The black book of communism, written by stephane courtois has been called into question on multiple different grounds. But is also presents many facts and historical events regarding communism. The authors, all distinguished scholars based in europe. The black book of communism, which documents communist atrocities, was very well received upon publication in france in 1997, selling over 200,000 copies. An extraordinary accounting, this book amply documents the unparalleled position and significance of communism in the hierarchy of violence that is the history of the twentieth century. Review of the black book of communism leading light.
The black book of communism, the seminal harvard university press work, which specialized in trying to get accurate data on the enormous volume of deaths produced by communist tyrants, states that. A weak point of the book is that a leftist bias remains. Be the first to ask a question about the black book of communism. The black book of communism harvard university press is the bible of the. In 1800, there wasnt what i would call a ukrainian or still less a belarusian nation. Crimes, terror, repression jeanlouis panne, andrzej paczkowski, karel bartosek, jeanlouis margolin, nicolas werth, stephane courtois, mark kramer, jonathan murphy, mark kramer on. Peasants often resisted communism more fervently than any group. Aug 24, 2017 the black book of communism alleges that communism killed 94 million people during the 20th century. Most modern forms of communism are grounded at least nominally in marxism, a theory and method conceived by karl marx during the 19th century. The best books on communism recommended by robert conquest. The black book of communism gives a balance sheet of our present knowledge of communisms human costs, archivally based where possible, and otherwise drawing on the best secondary works, and with due allowance for the difficulties of quantification. Lets move on to your first book, solzhenitsyns one day in the life of ivan denisovich. The black book of communism stephane courtois, nicolas.
Jan 01, 2001 black book puts to rest the odious fiction that has softened communisms image for so long. A black communist in the freedom struggle prologue 1. The black book of communism begins to show us that totalitarianism is totalitarianism, whether we call it fascist, communist or some other name. Full text of the black book of communism see other formats. So many people in our country are ignorant of these things and they need to be informed so we dont buy into the propaganda and repeat the. The black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression. Apr 26, 2016 pastor steve waldron, new life of albany albany, ga. Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost. The black book of communism is one of those rare books that really matters. Aug 10, 2011 the biggest lies ever concerning communism are debunked. Some of the atrocities of the reds are documented, although there is undue emphasis on communist victims of the relentless communist purges. In its many enthroned variations, from lenins 1917 revolution to the recent marxistleninist regimes of africa, communism has killed upwards of 100 million people 65 million in china alone. The biggest lies ever concerning communism are debunked.
Courtois and his colleagues do not simply unfold the numbers relentlessly and numbingly. The black book of communism, which is finally appearing in english, is an extraordinary and almost unspeakably chilling book. Buy the black book of communism crimes, terror, repression. Extremely welldocumented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars some are members of the left, some former communists, this book exposes the reality of communism, not the lies spread by academia, the media and their acolytes on the left.
The best books on communism five books expert recommendations. Communism dominated the world scene throughout the twentieth century, yet as martin malia in the books foreword the uses of atrocity notes, the research. This book is a must read and discusses many scholarly issues regarding the nature of totalitarianism, communism and fascism. Dec 04, 2006 the black book of communism, a set of academic essays on mass killings under communist regimes, details crimes, terror, and repression from russia in 1917 to afghanistan in 1989. Quoting survivors, escapees, and what little information had been published in the soviet press, the black book of communism. But the authors of the black book of communism do what none of the other authors had done before. The first printing sold out in a matter of weeks, and the. Black book puts to rest the odious fiction that has softened communisms image for so long. They said the changes would be made in the next edition.
Joshua a fogel official chinese narratives recounting the rise of the chinese communist party ccp have tended to minimize its provocative influences and associations, therefore preventing a full understanding of. Crimes, terror, repression harvard university press, cambridge 1999, pp. Some critics have objected to the book s depiction of communism and nazism as being similar, others have criticized the approach the book takes to assigning blame of deaths, and still others, most notably j. Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost 6.
The book not only bashes socialism and makes it out to be worse than fascism, it outright tries to portray fascism as a good thing. The black book of communism, one of the largest most blatant distortions of history. Crimes, terror, repression is a 1997 book by stephane courtois, nicolas werth, andrzej paczkowski and several other european academics documenting a history of political repressions by communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, killing populations in labor camps and artificially. Tony judt new york times when the black book of communism appeared in europe in 1997 detailing communism s crimes, it created a furor. Extremely welldocumented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars some are members of the left, some former communists, this book exposes the reality of communism, not the lies spread by. By seeking to put a number on the premature deaths caused by communist. Overall, somehow or another, the black book of communism has managed to raise the debate one notch. The formation of the chinese communist party ebook, 2015. The collected conservative writings of david horowitz duration.
The book draws two general distinctions between the communism of asia and the soviet union and its satellites. Some critics have objected to the books depiction of communism and nazism as being similar, others have criticized the approach the book takes to assigning blame of deaths, and still others, most notably j. George washington and the creation of an american institution, tells about the yellow fever outbreak that our. What the black book of communism succeeds in demonstrating is that communism in its leninist version was from the outset inimical to the values of individual rights and human freedom. Crimes, terror, repression is a 1997 book by stephane courtois, nicolas werth, andrzej paczkowski and several other. The black book of communism crimes, terror, repression stephane courtois nicolas werth jeanlouis panne andrzej paczkowski karel bartosek jeanlouis margolin harvard university press cambridge, massachusetts london, england 1999 translated by jonathan murphy and mark kramer. Crimes, terror, repression is a book authored by several european academics and edited by stephane courtois, 1 which documents a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and artificial famines. Communism is thus a form of socialism a higher and more advanced form.
This number is accumulated from more than 10 different nations and various movements around the. Sep 05, 2017 this book is a must read and discusses many scholarly issues regarding the nature of totalitarianism, communism and fascism. The war communism period 19181921 which saw the forming of the international, the russian civil war, a general revolutionary upheaval after the october revolution resulting in the formation of the first communist parties across the world and the defeat of workers revolutionary movements in germany, hungary, finland and poland. The authors did such a bad job they were forced to admit it and print a retraction. By stephane courtois, nicolas werth, jeanlouis panne, andrzej paczkowski, karel bartosek, and jeanlouis margolin trans. Extremely welldocumented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars some are. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Crimes, terror, repression is a book written by several european academics and edited by stephane courtois, and documents a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and artificial famines.
Esteemed historian of the soviet union recommends five books on communism, from novels and personal narratives to theoretical works. The book is as important in its way as the works of aleksandr solzhenitsyn. Revolutions, like trees, must be judged by their fruit, ignazio silone wrote, and this is the standard the authors apply to the communist experiencein the china of the great helmsman. Joshua a fogel official chinese narratives recounting the rise of the chinese communist party ccp have tended to minimize its provocative influences and associations. The black book of communism is enormously impressive and utterly convincing. In late 1997 a leading french publishing house, robert laffont, published le livre noir du communisme the black book of communism, an 850page book of scholarly essays that collectively provide a history of communism in the 20th century. No one will any longer be able to claim ignorance or uncertainty about the criminal nature of communism, and those who had begun to forget will be forced to remember anew. It is a measure of the success of the class struggle that the reactionary intelligentsia felt compelled to write an 854 page book touching on the death toll of communism. Crimes, terror, repression by stephane courtois and five other writers, translated from the french 1999, 850 pages.
Lets talk about anne applebaums book, between east and west. These steps are designed to implement the tranceformation of the american mind, from freedom to the acceptance to live in bondage. By stephane courtois, nicolas werth, jeanlouis panne, andrzej paczkowski. The communist manifesto by karl marx, animal farm by george orwell, one day in the life of ivan denisovich by aleksandr solzh. Marxism subsequently gained a widespread following.
After learning about canadas ridiculous monument to the victims of communism and finding out that theres a similar monument in my own city, i looked at the. Nevetheless, the book, published in paris in 1927, was one of the first to describe the soviet unions earliest political prisons, located on the solovetsky islands in the white sea. A black communist in the freedom struggle university of. The authors are prisoners of history in the sense that a residue of their gullibility remains and distorts the book.
This is an assembly of extensive articles published in france two years ago and now. More information about this seller contact this seller 1. The ris file format can be used with endnote, procite, reference manager, and. In this book, anne applebaum goes into the area between the old russian empire, germany and the old turkish empire, and sees how it has developed. Probably the most important historical study published since the collapse of the soviet union in 1991 allowed access to kremlin archives for the first time, the black book sparked passionate national debate when it was first published in france in 1997 and yet was completely and totally ignored when it came out in translation here two years. Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profitbased economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production e. Maos great leap forward needed only two years to destroy tens of millions of peasants. The soviet model emphasized political murder of its opponents and citizens though it was willing to simply exploit them as economic assets in labor camps. Daniel guerin and the synthesis of marxism and anarchism d. There are many who could step forward and disclose more, but certain members of certain groups are too busy and too afraid to.
Instead, they painstakingly explore the many ways the killing was done. These steps are designed to implement the trance formation of the american mind, from freedom. Probably the most important historical study published since the collapse of the soviet union in 1991 allowed access to kremlin archives for the first time, the black book sparked passionate national debate when it was first published in france in 1997 and. The contributors to the book include some of the finest scholars from both east and west, who have drawn extensively on new archival findings. The black book of communism alleges that communism killed 94 million people during the 20th century. The black book of communism was originally published in france on november 8, 1997, the eightieth anniversary of the russian revolution.
Extremely well documented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars some are. The black book of communism crimes, terror, repression. Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost 6 million nazis killed by communism. Cambridge, ma, harvard university press, third printing 2000, french original 1997, pp. Stephane courtois, et al, the black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression. After learning about canadas ridiculous monument to the victims of communism and finding out that theres a similar monument in my own city, i looked at the claims made by the reactionaries funding the projects. The book was originally published in 1997 in france under the title le livre noir du. The ris file format can be used with endnote, procite, reference manager, and zotero. It is a major study that deepens our understanding of communism and poses a philosophical and political challenge that cannot be ignored. The black book of communism, a set of academic essays on mass killings under communist regimes, details crimes, terror, and repression from russia in 1917 to afghanistan in 1989. The fraudulent death tolls contained in the book are the single most quoted anticommunist source in the world.
204 1303 285 1142 381 495 1095 822 1399 1009 1110 1514 943 1346 380 925 318 1093 855 1172 955 1148 639 1130 1009 437 1384 789 1529 1074 890 927 316 1310 243 1205 913 702 171 422 1159 398 1360 954 541 393 995