A World to Win: Life of a Revolutionary

by Tony Cliff

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Politics

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2001

About the author

Born 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.

Reviews

[Kaine Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Brenmlaws · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Amiriya · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a life worth living