The Fate of Marxism in Russia [Paperback]

Mr. Alexander N. Yakovlev (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1993

In this powerful book, a major architect of perestroika, leading sponsor of glasnost, and close associate of Mikhail Gorbachev acknowledges the decay of his country, reveals his own progression from Party ideologist to critic of Marxism and Communism, and urges the restructuring of Soviet society on a new basis of democracy, morality, and economic efficiency. "In The Fate of Marxism in Russia, Alexander Yakovlev, one of the architects of perestroika, meets Marxism on its own intellectual turf and beats it, repudiating Marx, Lenin, and Stalin and embracing freedom and democracy. We can all benefit from his reasoned insights."-James A. Baker, III, 61st Secretary of State "Alexander Yakovlev belongs to the high priesthood of Marxism: as such, he is probably the most highly placed among the intellectuals who have assaulted Marxism from within....[He] offers fascinating insights into the thinking of the enlightened wing of the Party leadership during the perestroika era."-Thomas F. Remington, from the introduction "Here, for the first time in Russia, a Soviet scholar tells the truth about Marxism and the disastrous effects of its application. No other book either in Eastern Europe or the Soviet Union has shown what Marxism proved to be in real life and how dearly our peoples had to pay for Marx's prejudices and illusions."-Alexander Tsipko, from the foreword

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A former Communist Party senior official turned heretic offers an impassioned and devastating indictment of Soviet communism. Yakovlev, at one time a chief hard-line propagandist, became an architect of perestroika 's liberal reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev. Expelled from the Party in 1991, he is currently vice-president of the Gorbachev Foundation in Moscow and continues to oppose efforts to restore the old order. Viewing Bolshevism as a natural outgrowth of Marxist theory instead of an aberration, he graphically demonstrates its disastrous economic, spiritual, moral and political effects. He also assesses the incomplete gains of perestroika , calling for a gradual political and economic renewal requiring competence, openness and hard work at all levels. On a more specific level, Yakovlev also advocates the prohibition of monopolies, a substantial reduction in military spending and "eco-development" attuned to environmental impact. An appendix includes five speeches which he gave in the West in 1991-92.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This volume is not for casual perusal. The subject is large, highly complex, and, for those who once believed, bitter. Yakovlev offers a discursive series of reflections on the evolution and corruption of Marxism in his country, a faith in whose name millions were sacrificed. What in this creed led to the end result? How was it prostituted, and what did it cost Russia? Yakovlev, himself one of "the high priesthood of Marxism" and, not coincidentally, once Mikhail Gorbachev's right-hand man, is in an ideal position to analyze these matters, even if his answers may strike readers as overtaken by history. He writes without illusions and with some hope. For academic collections.
- R.H. Johnston, McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ontario
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300105401
• ISBN-13: 978-0300105407
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,003,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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