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A World to Win: Life of a Revolutionary
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2001
About the author
Tony Cliff
71 books64 followersBorn in Palestine to Zionist parents in 1917, Ygael Gluckstein became a Trotskyist during the 1930s and played a leading role in the attempt to forge a movement uniting Arab and Jewish workers. At the end of of the Second World war, seeing that the victory of the Zionists was more and more inevitable, he moved to Britain and adopted the pseudonym Tony Cliff.
In the late 1940s he developed the theory that Russia wasn’t a workers’ state but a form of bureaucratic state capitalism, a theory which has characterised the tendency with which he was associated for the remaining five decades of his life. Although he broke from “orthodox Trotskyism” after being bureaucratically excluded from the Fourth International in 1950, he always considered himself to be a Trotskyist although he was also open to other influences within the Marxist tradition.
In the late 1940s he developed the theory that Russia wasn’t a workers’ state but a form of bureaucratic state capitalism, a theory which has characterised the tendency with which he was associated for the remaining five decades of his life. Although he broke from “orthodox Trotskyism” after being bureaucratically excluded from the Fourth International in 1950, he always considered himself to be a Trotskyist although he was also open to other influences within the Marxist tradition.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 16, 2025
Absolutely phenomenal and inspiring account of the life of one of the great revolutionary leaders of our movement. Cliff’s focus on the importance of political toughness, perseverance even when conditions aren’t ideal, and the importance of experimenting with new theories, tactics, and organisational methods grants the book an incredibly inspiring edge. I’d highly recommend every comrade find time to read this book and take its lessons to heart.
April 17, 2026
Super inspiring and a really interesting read, covering Tony Cliffs political life that is so much to learn about Palestine, the British socialist movement, party building and much more. Highly recommended
December 22, 2022
Really an amazing book. It's a special treat to hear the story of a revolutionary who was active for almost 70 years with the highs of theoretical development and building a modest mass party during the British upturn.
July 27, 2025
What a life worth living
May 15, 2026
The late Tony Cliff is best known as the anti-Stalinist Marxist who, after moving to Britain, founded the group which developed into the present-day Socialist Workers’ Party (Britain), and who was the first to fully develop the theory that the bureaucratic tyranny of Stalinist Russia was actually a state capitalist society. He believed that socialism must be based on workers’ democracy. This excellent, inspiring book is his autobiography, which he wrote shortly before he died in 2000.
I have talked about Cliff’s general “socialism from below” politics in a review I’ve already posted on here of a later biography of Cliff by Ian Birchall. Here, I just want to focus on what Cliff says in the first chapter of this autobiography about his youthful move from being a Zionist to being a Trotskyist.
Cliff was born (as Ygael Gluckstein) in Palestine in 1917. His parents and most of his family were Jewish and Zionists.
At the age of 13 or 14 Cliff recalls writing a school essay in which he stated, “It’s so sad there are no Arab kids in the school.” He writes, “The teacher’s comment was short and clear: she wrote, “Communist”. I had never dreamt of calling myself a communist until then.”
Cliff recalls how in 1932 David Ben Gurion, leader of the Zionist social-democratic party, Mapai, and future Prime Minister of Israel, made it clear that he was opposed to the employment of Arab workers by Jews.
And in 1934, at a Mapai meeting, Cliff heckled a speaker and called for unity with Arab workers. As a result, “Three stewards then approached me, two held my arms while the third held fast to my fourth finger and twisted it round and round until he broke it.”
In 1937 Cliff and his brother were arrested for distributing anti-Zionist leaflets.
In 1945 Cliff’s future wife Chanie Rosenberg (also a Jewish socialist and anti-Zionist) arrived in Palestine from South Africa. One day she was shocked to see a young Zionist walking through a Tel Aviv market destroying the eggs and vegetables being sold by Arab women. Cliff writes that Chanie commented, “That’s just like South Africa.”
These early experiences led to Cliff becoming a lifelong socialist and opponent of all types of racism.
I have talked about Cliff’s general “socialism from below” politics in a review I’ve already posted on here of a later biography of Cliff by Ian Birchall. Here, I just want to focus on what Cliff says in the first chapter of this autobiography about his youthful move from being a Zionist to being a Trotskyist.
Cliff was born (as Ygael Gluckstein) in Palestine in 1917. His parents and most of his family were Jewish and Zionists.
At the age of 13 or 14 Cliff recalls writing a school essay in which he stated, “It’s so sad there are no Arab kids in the school.” He writes, “The teacher’s comment was short and clear: she wrote, “Communist”. I had never dreamt of calling myself a communist until then.”
Cliff recalls how in 1932 David Ben Gurion, leader of the Zionist social-democratic party, Mapai, and future Prime Minister of Israel, made it clear that he was opposed to the employment of Arab workers by Jews.
And in 1934, at a Mapai meeting, Cliff heckled a speaker and called for unity with Arab workers. As a result, “Three stewards then approached me, two held my arms while the third held fast to my fourth finger and twisted it round and round until he broke it.”
In 1937 Cliff and his brother were arrested for distributing anti-Zionist leaflets.
In 1945 Cliff’s future wife Chanie Rosenberg (also a Jewish socialist and anti-Zionist) arrived in Palestine from South Africa. One day she was shocked to see a young Zionist walking through a Tel Aviv market destroying the eggs and vegetables being sold by Arab women. Cliff writes that Chanie commented, “That’s just like South Africa.”
These early experiences led to Cliff becoming a lifelong socialist and opponent of all types of racism.
September 11, 2026
An incredibly inspiring read chronicling not only the life of one of the most influential Trotskyists since Trotsky, but also the process of building a revolutionary party in the latter half of the 20th century in Britain.
While this period isn’t analogous to today, there are many lessons for socialists today, especially in how to grapple with the waves of social struggle and downturn.
While this period isn’t analogous to today, there are many lessons for socialists today, especially in how to grapple with the waves of social struggle and downturn.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews