Lenin Biography

[Ander]

My gf bought me this today and is planning to send it to me. Can somebody tell me if this is good one or right-wing piece of trash?

[YKTMX]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31 2006, 08:18 PM
My gf bought me this today and is planning to send it to me. Can somebody tell me if this is good one or right-wing piece of trash?
Service used to be good apparently. Most of his early work was fairly sympathetic and evenhanded in a bourgeois kind of way.

This biography is a piece of trash. He postulates, amongst other things, that Lenin "did" the Russian revolution because he'd knew he'd die soon and wouldn't get another chance :rolleyes:

He's just another anti-Communist propagandist now, which explains why he now teaches at Cambridge!

This book is interesting if you're into cartoons and the like, it's not really serious history.

You can readTony Cliff's two volume biography of Lenin on MIA. Cliff is a Marxist and a Leninist, but he's not sycophantic about it. It's also more about the politics.

Cliff: Lenin (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cliff/works/1975/lenin1/index.htm)

Cliff: Lenin (http://www.marxists.org/archive/cliff/works/1976/lenin2/index.htm)

[Comrade Marcel]

"Cliff" was a Trot. I'm sure there are better biographies of Lenin that came out of the USSR.

[YKTMX]

Originally posted by Comrade [email protected] 1 2006, 06:06 PM
"Cliff" was a Trot. I'm sure there are better biographies of Lenin that came out of the USSR.
I'm sure there weren't.

[Comrade Marcel]

"Cliff"'s "biography" of Lenin is going to be full of POV Trot shit about what he thinks Lenin was thinking, etc. well most bios from the USSR will be more factual.

[YKTMX]

Originally posted by Comrade [email protected] 1 2006, 08:53 PM
"Cliff"'s "biography" of Lenin is going to be full of POV Trot shit about what he thinks Lenin was thinking, etc. well most bios from the USSR will be more factual.
Stalinism and the "facts" have rarely sat well together, as your nonsense about the Moscow Trials attests to.

[Comrade Marcel]

My "nonsense"? You mean the thread about "Stalin's crimes" where everyone of the anti-communist Trots and circle-A-jerkers was made to look stupid on the subject and it came to light that most anti-Stalin crap is simply:

http://www.sixthseal.com/images/dog_shit.jpg

[Ander]

Ok...well anyways. Any more comments on the book?

[Comrade Marcel]

Jello, if you can get your hands on them, here is some that are actually worth reading.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: Life and Work by V. Zevin and G. Golikov (Novosti Press Agency Publishing House, Moscow, 1974) - Also has some great little black and white photos in the back.

V.I. Lenin: A Short Biography (Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1968)

About Lenin (Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1969) - Has essays from various people about Lenin, Including stuff from Lunacharsky, Kollontai, and Gorky. Gorky's is available online:
-Maxim Gorky's Eulogy (http://marxists.org/archive/gorky-maxim/1924/01/x01.htm)

Vladimir I. Lenin: A Political Biography (International Publishers, New York, 1943)

Lenin: a Man for All Time (http://marxists.org/history/international/comintern/sections/canada/buck-tim/lenin-canada/ch08.htm) by Tim Buck (Progress Books, Toronto, 1969)

Stalin on Lenin, by Joseph Stalin (Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1946) It contains:

-On the Death of Lenin (http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/ODL24.html)
-Lenin (http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/L24.html)
-Interview (http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/FALD27.html)
-Speech at meeting of voters (http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/SS37.html)
-... and much more is in the book that is not in the 13 volumes of Stalin's works published in the USSR and may not even be found online...

[Ander]

Hmm...would it be worth it to get this book real cheap though? My gf is working at a library, helping them organize an old book sale for next week so she got first picks to reserve some books. It will be cheap and it's practically new so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea...

I don't know much about Lenin however so I don't want to get a wrong impression (be it good or bad.)

[ComradeOm]

He greatest criticism that I've heard of the book is that its short on facts and high on speculation - complete conjuncture as to what Lenin was thinking etc etc. Having not read it I'm in no position to say for sure but usually that's exactly the sort of bio that you want to avoid.

On the flip side if its cheap and you're not reading anything else then you might as well get it. I'm sure it has the basics correct.