The flow and counter flow of revolution and counterrevolution
have become the norm of the twentieth century. In this fascinating
and well-rounded volume, the author illuminates the revolutionary
process as it has developed from antiquity to the present day, from
the vantage points of political science, history, and
sociology.
Meisel's work is presented in the form of twelve absorbing
episodes in the history of Western civilization. His remarkable for
the detail with which he approaches a subject often difficult to
define and even more difficult to explain. He suggests a new and
highly useful perspective of history by viewing it as a process of
revolution and counterrevolution and their transitional stages. As
it is the nature of revolutions to fall short of their objectives
and to enjoy only a brief heyday that becomes the stereotype
accepted by posterity, the author emphasizes their antithetical
closing phases--whose lessons posterity tends to forget.
Meisel's belief is that second-echelon figures teach us more
about the natural process of revolution than the atypical "men of
destiny," and he illustrates his account with many portrayals of
comparative unknowns who lived through all the stages of revolution
and counterrevolution. But revolutions can also be aborted or be
preceded by counterrevolutions, as Meisel demonstrates by
enlightening analyses of Mussolini's "coup d'tat," the origins of
the Spanish Civil War, and General de Gaulle's defeat of a
potential army insurrection in behalf of French Algeria.
In this profound and wide-ranging work, Meisel achieves an
admirable balance between theory, action, and biography. The result
is a unique survey of revolutionary history, in which a
sophisticated thinker provides on almost every page a deepening
understanding of the problems of revolution for the scholar and
student of political processes, political theory, and comparative
politics. The reader with a lively interest in the "modus operandi"
of history will also find this book compelling reading.
"James H. Meisel" who died in 1991 was professor emeritus of
political science at the University of Michigan. He is the author
of "The Genesis of Georges Sorel, The Myth of the Ruling Class, The
Fall of the Republic: Military Revolt in France," and edited
"Makers of Modern Social Science: Pareto and Mosca."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
