Why did communism grow so quickly? Why did it spread to turn almost half of the world red by the mid-1970s? What impact did it have upon capitalism and capitalist society? Communism is a concise introduction to one of the most important and influential movements of the 20th century. It shows how the modern communist movement emerged out of radical millenarian movements of the Middle Ages and the English Civil War, becoming a mass movement of industrial society, seeking to overturn capitalism and replace it with a society of equality, justice, harmony and co-operation. It traces the growth of modern communism from its beginnings in the early nineteenth century to its position of global power at the end of the Second World War. Mark Sandle investigates the ultimate failure of communism as a political ideology, and concludes by asking how far the historical record of communism has been used to conceal the historical record of capitalism. Ideal for courses in both History and Politics.

Why did communism grow so quickly? Why did it spread to turn almost half of the world red by the mid-1970s? What impact did it have upon capitalism and capitalist society?

"Communism" is a concise introduction to one of the most important and influential movements of the 20th century. It shows how the modern communist movement emerged out of radical millenarian movements of the Middle Ages and the English Civil War, becoming a mass movement of industrial society, seeking to overturn capitalism and replace it with a society of equality, justice, harmony and co-operation. It traces the growth of modern communism from its beginnings in the early nineteenth century to its position of global power at the end of the Second World War.

Mark Sandle investigates the ultimate failure of communism as a political ideology, and concludes by asking how far the historical record of communism has been used to conceal the historical record of capitalism.

Ideal for courses in both History and Politics.

So you think you know what makes the world go round? Read about the ideas that revolutionized the 20th century. The twentieth century was a period of seismic change on a global scale, witnessing two world wars, the rise and fall of communism, the establishment of a global economy, the beginnings of global warming and a complete reversal in the status of women in large parts of the world. Many of these changes were brought about thanks to powerful ideologies - big ideas that irrevocably altered the way humans viewed their world. Short Histories of Big Ideas are brief, easy to understand introductions to the ideologies that shaped the twentieth century. Each volume explains the key aspects of an idea and provides a concise history of its growth and influence on our world perspective. Has communism shaped the contemporary world? The twentieth century cannot be properly understood unless we understand communism: its origins, growth, demise and legacy.

Mark Sandle is Lecturer in Russian and East European History at De Montfort University.; This book is intended for undergraduate courses on 20th century Soviet history/the Cold War/European history/Soviet studies/History of political thought/Marxism-Leninism. The Left.

Few people have shaped the contemporary world as Mikhail Gorbachev did between 1985 and 1991. Few people could lay claim to being one of the individuals who defined the twentieth century. Few people are so instantly recognizable, and yet remain so unknown. Few people have been subject to such conflicting judgments. How can we make sense of Mikhail Gorbachev? This new study draws upon a wide variety of sources--East and West, textual and visual, newspaper and memoir, academic and popular--to try and understand the reasons why Gorbachev still appears to be such an enigmatic figure. It assesses his long-term historical significance and evaluates the way in which Gorbachev's historical reputation has waxed and waned in the years since 1985. By considering his subject from a variety of angles and in a number of contexts, Mark Sandle highlights the difficulties in appraising Gorbachev, difficulties which not only stem from the complex and ambiguous character of the man himself, but also from the conflicting agendas of those who seek to evaluate him. As well as offering a series of challenging and detailed interpretations of Gorbachev in and out of power, Gorbachev: Man of the Twentieth Century? sheds light on the nature of political leadership, the problems of historical reputation, the reliability of sources and the essence and meaning of the twentieth century itself.