Any recommended reading?

All part of my continued education on the various different branches of Leninism I figured I would ask for some reading to counter my list I have of Trotskyist works. Also any serious historical books or works that defend Stalin would be appreciated as well.

I figure at this point I will read works of Trotsky then bounce them off responses by Stalin and thus further background information would be much appreciated.

Thanks everyone as to reading Lenin I already have that is why I have been asking questions expanding on what Lenin established. Thanks for the list of reading though and as I figured Ismail there really isn't much which isn't surprising to me to be quite honest since the flourishing of Left Communism and Eurocommunism. Thanks though for the works by Stalin I have read some of those but it has been like 6 years or so ago so I wanted everything fresh. Rodrigo yet again you have been quite useful comrade I thank you again.

At this point since I have never read any Trotsky before other than when I tried reading a chapter of his autobiography and found it extremely pretentious so I am trying to see what ideological issues he brings up. I am disturbed though by the fact it seems that modern Trotskyism seem nothing more than an extension of Menshevism with its everything must be democratic line which clashes with what Trotsky actually did and with the statements Lenin made in his works about Central Planning and use of experts in certain situations seems quite odd. Then again it seems Modern Trotskyism is nothing more than an attempt at merging with Left Communism though I am curious whether that is because of the nature of Trotsky changing his tune after being exiled or the inherent Menshevism of most Trotskyists.

Stalin of Menshevism? Now that is rich that would be the last thing I would think of accusing him of. Then where did this Menshevism come from then in modern Trotskyist Parties? Is it just due to a trend of a shift towards Left Communism and they are just following like puppets?

I have been rereading Lenin's State and Revolution and something came to mind when he was discussing that the Dictatorship of the Proletariat must be control of the State without any question. Doesn't this fly in the face of what Trotskyism suggests a multi-party State? I mean isn't that basically just Menshevism and exactly what the Kronsadt Mutineers wanted?

I am becoming even more disturbed by things especially distortions by Trotsky. Like how he Zioniev and Kamenev were against the October Revolution though Trotsky makes it seem like it was Stalin who was though that goes against the official minutes. Also the description of Socialism in The State and Revolution sure sounds alot like what Stalin established under his rule.

I guess the only thing really holding me back at this moment is why were so many Central Committee members executed? Is there any reason given? I can believe a Trotsky, Zioniev and Kamenev plot as they seemed in league since the beginning but what about the rest?

Trotsky attempted to form a "Left-Right Bloc" with rightists in the Party such as Bukharin and Rykov. Grover Furr does mention the whole Central Committee thing in his book Khrushchev Lied, but I don't have it on hand. Needless to say it's obvious that various innocent persons died.

Thanks for the response Ismail. I am getting ready to read Another View of Stalin by Ludo Martens pretty soon but if you provide some information by Furr that would be excellent as well. I am really disturbed with how much distortion of history there has been by not only Trotsky but his followers who have muddied the water to the point of absurdity.

I am amused though in the Revolution Betrayed by Trotsky that he doesn't even seem to know what the definition of Socialism is and what he provides is completely utopian and not scientific socialism and especially not what Lenin thought it was.

Good fucking hell how the flying donkey fuck do Trotskyists seriously call themselves Leninists? They reject everything ever setout by Lenin and basically piss all over his ideas in The State and Revolution. They were trying to say they support Planned Economy except not really lets have it run by the Unions and allow everyone to have a say in it. I mean is that the Trotskyist answer to every problem? More decentralization and just let Counterrevolutionary element vote? Sure that couldn't blow up in your face. RAAAAAAAGGGEEE.

Seriously though how can they seriously call themselves Leninists of any stripe? It is obviously Trotsky's take on Menshevism running wild with Far Left Adventurism. What a load of horseshit I can't believe I wasted so much time reading his garbage well at least I learned for myself it was garbage. Just figured I would rant about it. :P

It's always ironic when Trots call "Stalinists" Mensheviks, when, of course, Trotsky bitterly denounced Lenin for over 10 years as everything from a counter-revolutionary to a "dictator," and at the 1903 Congress of the RSDLP he sided with the Mensheviks over the Bolsheviks. The "left-wing" Mensheviks throughout the 1930's tried to build relations with the Trotskyists, claiming that Trotsky's analysis of the USSR was quite similar to their own.

What I really love is in The Revolution Betrayed instead of admitting he is attacking Lenin's ideas he just claims the ideas came from Stalin specifically about how Socialism isn't Stateless not something that Stalin came up with but was already established by Lenin in The State and Revolution. Trotsky also complains about experts planning the economy saying Stalin was to blame yet again though we look at Lenin's The State and Revolution and you once again see that Lenin states the economy must have experts to help plan it.

Honestly I thought Trotskyism was Leninist in nature but after reading through his ideas about the program it is obvious he isn't. I also enjoyed that he claimed Socialism is just another name for Communism which flies in the face of what Lenin states in that class divisions will still exist in Socialism and as Stalin further clarifies will be intensified under Socialism and that Communism is the final stage of the transformation.