Books on Bolshevik revolution, Leninism, Stalinism

[Jim heartfield]

In message <199807311636.LAA13475 at homer.dejanews.com>, William S. Lear
<rael at dejanews.com> writes
>I've posted this also to pen-l ... sorry for duplications...
>
>I'm a bit naive on these topics and I'd like to read some critical
>assessments of them.  Chomsky contends (if I remember correctly) that
>the Bolshevik revolution really destroyed the nascent socialism that
>existed in the soviets, and I'm curious to know more about this
>episode.  Any suggestions would be welcome...

Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution is the definitive record
(though its some read). Frank Furedi's Soviet Union Demystified gives
the best analytical account of the rise of Stalinism. Trotsky's Soviet
Union Betrayed the best contemporaneous account rom thepoint of view of
the left opposition. Alexandra Kollontai's pamphlet on the Worker's
Opposition was often re-published in the seventies. A left-critique of
the bolsheviks can be found in Paul Mattick's Anti-Bolshevik Communism.
-- 
Jim heartfield