The black book of communism was originally published in france on november 8, 1997, the eightieth anniversary of the russian revolution. Already famous throughout europe, this international bestseller plumbs recently opened archives in the former soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of communism around the world. The left still harbors a soft spot for communism for all the brutal revelations, the romanticized view of communism as a failed but noble venture has yet to get a stake through the heart. Buy the black book of communism crimes, terror, repression. The black book of communism, an 800page collection of essays about the human toll exacted by communist regimes in the twentieth century, reaches a much simpler conclusion.
Jun 01, 2001 stephane courtois, et al, the black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression. Index of soviet unionrelated articles, the road to serfdom, the black book of communism, criticisms of socialism, victims of communism memorial, communist control act of 1954, criticisms of marxism, criticisms of communist party rule, alexander ratiu. The black book of communism, while some of its claims have been disputed is nevertheless the source of material for any anticommunist, and should be mandatory reading for anybody to the right of karl marx. Arch getty, for its lack of distinction between famine deaths and intentional deaths. The black book of communism, while some of its claims have been disputed is nevertheless the source of material for any anticommunist, and should be mandatory reading for anybody to. 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. At the same time, marx saw religion as a form of protest by the working classes against their poor economic conditions and their alienation.
The authors did such a bad job they were forced to admit it and print a retraction. Religion was used for communist propaganda in our country. 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 created famines. In the modern era, criticism has come from hindus, sikhs, jains, most notably atheists. But is also presents many facts and historical events regarding communism. Nov 21, 2008 try reading the black book of communism to learn of the millions of deaths and other atrocities that have resulted from communism. 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. The biggest lies ever concerning communism are debunked. The black book of communism crimes, terror, repression. Black book puts to rest the odious fiction that has softened communisms image for so long. The black book of communism stephane courtois, nicolas. The black book of communism, written by stephane courtois has been called into question on multiple different grounds.
Aug 24, 2017 the black book of communism alleges that communism killed 94 million people during the 20th century. The novel animal farm explains allegorically why communism goes against human nature and thus is a horrible idea. Maos great leap forward needed only two years to destroy tens of millions of peasants. A black communist in the freedom struggle prologue 1. Crimes, terror, repression harvard university press, cambridge 1999, pp. Try reading the black book of communism to learn of the millions of deaths and other atrocities that have resulted from communism. The black book of communism gives a balance sheet of our present knowledge of communism s human costs, archivally based where possible, and otherwise drawing on the best secondary works, and with due allowance for the difficulties of quantification. I will tell you something of which may be laughable for you. Why we should revisit the black book of communism now. Lets move on to your first book, solzhenitsyns one day in the life of ivan denisovich.
Crimes, terror, repression jeanlouis panne, andrzej paczkowski, karel bartosek, jeanlouis margolin, nicolas werth, stephane courtois, mark kramer, jonathan murphy, mark kramer on. Criticisms of communism project gutenberg selfpublishing. The authors of the book even admitted to the dishonesty of it and claimed that their goal was to reach 100 million, from what i hear. Criticism of communism can be divided into two broad categories. Comprehensive examination of the crimes of communism. The black book of communism the barbaric gentleman. It was a critical book an entirely objective account of a victim in a labour camp.
The black book of communism alleges that communism killed 94 million people during the 20th century. Overall, somehow or another, the black book of communism has managed to raise the debate one notch. This book is a must read and discusses many scholarly issues regarding the nature of totalitarianism, communism and fascism. Such a thing doesnt even enter in the mind of somebody. The legacy of mao zedong is mass murder the heritage. Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost 6 million nazis killed by communism. 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.
Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost 6. The first printing sold out in a matter of weeks, and the. The authors are prisoners of history in the sense that a residue of their gullibility remains and distorts the book. 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. Early written criticism came from christians, prior to ad, many of whom viewed islam as a radical christian heresy. 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. Communism appeared at a time when human beings were at the peak of the competition for the worlds resources.
