Alan Woods

In the first complete Marxist history of the Roman Republic, Alan Woods provides a gripping and accessible analysis of the titanic struggles that shaped the Roman world, and continue to resonate today.
Spanning more than a thousand years of development, the book delves into the fundamental processes which gave rise to the emergence of Rome as an imperial power, the crisis of the Late Republic and the rise of the Caesars. It also features additional material by the author on the eventual decline of the Roman Empire and the Marxist theory of the state.
This book offers a treasure trove of history and theory for any reader.

Class Struggle in the Roman Republic

Ted Grant

The ideas of Lenin and Trotsky are without doubt the most distorted and slandered ideas in history. For more than 100 years, they have been subjected to an onslaught from the apologists of capitalism, who have attempted to present their ideas – Bolshevism – as both totalitarian and utopian. An entire industry was developed in an attempt to equate the crimes of Stalinism with the regime of workers' democracy that existed under Lenin and Trotsky. It is now more than fifty years since the publication of the first edition of this work. It was written as a reply to Monty Johnstone, who was a leading theoretician of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Johnstone had published a reappraisal of Leon Trotsky in the Young Communist League's journal Cogito at the end of 1968. Alan Woods and Ted Grant used the opportunity to write a detailed reply explaining the real relationship between the ideas of Lenin and Trotsky. This was no academic exercise. It was written as an appeal to the ranks of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League to rediscover the truth about Trotsky and return to the original revolutionary programme of Lenin. Also included in this new edition is Monty Johnstone's original Cogito article, as well as further material on Lenin's struggle with Stalin in the last month of his political life. The foreword is written by Trotsky's grandson, Vsievolod Volkov.

Lenin and Trotsky – What they really stood for

Marx was the best hated and most calumniated man of his time. Governments, both absolutist and republican, deported him from their territories. Bourgeois, whether conservative or ultra-democratic, vied with one another in heaping slanders upon him. All this he brushed aside as though it were a cobweb, ignoring it, answering only when extreme necessity compelled him. And he died beloved, revered and mourned by millions of revolutionary fellow workers – from the mines of Siberia to California, in all parts of Europe and America… His name will endure through the ages, and so also will his work. Two hundred years after the birth of the great revolutionary Karl Marx, across the world, the capitalist system is in crisis and the working class are moving into action to change their lives. In ruling class circles, no longer do they snidely declare the death of Marx. On the contrary, there is fear and consternation in their ranks. There has, therefore, never been a more urgent time to study his ideas. This short book, released for the two hundredth birthday of Marx, contains a series of articles on the man, his life, and his ideas: from an explanation of the philosophy of Marxism; to Marx’s battles against petty-bourgeois anarchist ideas; to Trotsky’s assessment of the Communist Manifesto. And much more! This book should be read by all class-conscious workers as the beginning of the study of the ideas of Marxism. As Lenin said, “without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement."

Marx at 200

The Ideas of Karl Marx

The Road to Revolution : a History of the Bolshevik Party from the Early Beginnings to the October Revolution

Bolshevism

Peter Greenaway has an international reputation as one of the most innovative, stylish and intelligent of contemporary film-makers. His eight feature films, from The Draughtsman's Contract to The Pillow Book, have variously, and sometimes simultaneously, prompted controversy, infamy, acclaim and delight. However, Greenaway is an artist whose work also includes painting; collage; experimental TV; the novel/opera Rosa; and numerous exhibitions/installations, including The Stairs, a continuing series of ten projects in ten cities exploring the basic components of cinema. Being Naked Playing Dead explores the complete oeuvre, but centres firmly on Greenaway's insistence that his is 'a cinema of ideas not plots'. Each film is discussed within a thematic analysis of the full range of Greenaway's output and the wider contexts within which it is conceived. In conclusion there are two extended interviews, making this book essential reading for all Greenaway enthusiasts.

The Art of Peter Greenaway

Being Naked--Playing Dead

There have been many books and potted histories of the Russian Revolution, either written from an anti-Bolshevik perspective, or its Stalinist mirror image, which paint a false account of the rise of Bolshevism. For them, Bolshevism is either a historical "accident" or "tragedy." Or it is portrayed erroneously as the work of one great man (Lenin) who marched single-minded toward the October Revolution. Author Alan Woods* reveals the real evolution of Bolshevism as a living struggle of various class forces, tendencies and individuals. Using a wealth of primary sources, Woods uncovers the fascinating growth and development of Bolshevism in pre-revolutionary Russia up to the seizure of power in October 1917. This is the second, expanded US edition of this monumental work. It comes at an important time, as the world economic crisis calls for a thorough study of working class history in order to educate a new generation of revolutionaries.

Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution

The dialectical materialism of Marx is not only a useful philosophical method for understanding the processes of society, but is also a powerful tool for the assessment of the scientific method, according to Marxists Grant and Woods. In "Reason in Revolt," they explain the philosophical basis of dialectical materialism and defend its practice using examples from current work in formal logic and physics. They suggest that just as science provides confirmation of dialectical materialism, so dialectical materialism helps demonstrate where science has lost its way. They are especially critical of the injection of mysticism into current works of theoretical physics. (Book News) The present world situation suggests that the capitalist system is now reaching a similar impasse to the one reached earlier by Stalinism. The crisis can be explained in quite scientific terms. To do so, however, a knowledge of the Marxist method - of dialectical and historical materialism - is necessary. Many blame the activities of the US President, George W. Bush. But Mr. Bush is only the unconscious agent of historical processes that he has inherited and the existence of which he does not suspect. Paradoxically, by acting in the way he has, he is hastening the demise of the socio-economic system he hopes to preserve. Now, America has the reputation of the most counter-revolutionary force on earth; but we may come to witness a very graphic example of the dialectic of history! Ted Grant joined Britain's Independent Labour Party in 1934. His published writings include The Unbroken Thread (1989), Scotland: Socialism or Nationalism (1992), Where is Britain Going? (1995), and Russia from Revolution to Counter-Revolution(1997). Woods is the author of: Marxism in Our Time (1992), China in Crisis (1994), The Socialist Alternative to the European Union (1997), A New Stage in the Capitalist Crisis (1998), Indonesia: the Asian Revolution Has Begun (1998), and Crisis in Russia, the Free Market Failure.

Dialectical Philosophy and Modern Science

Reason in Revolt, Vol. II

Reason in Revolt further develops the theory of Dialectical Materialism, using the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century as a tool. First exposed by Marx and Engels, Dialectical Materialism is a comprehensive methodology explaining the unity of the laws that govern nature, science and society, from evolution to chaos theory, nuclear physics to childhood development. First published in 1995 to coincide with Engel's centenary, Reason in Revolt has had a great success around the world. It has been published in Spanish, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Urdu, and is now being translated into German and Flemish. The Spanish edition recently went into its second edition. To date, no one has found serious fault with the science of the book. And every new discovery of science serves to confirm the statement of Engels, that "in the last analysis, Nature works dialectically."

Reason in Revolt, Vol. I

On 28 June 1914, two pistol shots shattered the peace of a sunny afternoon in Sarajevo. Those shots reverberated around Europe and shattered the peace of the whole world. This was the beginning of the Great Slaughter. Could it have been avoided? Alan Woods uses the method of Marxism to answer this question. He explains that, actually, whilst individuals play an important role in history, to explain events such as wars, one must look at deeper causes. As well as dealing with the origin of the war, Woods traces the conflict through its development, looking at the role of all the major actors, and their aims. He shows how in the midst of the despair of the trenches and the home front, a new consciousness was formed. He also makes the case that it was the German Revolution that brought the war to an end, and how a revolutionary wave swept across Europe. The book also looks at the Treaty of Versailles and how the victorious powers imposed the deal, not just on Germany, but the rest of Europe and the Middle East. Given the amount of nationalistic mystification from all sides about the First World War, a history of the subject from the standpoint of the world working class is essential and it is provided by this book.

The First World War – A Marxist Analysis of the Great Slaughter

Alan Woods outlines the development of philosophy from the ancient Greeks, all the way through to Marx and Engels who brought together the best of previous thinking to produce the Marxist philosophical outlook, which looks at the real material world, not as a static immovable reality, but one that is constantly changing and moving according to laws that can be discovered. It is this method which allows Marxists to look at how things were, how they have become and how they are most likely going to be in the future, in a long process which started with the early primitive humans in their struggles for survival, through to the emergence of class societies, all as part of a process towards greater and greater knowledge of the world we live in. This long historical process eventually created the material conditions which allow for an end to class divisions and the flowering of a new society where humans will achieve true freedom, where no human will exploit another, no human will oppress another. Here we see how philosophy becomes an indispensable tool in the struggle for the revolutionary transformation of society.

A Marxist Perspective

The History of Philosophy

Alan Woods outlines the development of philosophy from the ancient Greeks, all the way through to Marx and Engels who brought together the best of previous thinking to produce the Marxist philosophical outlook. Marxism looks at the real material world, not as a static immovable reality, but one that is constantly changing and moving, according to laws that can be discovered. This allows Marxists to look at how things were, how they have become and how they are most likely going to be in the future. The book deals with the history of human thought as a long process which started with the early primitive humans in their struggles for survival, through to the emergence of class societies, all as part of a process towards greater and greater knowledge of the world we live in. This long historical process eventually created the material conditions which allow for an end to class divisions and the flowering of a new society where humans will achieve true freedom, where no human will exploit another and no human will oppress another. Here we see how philosophy becomes an indispensable tool in the struggle for the revolutionary transformation of society.

This Book By Alan Woods Is Essential Reading For All Those Who Want To Understand What Is Happening In Venezuela Today. But This Is No Mere Description Of Events. It Is A Powerful Marxist Analysis Of The Venezuelan Revolution, Its Weaknesses And Strengths, Its Contradictions And Unique Characteristics. The Book Was Not Written With Hindsight. Every Chapter, Beginning With The Coup Of April 2002, Was Written As The Events Themselves Were Unfolding, And Traces The Winding Course Of The Revolution. They Reflect The Immediacy And Lightening Speed Of Events Happening Before Our Very Eyes.Today Latin America Is In The Vanguard Of World Revolutionary Developments, And Within The Latin American Continent, Venezuela Stands Out Sharply As The Country Most Affected By This Process. It Would Be No Exaggeration To Say That Venezuela Is Now The Key To The International Situation. It Therefore Follows That The Class-Conscious Workers And Youth In Britain And Elsewhere Must Closely Follow The Events In Venezuela And Assist The Revolution With Every Means Possible.Alan Woods Has Been A Consistent Champion Of The Venezuelan Revolution Since Its Inception. He Helped Initiate The Hands Off Venezuela Campaign. He Has Held Personal Discussions With President Hugo Chávez, Which Are Recounted In This Book. The Author Concludes That The Venezuelan Revolution Cannot Stop Half-Way And Holds Up The Perspective Of A Victorious Socialist Trans-Formation. Only By Expropriating The Power Of The Oligarchy Can It Succeed And Spread To The Rest Of The Continent. This Is No Foreign Idea, But In Essence Is The Vision Of Simon Bolivar In The Context Of The 21St Century, Of The Creation Of A Democratic Socialist Federation Of Latin America.

The Venezuelan Revolution; A Marxist Perspective

Jorge Martín

'Revolution Until Victory ' provides a selection of articles on events in Tunisia and Egypt at the start of 2011.

A Marxist Analysis of the Arab Revolution

Revolution Until Victory!

This book, originally published in May 2005, is a collection of articles written by Alan Woods and covers the momentous events of the Bolivarian revolution from the April 2002 coup which was defeated by the masses, up until 2005 when president Chavez declared that the aims of the Venezuelan revolution could only be achieved by abolishing capitalism. Alan Woods writes not from the point of view of an outside observer, but also from the point of view of someone who has energetically engaged in the defence of the Bolivarian revolution, visited the country often where he has spoken at large meetings of workers and peasants and held meetings and discussions with president Chávez. More than a decade has passed since the publication of the book and the warnings contained within it have come true: the failure to move towards socialism is at the bottom of the crisis facing the Bolivarian revolution today. The analysis put forward in this collection of articles therefore remains relevant and contain many lessons for revolutionary activists, in Venezuela and beyond.

The Venezuelan Revolution - a Marxist perspective

The story of the Spanish revolution of the 1930s is quite well known to most people on the left, but there is a surprising level of ignorance concerning the events that occurred subsequently. History did not cease with the victory of Franco in 1939. And the story of how the Franco dictatorship was eventually brought down by the revolutionary movement of the Spanish workers is an inspiring one. Under the most difficult and dangerous conditions, Spanish workers launched a strike wave, which, in its intensity and duration, has no parallel anywhere. There was nothing remotely like this in Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy or Salazar’s Portugal. This was a genuine revolution, which could and should have gone far further than it did. If it did not finally succeed, that was no fault of the working class. The Spanish revolution of the 1970s was shamefully betrayed by the leaders of the communist and socialist parties, who entered into an agreement with former fascists in order halt the movement in its tracks. Alan Woods participated personally in the last phase of this struggle and was a witness to some of its most decisive moments. Using a wealth of documentary material from the time and also new interviews with key participants in the events, he tears away the thick veil of lies, myths and half-truths to reveal what actually occurred. With new struggles and challenges on the order of the day in Spain and the rest of the world, it is the duty of all conscious workers and revolutionary youth to study the lessons of the past as a necessary precondition for victory in the future. This book is an important contribution to a necessary learning process and is obligatory reading for anyone who is interested in the struggle for socialism today.

