even if you're not interested it still is a good introduction.

[Lev Bronsteinovich]

Here's another good one, Shachtman's The Fight for Socialism. A little more modern and surprisingly well done. Isn't it interesting that some of the better vernacular explications of Marxism were written by renegades. Don't know what to make of that.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/shachtma/1946/ffs/index.htm

Happy reading.

[Brutus]

Here's another good one, Shachtman's The Fight for Socialism. A little more modern and surprisingly well done. Isn't it interesting that some of the better vernacular explications of Marxism were written by renegades. Don't know what to make of that.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/shachtma/1946/ffs/index.htm

Happy reading.

We need to be shit writers to ensure our orthodoxy?

[The Idler]

Oxford University Press
Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction by Colin Ward
Communism: A Very Short Introduction by Leslie Holmes
Socialism: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Newman
Marx: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer
Engels: A Very Short Introduction by Terrell Harver

Icon Books/Pantheon/Totem
Introducing Marx by Rius
Introducing Marxism by Rupert Woodfin and Oscar Zarate
Marx's Kapital for Beginners (http://www.revleft.com/vb/marx-39-s-t41211/index.html) by David N. Smith and Phil Evans

Graphic Guides
Marx's Das Kapital for Beginners by Michael Wayne, illustrated by Sungyoon Choi (Steerforth)
The Communist Manifesto Illustrated: Chapter 1 by George Rigakos (Red Quill, 2010)
The Communist Manifesto Illustrated: Chapter 2 by George Rigakos (Red Quill, 2011)
The Communist Manifesto Illustrated: Chapter 3 by George Rigakos (Red Quill, 2012)

[Ele'ill]

Wolfi Landstreicher

http://theanarchistlibrary.org/authors/wolfi-landstreicher


Monsieur Dupont

http://theanarchistlibrary.org/authors/monsieur-dupont

[Aurora]

Here's another good one, Shachtman's The Fight for Socialism. A little more modern and surprisingly well done. Isn't it interesting that some of the better vernacular explications of Marxism were written by renegades. Don't know what to make of that.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/shachtma/1946/ffs/index.htm

Happy reading.
Thanks, i'm just looking through it now and so far I would highly recommend.

[Lev Bronsteinovich]

Lol Obviously Trotsky was a fine writer. But Lenin? Not so much -- his works should be read -- and I consider him a towering figure of Marxism, but. . . . I guess some of the people who were good writers and clear thinkers, such as Kautsky and Shachtman, were ultimately poor revolutionary leaders.

[Brutus]

Older Trotsky was a fine writer. Younger Trotsky was repetitive, excessively sarcastic, overly verbose.

[MarxArchist]

I'm something of a novice when it comes to revolutionary socialist theory and such. But I have trouble reading things like The Conquest of Bread or even The Communist Manifesto -- my reading comprehension isn't very good.

So, what are some good revsoc books that are fairly easy to read? Ideally, introductory-level type stuff.
Give this a read.

http://socialistworker.org/Featured/MeaningOfMarxism.shtml#ABC

[Lev Bronsteinovich]

Older Trotsky was a fine writer. Younger Trotsky was repetitive, excessively sarcastic, overly verbose.
Really? To which works are you referring? Most of what I have read is from the late teens onward (I did read results and prospects MANY years ago -- I remember it was not a great read). I read some of The Balkan Wars which is a collection of Trotsky's writing as a war correspondent in 1911 and 1912. I thought it was good, but I was really fascinated to learn something about this series of major, yet mostly forgotten, wars.

[Ele'ill]

Tiqqun

http://theanarchistlibrary.org/authors/tiqqun

[Per Levy]

Tiqqun

isnt tiqqun super hard to read? i've read a post on here some time ago that the poster in questions needed a philosophical book to get through a text of tiqqun and if thats the case it probally doesnt fit the easy to read and understand thing.

[Ele'ill]

what's easy to read is how cheaply pretentiously written it is but some concepts sometimes shine through

[Blake's Baby]

Older Trotsky was a fine writer. Younger Trotsky was repetitive, excessively sarcastic, overly verbose.

I disagree, I think 1905 is great; but if you're right, it would tend to back up the theory (if that's the word I'm looking for) that good writer = bad revolutionary, because as a revolutionary, Trotsky was obviously at his best between 1905-1917.

[Brutus]

It's generally his works in 1904 and before

[LoveNotIndustry]

The Marxist message was not to convey a vibe of communist expansion.

[Engels]

Jump straight into the deep end. Some suggestions:

Manual for Revolutionary Leaders – Fredy Perlman (http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/micheal-velli-manual-for-revolutionary-leaders) (it's satire)
Toward the Creative Nothing – Renzo Novatore (http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/renzo-novatore-toward-the-creative-nothing)
Capitalism and communism - Gilles Dauvé (http://libcom.org/library/capitalism-communism-gilles-dauve)
A Crime Called Freedom: The Writings of Os Cangaceiros (http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/os-cangaceiros-a-crime-called-freedom-the-writings-of-os-cangaceiros-volume-one)