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The Devil in History: Communism, Fascism, and Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century Hardcover – September 28, 2012

ISBN-13: 978-0520239722 ISBN-10: 0520239725 Edition: First Edition

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: University of California Press; First Edition edition (September 28, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0520239725
  • ISBN-13: 978-0520239722
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] fine and undoubtedly enduring study. This affinity of Leninism with Nazism is the argument of Tismaneanu’s book. It is a claim that since 1945, and particularly the Cold War, has generated much controversy. A distinguished book."
(William Pfaff New York Review of Books 2013-06-20)

“This volume achieves the rare distinction of being at once nuanced and impassioned. It is likely to remain a durable contribution to a deeper understanding of the great historical outrages of the past century which were closely linked to the concept and reality of totalitarianism.”
(Paul Hollander New Criterion 2013-04-01)

“An ambitious and challenging rereading of twentieth-century history.”
(John Gray Times Literary Supplement (TLS) 2012-01-02)

“A definitive account of the origins, the appeal, the doctrinal foundations and the political technology of history's two bloodiest political faiths . . . this profound and rich book is also a cautionary tale.”
(Leon Aron Wall Street Journal 2013-01-12)

“The parallels between communism and fascism have often been noted, fueling endless debates over whether the movements were fundamentally similar or different. The Devil in History . . . presents a genuinely fresh perspective on this topic.”
(Andrew Nagorski Foreign Affairs 2013-01-01)

“Tismaneanu’s lucid narrative walks us through an intellectual landscape that traces the trajectory of totalitarian thinking back to its origins.”
(J. P. O'Malley The Daily Beast 2012-09-28)

“At a time when liberal values are showing their frailty and salvationist mythologies are returning to favour in different places, an absorbing comparative essay is provided on the origins, ravages and ultimate failure of the radical totalitarian movements of the last century: communism and fascism. Vladimir Tismaneanu is an appropriate guide, a polymath steeped in the philosophical, literary and social science texts spawned by defenders, apostates and analysts of this phenomenon.”
(Tom Gallagher International Affairs 2012-09-01)

“Tismaneanu's real concern is to examine what he calls the ‘maximalist utopian aspirations’ expressed by communist and fascist regimes in Europe to try to understand how it is that systems that set out with a utopian agenda—world revolution or national rebirth—end up constructing murderous dystopias. There is a consensus in the Western world that these were ‘delusional visions’, as Tismaneanu calls them, but both European communism and fascism have died as mainstream political forces, making it easier to see them as deluded. The core of this perceptive and intelligent analysis is addressed to the more troubling question of how they were possible at all.”
(Richard Overy Times Higher Education 2012-09-13)

"A fascinating, brilliant and captivating book. It is a stupendous achievement."
(FrontPage Magazine 2013-04-16)

"The book offers a fascinating read with an incredible wealth of bibliographic sources that will benefit all those interested in the topic. The author has succeeded in giving not only a solid account of the spirituality and history of communist and fascist regimes, but also an outstanding testimony of liberal political and normative thinking."
(Camil Roman Cambridge Review of International Affairs 2013-05-08)

"Vladimir Tismaneanu is the perfect political analyst for today, for he is an expert on both the legacies of Nazism and Communism. In spite of optimistic diagnoses and rampant wishful thinking, these two pathologies are not dead. Vladimir Tismaneanu’s illuminating book is an antidote against new experiments in utopian radicalism and social engineering."
(Ion Mihai Pacepa WND 2013-07-08)

"Many books have been written about the similarities and differences between communism and fascism, both in theory and practice. None, however, matches the insight, analysis, and deep thought found in The Devil in History."
(Ronald Radosh Weekly Standard 2013-08-12)

"The account provided is particularly strong on separating the critical paradigms of Marxism that emerged in East and West. . . . Getting the record straight here is important and challenges any simplistic notion of Eastern Europe’s conversion to liberalism."
(Richard Shorten American Historical Review 2013-12-01)

"Tismaneanu seeks to fulfill the ancient Jewish commandment of remembering and reminding, zachor, lest we forget and it may return. . . . Tismaneanu argues convincingly that a reckoning with the past can be both exorcism and therapy, and insists that there should be no silence or thick line separating the present from the embarrassing past. No reader of this book can accuse its author of ignoring the past."
(Aviezer Tucker Perspectives on Politics 2013-12-01)

From the Inside Flap

“Vladimir Tismaneanu combines enormous erudition, sharp insight, and unique personal experience in this wide-ranging essay on the problems of totalitarianism in the twentieth century. The Devil in History is mandatory reading for those interested in the crucial questions of morality and politics posed by the comparison of Nazism and Stalinism.” —Norman M. Naimark, Robert and Florence McDonnel Professor of Eastern European Studies, Stanford University



The Devil in History is a lengthy essay on the intellectual origins, crimes, and failures of the twentieth century’s worst totalitarian types of regimes, fascism and communism. There are few scholars as conversant with this material, or as able to explain it as well, as Vladimir Tismaneanu, who gives a good sense of why utopian ideals meant to overcome the ills of capitalist, bourgeois democracy went so sensationally wrong and produced such massive evil.” —Daniel Chirot, co-author of Why Not Kill Them All? The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder



"The Devil in History is a very important work of intellectual history that considers a basic question of the twentieth century and represents vast and ecumenical learning and well-considered personal experience. It has moments of indubitable brilliance." —Timothy Snyder, author of The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999



“In his revealing new study, Vladimir Tismaneanu traces the intellectual origins of the murderous twentieth century. The focus is on the ideologies of Europe’s totalitarian regimes identified most prominently with the names Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler. Although these characters were amoral and perhaps even psychopathic killers, the author rightly insists that such labels do not explain the popular appeal of the dictators, who were worshipped as if they were gods by crowds of true believers. Even after 1945, new Communist leaders pursued quests for utopia and mounted crusades of their own, all of them doomed to fail. Tismaneanu provides a compelling and convincing account of how this monumental tragedy came to pass.” —Robert Gellately, author of Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe

Customer Reviews

Elegantly written, definitive, insightful.
David Horowitz
This book is a very good example of an insider's reflection on what went wrong in the war of ideas that became Eastern Europe in the 20th century.
John E. Mack
(After reading the book, I shall return here to edit my review.
Mr. Charles P. Wenzel

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful By Peter Stone on September 14, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Vladimir Tismaneanu is a celebrated writer who once described himself as "a scholar of the history of ideas." For some, that subject might sound kind of remote from real life; but certainly not for those who are aware that "ideas which seize the masses become a powerful material force." Tismaneanu's new book convincingly shows that history of ideas is a subject of vital importance for the fate of the world.

In the past one hundred years, our world has suffered from atrocities and destruction of unprecedented scope - all committed in the name of two utopian ideas, communism and fascism. This book examines the question how captivating ideas of philosophers could produce totalitarian regimes with their terrible inhuman practices.

This work marks a new level of excellence in Vladimir Tismaneanu's writing accomplishments. It has instantly gained international recognition and got featured by Times Higher Education as "the book of the week," praised for its "perceptive and intelligent analysis."

Hitler's and Stalin's totalitarian regimes are long gone, but not genocidal acts inspired by hatred and intolerance. Delusional and destructive ideas can still captivate many minds, especially immature or feeble. Hence, the timeliness of this book today. I strongly recommend it to both academic and non-academic readers.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful By R. E. Cohen on November 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
The Devil In History by Vladimir Tismaneanu is a terrific analysis of Leninism and Stalinism and how they stand in comparison to Nazism and Fascism. I am still in the middle of reading it and page by page it is revealing and illuminating. It also has a message for today - but no spoilers - read it!

Cantor Bob
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful By Robert Ashton on July 6, 2013
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Few are better qualified to "map and explain ... the "ideological storms" of a century second to none in violence, hubris, ruthlessness, and human sacrifices" as author Vladimir Tismaneanu. Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Maryland, Tismaneanu was born in Communist Romania (his parents had fought in the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War) and he experienced first-hand the collapse of the Soviet system in Eastern Europe. Indeed, there is much of interest in this book particularly in highlighting the commonalities between Fascism and Communism and in his warnings of the dangers of resurgent nationalism. However, repetition, a very turgid style of writing and assumptions of familiarity with writers and critics from within Eastern Europe make sections of the book hard going, even for the reasonably well-informed reader.
The book, although looking at both Fascism and Marxism, is heavily weighted towards the Soviets. This is probably due to the author's own experiences but also to the fact that much of the excess of the Soviet experiment is only recently being fully explored. As Tismaneanu says: "the comparison between Communism and Fascism has been fundamentally tainted ... both by the claim of the original innocence of Leninism ... and by anti-Fascism's long-standing, resounding failure to denounce the murderousness and illiberality of Communist regimes." Some of this imbalance has been addressed by recent books such as "Lenin, Stalin and Hitler" by Robert Gellately and "Bloodlands" by Timothy Snyder, both quoted favorably by Tismaneanu. Although the focus on Communism is understandable I think more analysis of the Fascist regimes, including perhaps Spain and Portugal, would have been enlightening.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful By David Horowitz on May 7, 2013
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
The best book on Communism you can buy. Elegantly written, definitive, insightful. Its exploration of the religious nature of Communism and Nazism is indispensable for an understanding of the utopian delusion that has blighted our time.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful By Bdgold on June 29, 2013
Format: Hardcover
The Devil In History is a good summary of work in the subfield studying totalitarianism in the twentieth century. The according to the intro book originally grew out of a course, and that is exactly what it feels like--an insightful series of lectures intended for upper level undergrads. Honestly, if one has read much in the memoirs of reflective gulag and Holocaust survivors (Solzhenitsyn and Primo Levi) or Hannah Arendt, there is really nothing new here.
The strength of this book is that it is a great introduction. It draws on classic works and mixes in newer ideas like democide and "the Blood Lands" to make sense of this violent episode of human history. Overall it reads as a rather dense graduate historiographical review.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful By John E. Mack on July 25, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a well-researched book by an author who knows Eastern Europe, and particularly Romania, very well. Despite its many virtues, the book is a bit a of a disappointment. For one thing, in spite of the cover, the book says almost nothing about Nazism or Fascism -- even though Romania and Hungary were German allies in World War II and have displayed some latent Fascist sympathies after the fall of Communism. Rather, the book is principally about Russian Communism and its effects on Eastern Europe. It has some very good chapters on Lenin and the links between his policies and the murderous years that followed his seizure of power. Tismaneanu is surely right that most of Stalin's atrocities have their origin in Lenin's policies. One of the interesting things about the book is Tismaneanu's ambivalence. Sometimes he sees Karl Marx as a well-intentioned reformer whose program was perverted by Lenin into a blood-stained cult. Sometimes he draws a direct line between Marx's theories and the horrors of Russian Communism. The title is also a little misleading. Certainly Hitler and Stalin were devils, and one does not expect a sophisticated political thinker to be literal about the "devil" business. But one does expect, with a title like that, to have the author trace a political evil from its roots through to its manifestations, and Timaneanu really does not do that much. Part of the problem is organizational. If his point is to show how the evil seeds sown by Karl Marx resulted in the rotten fruit of Stalin -- and that is part of his point -- he needs to organize his thesis more coherently. This book is, after all, more philosophy than political science or history, and as such, demands more focus.

But I am being too negative.
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