Spain’s revolution against Franco: The great betrayal

Aklın İsyanı, 20. yüzyılda bilim alanında yaşanan önemli gelişmeleri ve bilimsel keşifleri ele alarak diyalektik materyalizm teorisini bir ileri aşamaya taşıyan önemli bir yapıt olarak kabul edilir. Yaşam nasıl ortaya çıktı, matematik gerçeği yansıtır mı, akıl bir makine mi, dinozorlar neden yok oldu?.. Bunlar geçtiğimiz yüzyılın olduğu kadar şimdinin de/bu yüzyılın da “büyük” soruları… Yazarlar, Marx ve Engels’in doğaya, topluma ve bilime hükmeden kanunların birliğini savunan diyalektik materyalizmini modern bilimin ışığında ele alıyor. Kitabın tek teorik katkısı bu değil. Woods ve Grant, bir taraftan Marksist felsefe ile bilimin yeni teorileri arasındaki ilişkiyi ortaya koyup diyalektik materyalizmi doğa bilimleri üzerinden anlatırken, diğer taraftan modern bilimin nerelerde “raydan çıktığını” gösteren bir çerçeve de sunuyor okura. “Kesinsizlik ve İdealizm” tartışmalarından “Bencil Gen”e, “Büyük Patlama”dan “Marksizm ve Darvincilik” ilişkisine, “Kuantum mekaniği”nden “Jeolojinin diyalektiği”ne kadar birçok konuyu, bilim dünyasındaki güncel gelişmeler ve Marksist yöntem bağlamında yeniden değerlendiriyorlar. Aklın İsyanı, sadece, kapitalizmin krizini bilim üzerinden okuyan bir kitap değil; aynı zamanda bilimin krizine de ışık tutan ve bilim tarihi yazınında önemli yeri olan bir kitap. “Doğada, son tahlilde, diyalektik hüküm sürer.” Engels

Marksist Felsefe ve Modern Bilim

Aklın İsyanı

Leon Trotsky

Professor Others

The debate between Marxism and Anarchism is decades old. It is no accident that when the class struggle again boils to the surface this debate is revived. This collection of classic and contemporary writings will go a long way toward clarifying the Marxist perspective on Anarchist theory and practice, and the need for a revolutionary party. Its publication marks an important step forward in the theoretical arming of a new generation of class fighters in the US - in preparation for the momentous struggles ahead. This volume includes essays by Engels, Lenin, Trotsky and others on various topics related to anarchism, among them: - Marx vs Bakunin - Engels on Authority - Why Marxists Oppose Individual Terrorism - Direct Action - Anarcho-Syndicalism - Kronstadt - The Spanish Revolution

Marxism and Anarchism

Rob Sewell

In this epoch of instability, crisis, war and ever-growing inequality, Marxism is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition to millions of workers and young people around the world. The old mole of revolution, to use Karl Marx’s own phrase, is burrowing deep into the foundations of society. And yet we are repeatedly told that Marxism is either irrelevant, or out-dated, or even dead. Yet, if that were true, why are so many books and articles churned out year-on-year attacking Marxism? Clearly the powers that be are rattled or indeed frightened by these “dead” ideas. So what is this set of ideas that frightens them so much? Marxism – or scientific socialism – is the name given to the body of ideas first worked out by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels more than 150 years ago. In their totality, these ideas provide a fully worked-out theoretical basis for the struggle of the working class to attain a higher form of human society – socialism. This book is aimed specifically at newcomers to Marxism. A bestseller now in its second edition, it comprises introductory pieces on the three component parts of Marxist theory, corresponding broadly to philosophy, social history and economics: dialectical materialism, historical materialism and Marxist economics. Complementing these introductions are key extracts from some of the great works of Marxism written by its most outstanding figures – Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky.

An Introduction to Marxist Theory

What is Marxism?

Ralph Rumney

This innovative book is an interaction based on a series of interviews between the artist Ralph Rumney and the writer Alan Woods. Rumney's extraordinary life is chronicled here, as well as his works over the last 45 years. He is the only British founder-member of Situationist International, and the lone founder of the London Psychogeographical Society. Complementing the open elements of play and discovery inherent in Rumney's psychogeography is an almost Duchamp-esque interest in the applicability of games. This volume contains over 100 illustrations, many of which have not been previously reproduced.

Alan Woods

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