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The Lenin Anthology
Lenin must rank as one of the three or four most influential figures of the twentieth century. he played a central role in bringing about Russia's revolution and was supreme leader of the new Soviet state until his death in 1924. In addition, his writings have been gospel for many world leaders and modern revolutionaries. And yet Lenin's written legacy (over fifty volumes) is not easily read or understood. This book is addressed to that problem.
Here, in a compact yet comprehensive volume, are the essentials of Lenin's writings, each of them introduced with a brief interpretive commentary. Patterned after Professor Tucker's highly successful anthology The Marx-Engels Reader, this book includes those words necessary for an introduction to Lenin's revolutionary thought. Selections, where possible, are presented in their fullest form, and 'The State and Revolution' and 'Left-Wing Communism' in their entirety.
A general introduction to the volume traces Lenin's career as a revolutionary, both in writings and in actions. Also included is a chronology, a bibliographic note, and an index.
Here, in a compact yet comprehensive volume, are the essentials of Lenin's writings, each of them introduced with a brief interpretive commentary. Patterned after Professor Tucker's highly successful anthology The Marx-Engels Reader, this book includes those words necessary for an introduction to Lenin's revolutionary thought. Selections, where possible, are presented in their fullest form, and 'The State and Revolution' and 'Left-Wing Communism' in their entirety.
A general introduction to the volume traces Lenin's career as a revolutionary, both in writings and in actions. Also included is a chronology, a bibliographic note, and an index.
764 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Vladimir Lenin
2,696 books1,980 followersVladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, leader of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks), statesman and political theorist. After the October Revolution he served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until his death in 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1924.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 20, 2009
Tucker's edited volume, "The Lenin Anthology," is a good compilation of Lenin's body of work. If one wishes a quick introduction to Lenin in one volume, this is a good work to look at.
First, Lenin's real name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. The death of his older brother at the hands of the government was a key point in his life (note the brief chronology on pages xv-xxiii, from his birth in 1870 to his death in 1924). Tucker's introductory essay is useful for placing Lenin's work in context. He observes that (page xxvi): "Lenin must be understood both as a creator of a distinctive version of Marxism as a revolutionary theory and also as a person steeped in the native Russian, non-Marxist revolutionary tradition."
The volume's Part I focuses on "The Revolutionary Party and Its Tactics." The single most important contribution is probably "What Is to Be Done? Burning Questions of Our Movement." This work outlines his view of the tactics of revolution under the banner of the party. Other selections are also useful to understand his tactical perspective (e.g., "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back").
Part II examines "Revolutionary Politics in a World at War." One of the best known of his works in this section is "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism," in which work he equated capitalist countries with carrying out imperialist policies. Part II considers "The Revolutionary Taking of Power." In my view, doubtless the single most important work appearing in this section is Lenin's "The State and Revolution." This work focuses more on revolution, how to achieve it, what it means, and what of the aftermath than almost any substantial work that he wrote. This is far more a kind of philosophical work than his more tactical pieces from Part I. And so on.
Other key works appearing in whole or in part: "The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky," "'Left-Wing' Communism--An Infantile Disorder," etc. At the end, there are some poignant letters and brief essays. Poignant among some of these: His frustration with bureaucracy holding back what he saw as the goals of revolution after the Bolsheviks had seized power; his fears regarding succession, as he lugubriously diagnosed that Stalin was not the person to succeed him (e.g., see page 728)--and his powerlessness to prevent what he feared; his essay "Better Fewer, But Better," in which he excoriated Stalin indirectly and argued for less obtrusive government and moving ahead more slowly and carefully. In the last named essay, he defined the title as (page 736): "We must follow the rule: Better fewer, but better. We must follow the rule: Better get good human material in two or even three years rather than work in haste without hope of getting any at all."
Lenin was a master of political invective, attacked his enemies mercilessly (even if just in his writing). He was a professional revolutionary who also was, on occasion, capable of interesting political reflections. If one wishes to know more about the works of and ideas of V. I. Lenin, this is one of the very best starting points.
First, Lenin's real name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. The death of his older brother at the hands of the government was a key point in his life (note the brief chronology on pages xv-xxiii, from his birth in 1870 to his death in 1924). Tucker's introductory essay is useful for placing Lenin's work in context. He observes that (page xxvi): "Lenin must be understood both as a creator of a distinctive version of Marxism as a revolutionary theory and also as a person steeped in the native Russian, non-Marxist revolutionary tradition."
The volume's Part I focuses on "The Revolutionary Party and Its Tactics." The single most important contribution is probably "What Is to Be Done? Burning Questions of Our Movement." This work outlines his view of the tactics of revolution under the banner of the party. Other selections are also useful to understand his tactical perspective (e.g., "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back").
Part II examines "Revolutionary Politics in a World at War." One of the best known of his works in this section is "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism," in which work he equated capitalist countries with carrying out imperialist policies. Part II considers "The Revolutionary Taking of Power." In my view, doubtless the single most important work appearing in this section is Lenin's "The State and Revolution." This work focuses more on revolution, how to achieve it, what it means, and what of the aftermath than almost any substantial work that he wrote. This is far more a kind of philosophical work than his more tactical pieces from Part I. And so on.
Other key works appearing in whole or in part: "The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky," "'Left-Wing' Communism--An Infantile Disorder," etc. At the end, there are some poignant letters and brief essays. Poignant among some of these: His frustration with bureaucracy holding back what he saw as the goals of revolution after the Bolsheviks had seized power; his fears regarding succession, as he lugubriously diagnosed that Stalin was not the person to succeed him (e.g., see page 728)--and his powerlessness to prevent what he feared; his essay "Better Fewer, But Better," in which he excoriated Stalin indirectly and argued for less obtrusive government and moving ahead more slowly and carefully. In the last named essay, he defined the title as (page 736): "We must follow the rule: Better fewer, but better. We must follow the rule: Better get good human material in two or even three years rather than work in haste without hope of getting any at all."
Lenin was a master of political invective, attacked his enemies mercilessly (even if just in his writing). He was a professional revolutionary who also was, on occasion, capable of interesting political reflections. If one wishes to know more about the works of and ideas of V. I. Lenin, this is one of the very best starting points.
May 10, 2017
An excellent survey of the essentials of Lenin's thought. For me, the highlights were 'Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism', and 'The State and Revolution'. I also appreciated his criticism of bureaucracy in the writings towards the end of the anthology.
April 17, 2021
Obviously, as an anthology, a good bit of this volume is non-essential. During later readings I will have to mark out which bits are worth reading. But Lenin was a visionary, single-mindedness devoted to a righteous cause. He certainly got a lot of things wrong, but nonetheless we can stand to learn a lot from him. Incredibly inspiring to an exhausted socialist.
June 8, 2009
Learning about Lenin from this book would be like learning about Catholicism from Dan Brown. Tucker abridges so much from Lenin's writings, at such important moments, that its hard to tell why he set about this anthology in the first place. Tucker leaves out Lenin's writings on cultural autonomy (or the lack there of) and comments on Lenin in the most banal of manners. In his introduction to Lenin's "Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism," Tucker's most profound observation was that "Lenin's Marxism was to a great extent a Marxism of practice;"...So Marx's Marxism was????
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June 6, 2007A method of political analysis. How to bridge theory and reality.
March 16, 2025
i dont rly see the point of this anthology for the reader who's willing to put in more effort. the professor's commentary is annoying and lenin's essential reads arent even that long so id just read the primary texts in full instead. credits where it's due tho: this text can serve as unintimidating compilation for those who want at least an overview taking from the source himself/much better understanding than even many internet "leninists", and the more serious reader can take cue from its selection of texts if they cant get involved w actual leninists to tease out the real ongoing debate
December 26, 2010
It can get to be a bit repetative at times, overall a great collection of letters and speeches by a true socialist. If only conservatives can be forged with such mettle.
March 28, 2013
Changed my life. I am not a Marxist-Leninist now, but this book changed how I looked at the world, opened my eyes, and helped me become, as much as I can be, a thinking man.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews