A Must Read List

[New-Soviet-Teenager]

What Books would you consider "must reads" for any Marxist today in a European Capitalist nation and a  member of a growing revolutionary party?

I am from Belfast, Ireland, just to give you some context.

[Iskra]

communist manifesto- Marx
utopian socialism vs scientific socialism-Engles
state and revolution-Lenin
left wing communism an infantile disorder-Lenin
the transitional program-Trotsky

I'd say these were the onest to read first probably in that order.

[P.O.U.M]

Those five are a good start.

I would also suggest Bolshevism - Road to Revolution by Alan Woods. Its a phenomenal work on the history of the Bolshevik party. I would consider it a "must" for anyone in a growing revolutionary party.

[RedLenin]

You'll also want to check out...
Permanent Revolution - Trotsky
The Revolution Betrayed - Trotsky
Reason in Revolt - Alan Woods and Ted Grant
Wage-Labor and Capital - Marx

And, as was already mentioned, State and Revolution. That is probably one of my favorite marxist works, and in my opinion one of the most important.

[The Evil Stalinist]

Basics

Principles of Communism - Engels
Quotations from Mao Zedong - Mao Zedong
The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx

More In Depth

What is to be Done? - Lenin
The State and the Revolution - Lenin
Marxism and the National Question - Stalin
Trotskyism or Leninism? - Stalin

Economics

Wage Labor and Capital - Karl Marx

[T.K.A.-Denmark]

"What is to be done" is an exellent book, would advise anyone to read it.

Would also advise people to read "Trotskyism or Leninism", if one reads it while having the orginal works by Lenin and Trotsky by their side it gives a good picture of how the stalinist school of falsification worked.

[P.O.U.M]

Trotsky - Why Marxists Oppose Individual Terrorism
Trotsky - Spain: The Last Warning
Lenin - Marxism and Insurrection

All three brief arcticles provide invaluable information.

[Volkov]

You'll also want to check out...
Permanent Revolution - Trotsky
The Revolution Betrayed - Trotsky
Reason in Revolt - Alan Woods and Ted Grant
Wage-Labor and Capital - Marx

And, as was already mentioned, State and Revolution. That is probably one of my favorite marxist works, and in my opinion one of the most important.

The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky is a good follow-up to The State and Revolution.  It deals with the Marxist theory of the state, process of revolution, etc., and it is the practical experince that supplements the theory based on previous theory and practice of The State and Revolution. 

I would also recommend Anti-Duhring and The Dialectics of Nature.

[caesarscook]

I really think Alan's Bolshevism and Ted's Russia book are new classics and should be read consecutively.  Also, when reading Permanent Revolution, I think Results and Prospects shoud really be read first as it is a largely a positive exposition, whereas Permanent Revolution is a necessarily negative, polemical defense against Stalinist attacks.  It's worth reading in its own right but can be a turn off to a fresh reader. State and Revolution is probably my favorite work of all time.  Comrade Volkov is correct to recommend the Renegade Kautsky to be read in connection with S&R.  A good introduction text, despite his rigid formalism, is of course Cannon's Socialism on Trial. Leftwing Communism is an invaluable text for young comrades suffering from impatience.  Lenin is generally pretty measured.  I agree with TKA-Denmark.  If you're going to read any of the Evil Stalinist's suggestions, make sure you have copies of the original works by Lenin and Trotsky and check their quoting.  It can be quite funny.  But certainly don't take them at their word.  Stalin is as dishonest and unscrupulous as they come.  Speaking of exposing Stalinist dishonesty, I just reread Lenin and Trotsky: What they really stood for a few months ago.  I think that should be required reading for every Stalinist, as it answers most of the wildest of distortions and defends permanent revolution and a class struggle approach against the class collaberationist two-stage garbage.  I, also, actually like some of the articles in Trotsky's Problems of Everyday Life as they give a pretty interesting insight into the problems faced by the young workers state, some very important lessons, but that would not be on my short list.

