Socialist Books... [Archive]

Socialist18

30th July 2008, 05:39

Niccolò Rossi

30th July 2008, 05:54

The Marx-Engels Reader - Robert C. Tucker (http://www.amazon.com/Marx-Engels-Reader-Second-Karl-Marx/dp/039309040X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217393979&sr=8-1)

A fantastic selection of the essentials of Marx and Engels including their major works and many other minor letters of interest.

Socialist18

30th July 2008, 05:58

I'll check that one out too.

Most socialist literature I have is in PDF format and I've only skimmed it all as I hate reading on the PC.

Lost In Translation

30th July 2008, 06:23

Socialist18

30th July 2008, 06:30

Yea, but I feel it must be read at least once otherwise I wont know what I am missing/not missing.

Random Precision

30th July 2008, 07:05

Lenin's Selected Works from Progress Publishers in the old USSR can usually be found on eBay. I'd recommend getting that if you can find it.

Also the most important works by Trotsky: The History of the Russian Revolution, The Revolution Betrayed, probably some others.

Oh, and Anti-Duhring is a fantastic book. It's like everything you need to know about Marxism in one volume.

534634634265

30th July 2008, 23:11

what about these?
Animal Farm:p
1984:lol:
Brave New World:rolleyes:
oh and the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, which Marx wrote might be good right?

Socialist18

30th July 2008, 23:28

I have the communist manifest in a book called "the essential left".

I remember seeing 1984, the original version and I thought it sucked.

politics student

30th July 2008, 23:33

My order from amazon arrived today I bought the following books:

Mao Tse-tung On Guerrilla Warfare.

Che Guevara A revolutionary life by Jon Lee Anderson.

George Orwell The complete novels.

Unfortunately the last 2 in those 3 were damaged in transport so sending them back for replacement copies.

534634634265

30th July 2008, 23:36

I remember seeing 1984, the original version and I thought it sucked.
the original version? i never knew there was a revised edition.:D
if you thought that book sucked your in for quite a shock when you try and read any truly political text. books on politics, economics, or culture are all stuffy and densely worded. 1984 was a great book on totalitarian regimes, and its gives pause to think when you look at current politics in the US. or Stalin's Russia. or "communist" China. basically anywhere theres a repressive totalitarian state.:)

rocker935

31st July 2008, 00:02

the original version? i never knew there was a revised edition.:D
I'm pretty sure he is referring to the movie...

Is there any others you guys recommend me buying?
Quotations from Chairman Mao TseTung
Anything by Noam Chomsky
Animal Farm
1984
Anything by Che Guevara
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

idk, just read anything you can get your hands on. Especially for beginners, its important to read a diverse selection of things. You don't want to be closed minded. So even if you go into it knowing you prolly will disagree with it, read it anyways, it will make you smarter.

Socialist18

31st July 2008, 00:49

the original version? i never knew there was a revised edition.:DTheres two films,one real old and another not so old, I saw the former.

if you thought that book sucked your in for quite a shock when you try and read any truly political text. books on politics, economics, or culture are all stuffy and densely worded.I've read a few political books before, I like politics so its never boring.

1984 was a great book on totalitarian regimes, and its gives pause to think when you look at current politics in the US. or Stalin's Russia. or "communist" China. basically anywhere theres a repressive totalitarian state.:)The only fiction I like is books by William S Burroughs,oh and Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, other authors that I've read anyways, suck.

Socialist18

31st July 2008, 00:53

I'm pretty sure he is referring to the movie..Yeap.

Quotations from Chairman Mao TseTung
Anything by Noam Chomsky
Animal Farm
1984
Anything by Che Guevara
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
I'll keep these noted.

idk, just read anything you can get your hands on. Especially for beginners, its important to read a diverse selection of things. You don't want to be closed minded. So even if you go into it knowing you prolly will disagree with it, read it anyways, it will make you smarter.
True.

Killfacer

31st July 2008, 01:13

hang on, have you read the book 1984? Or have you just seen the film?

Socialist18

31st July 2008, 01:21

I saw the film.

Killfacer

31st July 2008, 01:22

Yeah the film is a pile of wank. The book however is a fucking grand masterpeice of epic proportions. Superb, you have to read it.

534634634265

31st July 2008, 01:23

hang on, have you read the book 1984? Or have you just seen the film?
hes only seen the movie, so hes already an expert on it.:rolleyes:
che wrote a couple of really good commentaries on the revolution in cuba, and where he saw socialism leading mankind around the world. i would be careful with chomksy, overuse of his material will make people quick to dismiss you as uninformed, due to the prolific nature of his writings.

i like that i recommended "1984" and "animal farm" but got the shaft, while otheres recommend it and it flies without argument.:crying:
i must suffer from a persecution complex or something...

Socialist18

31st July 2008, 01:25

Well I just found a copy for $1 so I might buy it some time.

Socialist18

31st July 2008, 01:27

i like that i recommended "1984" and "animal farm" but got the shaft, while otheres recommend it and it flies without argument.:crying:
i must suffer from a persecution complex or something...I noted your suggestions, I didn't ignore them.

politics student

31st July 2008, 10:31

Well I just found a copy for $1 so I might buy it some time.

I bought the George Orwell omnibus for around $20, 1984 is at the end of the book so will get to read it ummmm (Too many books to read) sometime over the next couple of months.

Dean

31st July 2008, 15:04

...I bought some books by Marx/Engels as I haven't read much Marx/Engels, I got Capital-all 3 volumes and Anti-Duhring and I'm looking forward to them getting here.
Is there any others you guys recommend me buying?

Anything by Erich Fromm. I'd specifically recommend "Escape From Freedom" and "The Sane Society." Here is an online text of his "Marx's concept of Man":

http://marxists.org/archive/fromm/works/1961/man/index.htm

Read it!

Trystan

31st July 2008, 15:20

Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky
George Orwell's Essays
Homage to Catalonia, also by Orwell
Karl Marx by Francis Wheen (it's a biography, sure, but a good one)
Ten Days that Shook the World - John Reed

31st July 2008, 15:31

Rosa will rip you apart for reading Anti-Duhring.

Rosa couldn't rip a fart if she wanted to.

politics student

31st July 2008, 18:05

Marxism and the nation by Stalin was an enjoyable read.

Socialist18

1st August 2008, 02:06

Thanks further for the suggestions!

rocker935

1st August 2008, 03:38

Ten Days that Shook the World - John Reed

I've been wanting to Reed, err... I mean read that book since I saw the movie Reds.

btw, forgive me for my lame pun.:laugh:

Peacekeeper

1st August 2008, 06:11

Anti-Duhring is great, good call.
Also, the collected works of Stalin are a great read. Make sure you get the ones printed with the permission of the Central Committee of the CPSU, though.

Socialist18

2nd August 2008, 00:02

Yeah, I've read a little of Anti-Duhring, I have it in PDF, it seems pretty good.

Socialist18

8th August 2008, 08:09

So I've read a few chapters of anti-Duhring and I feel that its a stupid fucking book with no relevance to socialism, or the proletariat for that matter. I initially thought it was ok, but that was just from skimming it so I must have read the few good parts it has. I hope the last chapter "socialism" actually has to do with socialism.
In my opinion its the worse book I've ever laid hands on, it deserves the trash in my opinion. I do plan on finishing it anyways just for the hell of it.
Then again maybe I just got off to a bad start with all the philisophical shit at the start?!?!?!
Capital will want to be a better book than anti-Duhring or that will go in the trash too.

I like "state and revolution" by Lenin and "the communist manifesto", it has relevance to Socialism.

I'm just rambling because anti-Duhring is hyped up to be such a good book and so far I've been nothing but disappointed.

Bilan

8th August 2008, 08:20

Do you want books about socialism, or about capitalism and criticisms of it?

IF the former, have a read of Maurice Brintons classic essay, Socialism Reaffirmed.
And pretty much anything else by that guy. He is amazing.

Socialist18

8th August 2008, 08:23

A little of both basically, from my understanding of capital its what i want. But I also want some books about socialism itself.

I cant find anything by the name of "Socialism Reaffirmed". I did find "For workers' power" though.

Bilan

8th August 2008, 08:31

What you just linked is the collection of essays. Socialism Reaffirmed is the second (or third? or first?) essay in that book (I own it :))

Capital is a really gruelling read, be warned.

If you want basic grasps of anti-capitalism and socialism, there are much easier ones out there, which will explain the basics, etc. Capital goes majorly in depth into the nature of commodities, etc. It's really full on.
But good luck!

Socialist18

8th August 2008, 08:34

Ok thanks. I'll get that book too.

Bilan

8th August 2008, 08:49

Where in Aust are you from?
If you're from Sydney, hit up Jura Books. They have copies of it on the shelf for about 20 bucks.

Socialist18

8th August 2008, 09:00

I'm in SA, i found a copy of it for 5bucks plus shipping so it'll be about 15 bucks total.:)

I probably jumped the gun a bit on anti-Duhring.LOL but its just not what I was expecting to be honest, I'm sure there is some good stuff in it.Going from the index there seems to be some interesting chapters with in.

Djehuti

8th August 2008, 10:17

...I bought some books by Marx/Engels as I haven't read much Marx/Engels, I got Capital-all 3 volumes and Anti-Duhring and I'm looking forward to them getting here.
Is there any others you guys recommend me buying?

Leo Huberman - ABC of Socialism
Leo Huberman - Man's Worldly Goods
Cornelius Castoriadis - Workers' Councils and the Economics of a Self-Managed Society

Socialist18

4th September 2008, 01:37

OK so I bought a bunch of books, mainly by Che and Mao because I'm real interested in them two guys. I had some money saved so I spent a small fortune on building my library up.
The books I bought are:

Chairman Mao talks to the people - Mao Zedong
The Chinese revolution and the Chinese communist party -Mao Zedong
Guerrilla warfare - Mao Zedong
Quotations of Mao Zedong
Five essays on philosophy - Mao Zedong
Guerrilla warfare - Che Guevara
The diary of Che Guevara
On global justice - Che Guevara
Self portrait - Che Guevara
Venceremos! - Che Guevara
A revolutionary life - Jon Lee Anderson
Che:A memoir - Fidel Castro
The motorcycle diaries - Che Guevara
Fidel Castro speeches
Revolution and revolutionaries:Guerrilla Movements in Latin America
Marx-Engels selected works, 2 volumes
Marx-Engels reader
For workers power - Maurice Brinton

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.:)