Politics in the Communist World

Fülszöveg

Communiprn is a ma'or political force in the contemn^"' " >rld. Yet theie ^^e very fe i,.vjOks o.iwring the student an<_ ^ - dl reader a proper introduction to communist theory and practice. Politics in the Communist World j\\\s ttiis gap: it analyses communist theory briefly,\and then compares it with the differing practice of more than twenty states under communist government.,.No other introduetion to ;the subject provides such comprehensive coverage of. either the; major themes or the range of countries and systems considered. ' , ^^
Rather than give a repetitive couritry-by-country analyslsT^v " Leslie Holmes has .organized his discussion within a clear ' comparative and tliematic framework. He begins by examining^, the classic and most influential theories of communism, those ôf\ ¦ Marx, Engels, Lenif), Stalin, and Mab. The next four ghapter^ are primarily concerned with the ways in which comhfiunists take, consolidate, and maintain power. Five chapters in the following... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Communiprn is a ma'or political force in the contemn^"' " >rld. Yet theie ^^e very fe i,.vjOks o.iwring the student an<_ ^ - dl reader a proper introduction to communist theory and practice. Politics in the Communist World j\\\s ttiis gap: it analyses communist theory briefly,\and then compares it with the differing practice of more than twenty states under communist government.,.No other introduetion to ;the subject provides such comprehensive coverage of. either the; major themes or the range of countries and systems considered. ' , ^^
Rather than give a repetitive couritry-by-country analyslsT^v " Leslie Holmes has .organized his discussion within a clear ' comparative and tliematic framework. He begins by examining^, the classic and most influential theories of communism, those ôf\ ¦ Marx, Engels, Lenif), Stalin, and Mab. The next four ghapter^ are primarily concerned with the ways in which comhfiunists take, consolidate, and maintain power. Five chapters in the following section lookjat the people, institutions, and processes of legitimate politics in thç various systems, while a fui^her three focus on illegitimate politics such as dissidence and unofficial nationalism. An^overview ©f rel^tiqns between coirimunist states i^ foifowed, in the concluding chapter, by a critical analysis of various approaches to the study and understanding of politics ih . the communist world. An appendix provides basic political data ; ,on twenty-thrçe communist states. -
, The author assumes little knowledge either of the politics of , individual coiintries or of academic concepts iri political science. The use of jargon has been Ijcept t6 a minimum, ^nd where , ^^ , ytechnicaLterms are/unavoidable th'ey ai-e clearly defined. The ; ' result is a book wh/ch gives both the studer^t and the general reader a coherent/ comprehensive, and up-to-date account of a : political phenomehon which,affects-alKpf,o|, r;, thinking, but which-JS still little understood in the wek. , .- ri < ^ '
Lëslie Templenian Holmes is Senior Lectuier ih PbliticatI Science, Univepsity of Melbourney . , i, Xf Vissza