Jean-Louis Margolin Ordre des livres (chronologique)

Książka autorstwa Stephana Courtois, znanego z monumentalnych dzieł o komunizmie, to biografia Lenina wydana z okazji stulecia rewolucji bolszewickiej. Jest efektem wieloletnich badań nad komunizmem oraz jego przywódcami. Publikacja odpowiada na tendencje wybielania Lenina, kontrastując go z jego następcą Stalinem. Courtois pisze żywym językiem, łącząc pasję badacza z osobistymi emocjami, jako były uczestnik ruchu komunistycznego. Książka jest szczegółowym studium postaci, ideologii oraz systemu politycznego, wyróżniającym się oryginalnym punktem widzenia i precyzyjną narracją. Jej wartość podkreśla kontekst historyczny, gdyż ukazała się w rocznicę rewolucji, stanowiąc odpowiedź na współczesne fascynacje komunizmem. Courtois nie bagatelizuje zagrożeń związanych z nieprzepracowanym doświadczeniem komunizmu, ukazując jego zbrodniczość i totalitarne zagrożenie. Jego refleksje, osadzone w historii, są istotne dla zrozumienia przeszłości i monitorowania współczesności. Nowa biografia Lenina jest rzadkością w polskim dyskursie, gdzie nowe prace na ten temat nie były priorytetem. Warto przypomnieć, że prekursorską biografię Lenina napisał Antoni Ossendowski niemal sto lat temu.

When first published in France in 1997, this work ignited significant controversy that persists today. Chief editor Stéphane Courtois's assertion that Communism, in all its forms, is morally equivalent to Nazism drew criticism, even from some contributors. He argued that both totalitarian systems excelled at killing rather than governing, as history has shown. Courtois and his fellow historians detail the staggering death toll attributed to Communism: 25 million in Russia during the Bolshevik and Stalinist periods, approximately 65 million in China under Mao Zedong, 2 million in Cambodia, and millions more across Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. This propensity for violence, they argue, is not coincidental but a fundamental aspect of a philosophy that sought to eliminate class distinctions by erasing the classes themselves. The book meticulously documents the crimes of Communism, moving through various countries and revolutions, presenting figures that are likely to spark debate among historians and ideologues alike. Courtois provocatively suggests that those who admire figures like Lenin, Trotsky, and Ho Chi Minh are unwitting supporters of a violent ideology that, while in decline, still retains followers. This work serves as a thought-provoking exploration of history and social criticism, deserving of wide readership and discussion.

Aus dem Franz. von Irmela Arnsperger ... Sonderausgabe 1999 987, [32] S. : Ill. ; 23 cm gebundene Ausgabe, Hardcover, Lesebändchen, ohne OSU Buch sehr gut u. sauber, themenbezogener Zeitungsartikel beiliegend

When first published in France in 1997, this work ignited significant controversy that persists today. Some contributors distanced themselves from chief editor Stéphane Courtois's assertion that Communism, in all its forms, is morally equivalent to Nazism. Courtois argued that both totalitarian systems excelled at killing rather than governing. The book documents the extensive death toll attributed to Communism: 25 million in Russia during the Bolshevik and Stalinist periods, around 65 million in China under Mao Zedong, 2 million in Cambodia, and millions more across Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America—an astonishingly high number of victims. Courtois contends that this inclination toward violence is not accidental but a fundamental aspect of a philosophy aimed at eliminating class distinctions by erasing the classes themselves and the individuals within them. The contributors meticulously detail Communism's crimes, moving through various countries and revolutions, presenting figures that may ignite debate among scholars and ideologues alike. Courtois also provocatively suggests that those who view figures like Lenin, Trotsky, and Ho Chi Minh favorably are unwittingly endorsing a deadly ideology that, despite its global decline, still retains followers. This thought-provoking work of history and social criticism deserves widespread readership and discussion.