Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
The new titles are welcome. I didn't simply mean that the biographies are of "great" as opposed to "obscure," but also that the biographies given early are of people whose politics we tend to like. Iconic in that sense. What about a Marxist biography of Franklin Roosevelt? Or Susan B. Anthony? Or Martin Luther? Or kings and generals and dictators...people we don't like. If biography has merit, it has merit when applied to these as well. Any Marxist biographies of people we wouldn't necessarily like that much? ML YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
A few about and by Marxists I've found interesting and recommend: Karl Marx, Man and Fighter by Boris Nicolaievsky and otto Maenchen-Helfen (Pelican, 1976 -- original 1933) And from the southern hemisphere: Australia: Communism: A Love Story (bio of Guido Baracchi), By Jeff Sparrow, Melbourne University Press 2007 Jean Devanny, Romantic Revolutionary (Communist Party of Australia activist and author), By Carole Ferrier, Melbourne University Press 1999 Militant: The Life and Times of Paddy Troy (Western Australian socialist and trade union leader), By Stuart Macintyre, George Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1984 Red Hot: The Life and Times of Nick Origlass (Australian Trotskyist founder), By Hall Greenland, Wellington Lane Press, Sydney, 1998. South Africa: SP Bunting by Edward Roux (bio of CPSA leader Sidney Bunting), Mayibuye Books, 1993 (orginal 1944) (See also Time Longer than Rope, by Edward Roux, on the SACP) Rebel Pity, by Eddie and Win Roux (bio/autobio of CPSA leader Eddie Roux), Peguin 1970 Armed and Dangerous by Ronnie Kasrils (SACP leader's account of the involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle), Jonathan Ball, Johannesburg, 2004. Poetry and Protest, A Dennis Brutus Reader (the veteran anti-apartheid poet and activists), edited by Lee Sustar, Haymarket Books, Chicago, 2006. All My Life andAll My Strength, By Ray Alexander Simons (another veteran SACP activist and trade unionist), edited by Raymond Suttner), STE Publishers, Johannesburg, 2004 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
Mark Lause wrote: > The responses on this thread have so far centered on iconography. I > wonder what this tells us about the extent to which bits of Marxism > wind up subsumed back into the "great man" assumptions about history. > Actually several of the books I and others mentioned attempt to put certain well-known figures into their social and political context. While Soviet hagiographies may have tended to towards the "great man" assumptions I don't think this is necessarily true on non-soviet biographical works. In addition to those dealing with Marxists, which have been mentioned so far, I'd like to add Christopher Hill's biographies of Milton and Cromwell, E.P. Thompson's biography of William Morris and Maxime Rodinson's biography of Muhammad - all of these do indeed deal with major historical figures but they are much more than descriptions of the life of their respective "great man". Redwords has also published a series of short biographical writings cum cultural critiques of a number of major cultural figures - Rembrandt, Mozart, John Coltrane, Frank Sinatra, Diego Rivera, William Blake and Shakespeare are the ones I recall. Einde O'Callaghan YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
Mark Lause wrote: > The responses on this thread have so far centered on iconography. I > wonder what this tells us about the extent to which bits of Marxism > wind up subsumed back into the "great man" assumptions about history. > A couple of the Cliff Conner books were about obscure figures. Although they don't quite qualify as biographies, the oral histories gathered by people like Paul Buhle shy away from "great man" assumptions. YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
The responses on this thread have so far centered on iconography. I wonder what this tells us about the extent to which bits of Marxism wind up subsumed back into the "great man" assumptions about history. ML YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
Isaac Deutscher, Maurice Isserman On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 11:51 AM, Louis Proyect wrote: > Cliff Conner is a Trotskyist who has specialized in writing biographies: > > 1. Jean Paul Marat: Scientist and Revolutionary > > 2. Colonel Despard: The Life And Times Of An Anglo-irish Rebel > > 3. Arthur O'Connor: The Most Important Irish Revolutionary You May Never > Have Heard of > > > > YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu > Set your options at: > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/bhaskar.sunkara%40gmail.com > YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] marxist biographies
Cliff Conner is a Trotskyist who has specialized in writing biographies: 1. Jean Paul Marat: Scientist and Revolutionary 2. Colonel Despard: The Life And Times Of An Anglo-irish Rebel 3. Arthur O'Connor: The Most Important Irish Revolutionary You May Never Have Heard of YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
[Marxism] marxist biographies
I'm writing to ask the list members if they can name any biographies written from a marxist/communist/socialist perspective. The biographies can be of anyone, I'm not particular. I'd just like to get an idea of whether members think such books exist and if they can recommend any. Thanks in advance for your help. YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
