Crimes, terror, repression harvard university press, cambridge 1999, pp. Black book puts to rest the odious fiction that has softened communisms image for so long. Crimes, terror, repression is a book written by several european academics and edited by stephane courtois, and documents a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and artificial famines. An extraordinary accounting, this book amply documents the unparalleled position and significance of communism in the hierarchy of violence that is the history of the twentieth century. The black book of communism, one of the largest most blatant distortions of history. Jun 01, 2001 stephane courtois, et al, the black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression. It certainly contains much truth and many facts that are often not in the college or high school textbooks.
This number is accumulated from more than 10 different nations and various movements around the. Istina, svi kao i oni najblidi staljinu, davali su zlocinu suprotan efekat. The authors are prisoners of history in the sense that a residue of their gullibility remains and distorts the book. They said the changes would be made in the next edition. The black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression. More information about this seller contact this seller 1. Already famous throughout europe, this international bestseller plumbs recently opened archives in the former soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of communism around the world. But is also presents many facts and historical events regarding communism. The contributors to the book include some of the finest scholars from both east and west, who have drawn. The fraudulent death tolls contained in the book are the single most quoted anticommunist source in the world. Both totalitarian incarnations decreed that certain segments of society were too loathsome to exist.
The collected conservative writings of david horowitz duration. By seeking to put a number on the premature deaths caused by communist. This international bestseller plumbs archives in the former soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of communism around. The black book of communism begins to show us that totalitarianism is totalitarianism, whether we call it fascist, communist or some other name. The black book of communism, the seminal harvard university press work, which specialized in trying to get accurate data on the enormous volume of deaths produced by communist tyrants, states that. Crimes, terror, repression is a book authored by several european academics and edited by stephane courtois, 1 which documents a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and artificial famines. The black book of communism quotes by stephane courtois. Yet, it looks like george bernard shaw was right, but i narrow to the view to those left of centre, history shows that they do not learn from history.
Oct 17, 2006 the black book of communism shows how far mans inhumanity to man went under those who were identified with the hammer and sickle. Crimes, terror, repression jeanlouis panne, andrzej paczkowski, karel bartosek, jeanlouis margolin, nicolas werth, stephane courtois, mark kramer, jonathan murphy, mark kramer on. Probably the most important historical study published since the collapse of the soviet union in 1991 allowed access to kremlin archives for the first time, the black book sparked passionate national debate when it was first published in france in 1997 and. Stephane courtois, et al, the black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression.
For the cumulative toll of victims of communist rule, estimated by the authors at between 85 and 100 million. Cambridge, ma, harvard university press, third printing 2000, french original 1997, pp. Crimes, terror, repression is a 1997 book by stephane. Crimes, terror, repression, harvard university press, cambridge, ma, 1999. Can the black book of communism, recently a sensation in france and much of. The book was originally published in 1997 in france under the title le livre noir du. The black book of communism local business facebook. The russian famine of 1921, which caused the death of 5 million. The black book of communism crimes, terror, repression stephane courtois nicolas werth jeanlouis panne andrzej paczkowski karel bartosek jeanlouis margolin harvard university press cambridge, massachusetts london, england 1999 translated by jonathan murphy and mark kramer. Buy the black book of communism crimes, terror, repression. The contributors to the book include some of the finest scholars from both east and west, who have drawn extensively on new archival findings. The murder of hundreds of thousands of rebellious workers and peasants from 1918 to 1922. The book draws two general distinctions between the communism of asia and the soviet union and its satellites. Crimes, terror, repression is a 1997 book edited by stephane courtois, who.
The first printing sold out in a matter of weeks, and the. Extremely welldocumented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars some are members of the left, some former communists, this book exposes the reality of communism, not the lies spread by. Overall, somehow or another, the black book of communism has managed to raise the debate one notch. So many people in our country are ignorant of these things and they need to be informed so we dont buy into the propaganda and repeat the. The black book of communism shows how far mans inhumanity to man went under those who were identified with the hammer and sickle. Some critics have objected to the book s depiction of communism and nazism as being similar, others have criticized the approach the book takes to assigning blame of deaths, and still others, most notably j. The soviet model emphasized political murder of its opponents and citizens though it was willing to simply exploit them as economic assets in labor camps. Esteemed historian of the soviet union recommends five books on communism, from novels and personal narratives to theoretical works.
In its many enthroned variations, from lenins 1917 revolution to the recent marxistleninist regimes of africa, communism has killed upwards of 100 million people 65 million in china alone. A unique attempt by french historiansas important in its way as the works of solzhenitsynto chronicle the crimes of communism wherever it has attained power in the world. Jan 01, 2001 black book puts to rest the odious fiction that has softened communisms image for so long. Astonishing in the sheer detail it amasses, the book is the first comprehensive attempt to catalogue and analyze the crimes of communism over seventy years. Most sensible adults are aware of communisms human toll in the ussr and elsewhere the forced starvations in the ukraine, the great purge of the 1930s, the gulag, the insanity of chinas great cultural revolution, pol pots murder of one of seven cambodians etc.
A weak point of the book is that a leftist bias remains. This is an assembly of extensive articles published in france two years ago and now. The black book of communism by stephane courtois kirkus. The book is as important in its way as the works of aleksandr solzhenitsyn. Some critics have objected to the books depiction of communism and nazism as being similar, others have criticized the approach the book takes to assigning blame of deaths, and still others, most notably j. Full text of the black book of communism internet archive. Pastor steve waldron, new life of albany albany, ga. The black book of communism first published in 1997, the black book of communism, crimes, terror, repression, is a catalogue of unspeakable horror unequaled in the history of the world.
Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost 6 million nazis killed by communism. Like komunisticko drustvo lisava individuu svojih odgovornosti. The biggest lies ever concerning communism are debunked. Not the least remarkable thing about this book is that this is the first time such a study has been made. Astonishing in the sheer detail it amasses, the book is the first comprehensive attempt to catalogue and analyze the crimes of communism. Sep 05, 2017 this book is a must read and discusses many scholarly issues regarding the nature of totalitarianism, communism and fascism.
Aug 10, 2011 the biggest lies ever concerning communism are debunked. Crimes, terror, repression by jeanlouis panni, andrzej paczkowski, karel bartosek, jeanlouis margolin, nicolas werth, stiphane courtois and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Communism dominated the world scene throughout the twentieth century, yet as martin malia in the books foreword the uses of atrocity notes, the research. Legion of french volunteers against bolshevism, a reference to french men recruited by nazi. Critically compare and contrast fascism and communism history bibliographies in harvard style. The authors did such a bad job they were forced to admit it and print a retraction. The black book of communism crimes, terror, repression. By stephane courtois, nicolas werth, jeanlouis panne. The execution of tens of thousands of hostages and prisoners. The black book of communism is enormously impressive and utterly convincing. While the john birch society has long exposed the international communist dynamic as a criminal and political conspiracy, the black book of communism does a great job of documenting that communist conspiracys overall crimes against mankind from their own records in the former soviet union.
It is a major study that deepens our understanding of communism and poses a philosophical and political challenge that cannot be ignored. Some of the atrocities of the reds are documented, although there is undue emphasis on communist victims of the relentless communist purges. The black book of communism, which is finally appearing in english, is an extraordinary and almost unspeakably chilling book. In late 1997 a leading french publishing house, robert laffont, published le livre noir du communisme the black book of communism, an 850page book of scholarly essays that collectively provide a history of communism in the 20th century. It is a measure of the success of the class struggle that the reactionary intelligentsia felt compelled to write an 854 page book touching on the death toll of communism. He also explains astonishing discoveries from the archives of historian dr.
This book is a must read and discusses many scholarly issues regarding the nature of totalitarianism, communism and fascism. Revolutions, like trees, must be judged by their fruit, ignazio silone wrote, and this is the standard the authors apply to the communist experiencein the china of the great helmsman. These are the sources and citations used to research critically compare and contrast fascism and communism. Yet austere though this inventory is, its cumulative impact is overwhelming. Crimes, terror, repression is a 1997 book by stephane courtois, nicolas werth, andrzej paczkowski and several other european academics documenting a history of political repressions by communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, killing populations in labor camps and artificially. Mi smo zlocine prihvatili kao vazne doprinose pobjedi socijalizma. The black book of communism was originally published in france on november 8, 1997, the eightieth anniversary of the russian revolution. Revolutions, like trees, must be judged by their fruit, ignazio silone wrote, and this is the standard the authors apply to the communist experience in the china of the great helmsman, kim il sungs korea, vietnam under uncle ho and cuba under castro, ethiopia under mengistu, angola under neto, and afghanistan under najibullah. The book not only bashes socialism and makes it out to be worse than fascism, it outright tries to portray fascism as a good thing. The collected conservative writings of david horowitz.
The black book of communism gives a balance sheet of our present knowledge of communisms human costs, archivally based where possible, and otherwise drawing on the best secondary works, and with due allowance for the difficulties of quantification. Maos great leap forward needed only two years to destroy tens of millions of peasants. But the authors of the black book of communism do what none of the other authors had done before. The black book of communism stephane courtois, nicolas. Extremely welldocumented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars some are members of the left, some former communists, this book exposes the reality of communism, not the lies spread by academia, the media and their acolytes on the left. My favourite book abaut jews, communism and freemasons. Peasants often resisted communism more fervently than any group. The authors, all distinguished scholars based in europe. Full text of the black book of communism see other formats. Courtois and his colleagues do not simply unfold the numbers relentlessly and numbingly.
Be the first to ask a question about the black book of communism. Totalitarianisms central feature is a state that desires total control and assumes the right to impose that control at any cost. There are many who could step forward and disclose more, but certain members of certain groups are too busy and too afraid to. The black book of communism hardcover crimes, terror, repression.
Aug 24, 2017 the black book of communism alleges that communism killed 94 million people during the 20th century. Black book, written by six former proponents of communism or fellow travelers, properly notes that both nazism and communism murdered people not for what they did, but for who they were. Nevetheless, the book, published in paris in 1927, was one of the first to describe the soviet unions earliest political prisons, located on the solovetsky islands in the white sea. After learning about canadas ridiculous monument to the victims of communism and finding out that theres a similar monument in my own city, i looked at the. The best books on communism recommended by robert conquest. These steps are designed to implement the trance formation of the american mind, from freedom to the acceptance to live in bondage. Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost. By stephane courtois, nicolas werth, jeanlouis panne, andrzej paczkowski, karel bartosek, and jeanlouis margolin trans. Quoting survivors, escapees, and what little information had been published in the soviet press, the black book of communism. According to courtois, the crimes by the soviet union included the following. The black book of communism, written by stephane courtois has been called into question on multiple different grounds. After learning about canadas ridiculous monument to the victims of communism and finding out that theres a similar monument in my own city, i looked at the claims made by the reactionaries funding the projects. Why doesnt the black book of communism include the almost 6. Instead, they painstakingly explore the many ways the killing was done.
893 5 57 774 858 104 516 650 880 412 219 824 433 317 295 1523 1035 47 268 51 224 1017 1562 1595 345 1452 1204 64 1363 794 1183 107 1075 1276 337 424 482 820 213 174 938 217 171 1088 26 330 864 754