- Mass Market Paperback: 128 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New impression edition (Jun 1969)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140209158
- ISBN-13: 978-0140209150
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.9 x 1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 986,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Communist Manifesto
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Product Description
Review
The greatest charter of our movement. (Rosa Luxemburg )
An integral and systematic exposition of [Marx's] doctrine ... the best to this day. (Lenin )
Laid the foundation for modern socialism. (Karl Kautsky ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
An integral and systematic exposition of [Marx's] doctrine ... the best to this day. (Lenin )
Laid the foundation for modern socialism. (Karl Kautsky ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Description
The second best-selling book ever published which heralded a seismic change in the world's political and social landscapes
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Whilst the book is not written for the enjoyment of the reader it is written with purpose. This purpose was to formulate and summarise the ideas and ideals of the so called communist movement at the time. However, I believe if one reads the book they will have to concede that Marxs ideas of communism do not mirror those which were brought about by the revolutions of the Twentieth century. To blame Marx for these failed implications of an idealsitic system is to blame Nietzche for the attrocities of the Nazis. Both write with a positive intent and a posiitve message for mankind and neither deserve criticism for this. However, due to their unswerving belief in themselves and their often harsh / revolutionary ideas they were bound to attract it.
This book is as pertinent today as it was when it was written. The huge changes in the political scene, the growth of capitalistic society, the failed attempts at the implication of so called communism and the oversights the authors freely admitted do not retract from the message running through the text.
51 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Very smart of Bookmarks Publications to print a compact pamphlet-edition of the Communist Manifesto, allowing everyone to get hold of a handy copy for a very small fee. While the foreword is written by one of the Socialist Worker staff, hence it's somewhat (ok that's an understatement) biased, at least it dispenses with the usual hundereds of pages of commentary that frequently occupy publications of this 30-page document. Previously myself and others felt it was necessary to plough through these lengthy (and often misleading) introductions before reading the thing itself, and as a result people often give up before making it that far. It turns out you don't really need to do that as the thing largely speaks for itself; the style is usually quite clear and accessible and the parts that don't seem to make sense are usually the parts that refer to persons or parties of the time (i.e that are out of date).
As for the thing itself, I think I'll avoid saying anything too inflammatory in this review. I think that whether you agree with Marx or not, everyone should read this document (no excuse now it only costs a quid). A lot of people make vast sweeping statements about how Marx was completely wrong when they (and I don't mean everyone) in fact haven't even read the Communist Manifesto. If you can't even be bothered to read 30 pages of relatively easy reading then how can you talk about such things? In any case, Marx is in fact very misunderstood, which is only inevitable given how disagreeable his ideas (the ones he *did* have not the ones people wrongly associate with him) are to some people. You need to read this to understand what Marx was actually for, and what he in fact wasn't. To put it more blunty: no system that has in history been labelled 'Communist' can actually be said to have any real relation to what Marx proposed, but rather were hiding behind the label to cover up their wrongdoings.
That said, you don't get a very in-depth idea of what Marx stood for, it's more of an introduction to Marxism. A Socialist friend of mine has recommended going on to read The German Ideology then Capital, also by Marx, in order to find out more.
38 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This review relates to the Penguin Classics version which comes with an "Introduction" by Gareth Stedman Jones. I put "Introduction" in quotes because it is about 180 pages long, whereas the pamphlet it is introducing is about 30 pages.
If you are interested in reading the Communist Manifesto, it's well worth getting this one, rather than saving yourself a few quid on an edition which just contains the Manifesto itself. Without putting this book in its historical context, you're likely to find yourself thinking "so what?!". The intro is academic and dense at times, but well worth the effort.
The most enlightening aspect of the manifesto itself, for me, is what is NOT in it, rather than what is. There isn't a description of how a communist society should look, for starters. The story of this book is the story of a pamphlet written for a specific time and place, which became an iconic work when it was seized on by the Soviets for reasons of political expediency. I'm sure if Marx and Engels knew what they would turn this book into, they would have written it very differently. No wonder Marx is quoted as saying "I am not a Marxist".
If you are interested in reading the Communist Manifesto, it's well worth getting this one, rather than saving yourself a few quid on an edition which just contains the Manifesto itself. Without putting this book in its historical context, you're likely to find yourself thinking "so what?!". The intro is academic and dense at times, but well worth the effort.
The most enlightening aspect of the manifesto itself, for me, is what is NOT in it, rather than what is. There isn't a description of how a communist society should look, for starters. The story of this book is the story of a pamphlet written for a specific time and place, which became an iconic work when it was seized on by the Soviets for reasons of political expediency. I'm sure if Marx and Engels knew what they would turn this book into, they would have written it very differently. No wonder Marx is quoted as saying "I am not a Marxist".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very Interesting
Very nicely illustrated book and very good quality. It does need some brainpower to understand it though. Theory was good but in practice, how could it work? Read more
Published 2 months ago by KasiaSteve
good buy
Bought this for my philosophy module and it was fantastic! Had a very informative introduction. A very easy read on the whole
Published 2 months ago by dk
The Communist Manifesto
This book is a good introduction to Marx's work and to Communist theory as a whole.
Much shorter (and cheaper) than Capital: Critique of Political Economy v. 1 (Classics S. Read more
Much shorter (and cheaper) than Capital: Critique of Political Economy v. 1 (Classics S. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lenin
Very informative, very interesting introduction
I bought this because of one of my modules at University. My lecturer told us that this was the best version and I would have to agree. Read more
Published 7 months ago by N. Yeasmin
You can't say that this isn't useful?
Interesting to say the least, it really does give a different interpretation of today's society. If you are a balanced person, you can't discredit it, because it's just another... Read more
Published 7 months ago by General_Dan
Misery
Gets one because amazon won't let me give zero. Nice to see the works of this clown being peddled at their true worth - nothing. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Angus Day
hi
a really good book which i hope to get many years of use from
sent very quickly
i am impressed
thank-you
sent very quickly
i am impressed
thank-you
Published 8 months ago by peter liddell
Crude militancy.
Very militant, full of anger and an obvious lack of objectivity!
Excellent if you agree with him and are a communist or socialist. Utterly vile otherwise.
Excellent if you agree with him and are a communist or socialist. Utterly vile otherwise.
Published 9 months ago by @garethalteran
To much blurb
I wish I had bought the manifesto on its own rather than this copy. The huge opinion given by another author annoyed me. I like to make up my own mind.
Published 10 months ago by Mrs. Elaine L. Miller
Revolutionary and a must read ...
I will not go into the massive political, social and economic impact that this book has had. Or should I say pamphlet? That is what makes this such a quick, easy read. Read more
Published 13 months ago by BG
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