[caesarscook]

Actually, I should mention that the one reading that the Evil Stalinist suggests by Stalin on the national question is probably the only reading by Staln that is recommendable, but it was written with heavy-handed assistance, if not fully ghost written, by Lenin. (See Alan and Ted's book on the Marxism and the National Question http://www.marxist.com/marxism-national-question250200-14.htm )

[Volkov]

I really think Alan's Bolshevism and Ted's Russia book are new classics and should be read consecutively.  Also, when reading Permanent Revolution, I think Results and Prospects shoud really be read first as it is a largely a positive exposition, whereas Permanent Revolution is a necessarily negative, polemical defense against Stalinist attacks.  It's worth reading in its own right but can be a turn off to a fresh reader. State and Revolution is probably my favorite work of all time.  Comrade Volkov is correct to recommend the Renegade Kautsky to be read in connection with S&R.  A good introduction text, despite his rigid formalism, is of course Cannon's Socialism on Trial. Leftwing Communism is an invaluable text for young comrades suffering from impatience.  Lenin is generally pretty measured.  I agree with TKA-Denmark.  If you're going to read any of the Evil Stalinist's suggestions, make sure you have copies of the original works by Lenin and Trotsky and check their quoting.  It can be quite funny.  But certainly don't take them at their word.  Stalin is as dishonest and unscrupulous as they come.  Speaking of exposing Stalinist dishonesty, I just reread Lenin and Trotsky: What they really stood for a few months ago.  I think that should be required reading for every Stalinist, as it answers most of the wildest of distortions and defends permanent revolution and a class struggle approach against the class collaberationist two-stage garbage.  I, also, actually like some of the articles in Trotsky's Problems of Everyday Life as they give a pretty interesting insight into the problems faced by the young workers state, some very important lessons, but that would not be on my short list.

I will think of doing some reading by Stalin and compare it to original Lenin works and the like.  I have the complete set of the Lenin Collected Works, printed in the USSR.  The Lenin works are just fine, but there are distortions in some of the introductions and the footnotes, some essentially contradicting the Lenin works in those very books!  Quite funny indeed! 

[T.K.A.-Denmark]

"Lenin and Trotsky: What they really stood for" is an exellent book.
We are planning to publish it in danish for the first time this november and launch it at a meeting comemorating both the 90 anniversary of the russian revolution and another anniversary of Trotsky's copenhagen speech. Alan Woods promised to come and we are also working to get Esteban Volkov, trotsky's grandson to come. At the same time we will publish "Ten days that shook the world" by John Reed, it hasn't been published in Denmark since the 60'ies. An exellent first hand account of the revolution.

[P.O.U.M]

At the same time we will publish "Ten days that shook the world" by John Reed, it hasn't been published in Denmark since the 60'ies.

Wow, John Reeds book has been out of print that long in Denmark? Why is that so? A lack of interest in the material or publishing companies refuse to print such "Bolshevik filth"?

Thats shocking to me considering I can find "Ten Days..." in any corporate bookstore. In California at least. 

[Volkov]

"Lenin and Trotsky: What they really stood for" is an exellent book.
We are planning to publish it in danish for the first time this november and launch it at a meeting comemorating both the 90 anniversary of the russian revolution and another anniversary of Trotsky's copenhagen speech. Alan Woods promised to come and we are also working to get Esteban Volkov, trotsky's grandson to come. At the same time we will publish "Ten days that shook the world" by John Reed, it hasn't been published in Denmark since the 60'ies. An exellent first hand account of the revolution.

Ten Days That Shook the World is indeed an excellent account, but it does not go into specific details.  It was very good, and it has just made my appetite grow (I hope to have enough spare time in the near future to read my three-in-one volume copy of Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution.).

I recently purchased a copy of Lenin and Trotsky: What they Really Stood For.  I need to get that read (well, what don't I need to get read?!  I have hundreds of unread books!).  I also purchased Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution and History of British Trotskyism recently as well.

Things should settle down a bit when I move out on my own.  I will be away from my noisy family and the like, so I will actually be able to get reading done on a more frequent basis!

I am also looking forward to the appearance of Ted Grant's collected works.  I have a copy of The Unbroken Thread to read his works now, but the collected works will have more, and I try to be a bit careful with my copy of that book, as it is signed by Ted Grant.

[caesarscook]

I also purchased Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution and History of British Trotskyism recently as well.

AMAZING book comrade!  I really can't say much more about that book except wow!  Both of them actually, but especially Alan's Bolshevism book.  It's so detailed and really pulls out all the lessons and the dialectical processes that made up the history of the Bolshevik party.  That's my review really:  "Wow!"  You can quote me on that one.

I am also looking forward to the appearance of Ted Grant's collected works.  I have a copy of The Unbroken Thread to read his works now, but the collected works will have more, and I try to be a bit careful with my copy of that book, as it is signed by Ted Grant.

Where did you find it???  I've been looking for a copy of The Unbroken Thread forever.  I've read most of the articles online, but still.  I, too, wait anxiously for the TGCW!  All comrades should donate to the fund:  http://www.marxist.com/ted-grant-commemoration-appeal300806.htm