Marx's Political Writings: Political Writings Set [Paperback]

Well, I just received the three shrink-wrapped volumes and was getting ready to read Rowbotham, Ali and Harvey's introductions. Guess what? They're not in the books! All three volumes have the IDENTICAL *forward* by Tariq Ali, followed by an introduction by David Fernbach (different one for each volume). I ordered this set partly BECAUSE of the introductions by the abovementioned three writers. Why have I been tricked by the product description above? Just in case said description suddenly disappears, here are the relevant sections, quoted at length:

"Volume 1: The Revolutions of 1848: Marx and Engels had sketched out the principles of scientific communism by 1846. Yet it was from his intense involvement in the abortive German Revolution of 1848 that Marx developed a depth of practical understanding he would draw on in Capital and throughout his later career. This volume includes his great call to arms--The Communist Manifesto--but also shows how tactical alliances with the bourgeoisie failed, after which Marx became firmly committed to independent workers' organizations and the ideal of "permanent revolution." The articles offer trenchant analyses of events in France, Poland, Prague, Berlin and Vienna, while speeches set out changing communist tactics. In a new introduction the major socialist feminist writer Sheila Rowbotham examines this period of Marx's life and how it shaped his political perspective.

Volume 2: Surveys from Exile: In the 1850s and early 1860s Marx played an active part in politics, and his prolific journalism from London offered a constant commentary on all the main developments of the day. During this time Marx began to interpret the British political scene and express his considered views on Germany, Poland and Russia, the Crimean War and American Civil War, imperialism in India and China, and a host of other key issues. The Class Struggles in France develops the theories outlined in The Communist Manifesto into a rich and revealing analysis of contemporary events, while The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte contains equally stimulating reflections on Napoleon III's coup d'etat of 1851. In a new introduction activist and writer Tariq Ali examines the texts that have become essential works in Marx's canon.

Volume 3: The First International and After: The crucial texts of Marx's later years--notably The Civil War in France and Critique of the Gotha Programme--count among his most important work. These articles include a searching analysis of the tragic but inspiring failure of the Paris Commune, as well as essays on German unification, the Irish question, the Polish national movement and the possibility of revolution in Russia. The founding documents of the First international and polemical pieces attacking the disciples of Proudhon and Bakunin and the advocates of reformism, by contrast, reveal a tactical mastery that has influenced revolutionary movements ever since. In a new introduction the renowned Marxist David Harvey sheds light on the evolution of Marx's notions of democracy and politics. "

I demand that Verso sends me the product described ABOVE! (I rate this 5 for Marx, 0 for Verso; we'll settle for 3 stars.)