The black book of communism even though communism had its footholds from asia to latin america, there is very less scholarly research about the crimes of communism. Communism was the most monstrous blight upon humanity of the 20th century. One major argument that apologists for religion like to make against proponents of secularism, humanism and religion is to equate all opponents of religion with communism and the numerous crimes against humanity perpetuated by such monsters as lenin, stalin, mao, ho chi minh, pol pot and fidel castro. Some of the atrocities of the reds are documented, although there is undue emphasis on communist victims of the relentless communist purges. 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. The book has evoked a wide variety of responses, ranging from enthusiastic support to severe criticism.
Later there appeared criticism from the muslim world itself, and also from jewish writers and from ecclesiastical christians. These french scholars some of them former communists have painstakingly documented the repression, terror, venality and murderous tactics that have characterized every communist regime. Full text of the black book of communism internet archive. Why religion and communism are incompatible religion is the opium of the people, said karl marx. 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, crimes, terror, repression. The black book of communism, one of the largest most blatant distortions of history.
The authors of the black book of communism have also estimated that 9. The collected conservative writings of david horowitz duration. 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. The black book of communism begins to show us that totalitarianism is totalitarianism, whether we call it fascist, communist or some other name. A weak point of the book is that a leftist bias remains. Stephane courtois, et al, the black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression.
This number is accumulated from more than 10 different nations and various movements around the. The contributors to the book include some of the finest scholars from both east and west, who have drawn. The best books on communism five books expert recommendations. 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. Nov 27, 2016 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. It is the task of the communist party to make this truth comprehensible to the widest possible circles of the labouring masses. The legacy of mao zedong is mass murder the heritage foundation. Animal farm by george orwell, the communist manifesto by karl marx, one day in the life of ivan denisovich by aleksandr solzh. Totalitarian movements and political religions totalitarian movements and political religions will scrutinise all attempts to totally refashion mankind and society, whether these hailed from the.
The book was originally published in 1997 in france under the title le livre noir du. The fraudulent death tolls contained in the book are the single most quoted anticommunist source in the world. Full text of the black book of communism see other formats. According to the authoritative black book of communism, an estimated 65 million chinese died as a result of maos repeated, merciless attempts to create a new. Yet austere though this inventory is, its cumulative impact is overwhelming. Quoting survivors, escapees, and what little information had been published in the soviet press, the black book of communism. You know rumanian communism will not be like russian communism. The black book of communism, which is finally appearing in english, is an extraordinary and almost unspeakably chilling book. 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.
Sep 05, 2017 this book is a must read and discusses many scholarly issues regarding the nature of totalitarianism, communism and fascism. But the authors of the black book of communism do what none of the other authors had done before. A black communist in the freedom struggle university of. 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. 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.
It certainly contains much truth and many facts that are often not in the college or high school textbooks. The totals are usually inflated or use the highest number of the range given, at least that was the case in the black book of communism. Criticisms of communist party rule is an article dealing with criticisms of the practical. Cambridge, ma, harvard university press, third printing 2000, french original 1997, pp. Popular communism books meet your next favorite book. Not exaggerated, not even a particularly nasty day. Peasants often resisted communism more fervently than any group. Aug 10, 2011 the biggest lies ever concerning communism are debunked. Our prime minister gorza, said the same things which you hear now in the west. Totalitarianisms central feature is a state that desires total control and assumes the right to impose that control at any cost. Astonishing in the sheer detail it amasses, the book is the first comprehensive attempt to catalogue and analyze the crimes of communism. Yes lets do that as ive quite a lot to say about old solzh.
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. 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. After studying at the lenin school in moscow and strongly backed by the third communist international the comintern, he returned to the united states in 1930 to lead the negro work of the communist party of the united states, initiating the fight to save the scottsboro boys and supporting the sharecroppers union, the unemployed councils. Criticism of islam has existed since islams formative stages. I suggest you check out friedrich hayeks books for this topic. Incredibly, the crimes of communism have yet to receive a fair and just assessment from both historical and moral viewpoints. Jan 01, 2001 black book puts to rest the odious fiction that has softened communisms image for so long. This book is one of the first attempts to study communism with a focus on its criminal dimensions, in both the central regions of communist rule and the farthest reaches of the globe. Communism dominated the world scene throughout the twentieth century, yet as martin malia in the books foreword the uses of atrocity notes, the research.
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