The Permanent Revolution & Results and Prospects

Leon Trotsky was undoubtedly the greatest mind that ever contributed to the socialist movement. His concept of 'permanent revolution' was developed by Karl Marx, and next to Trotsky, Cuba's Che Guevara was its greatest component. Guevara became a martyr to the cause; Trotsky was expelled from Russia by Stalin because of it. He saw the bureaucracy of Stalinism as the bane of the revolution, and a century later we must agree. Trotsky migrated to Mexico where he continued to write works of historical significance. Eventually he was silenced by Stalin's assassins, but his works remain as a testament to his genius.His biggest detriment was his tunnel vision in regard to global politics. His life in Russia made him believe that socialism was the only true solution to imperialism and economic inequality. In this work, he never explores the possibility of capitalism providing the socioeconomic development as in America. Instead he belabors the bourgeois European society and its failing. He uses it as a paradigm to show how global socialism is the only solution for economic instability and political turmoil.Despite this, his work provides a plumb line in comparing the true principles of socialism to the failing systems that have fallen short of Trotskyite standards. If anything, it is a valuable work that provides a glimpse into one of the most influential minds of the 20h century.

Trotsky is a brilliant man, and a great writer. The work is an example of the blueprint he would have followed had he not lost the power struggle with that thug Stalin.

Thanks to Red Letter Press for re-publishing this book. It is brought to us in the right time, a time of global economic crisis. The book explains what we need to do to get rid of these periodical crises. It is clear that the book production was carried out with much care and attention. It has an attractive cover, good index, and a glossary for those of us who are not versed in the history of Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries. The introduction is excellent and places the book in the 21st century and from a feminist point of view. Highly recommended.

This is a remarkable book for understanding our political times, written by a leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution. If anyone understands why we in the U.S. are losing our civil liberties and our savings and jobs, it's Leon Trotsky. He explains so carefully that we need another revolution just to secure forever the democratic rights that our forefathers and mothers fought for in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. I think this is an excellent book and its new foreword brings it right home to the 21st century.

This up-to-date edition of Trotsky's classic has a striking cover and is well produced with a great index. I loved the introduction because it brings the theory up to 2010--and it's written by a woman! It's great to see a feminist Marxist writing an intro to such an important theoretical book. Of course she discusses the role of women in the revolutionary process. Hooray!

I highly recommend this book, is a wonderful update on a classic piece of literature. I loved the introduction and found the indexes very helpful. If you are interested in revolutionary politics, this is for you!

Trotsky wrote "Results and Prospects" in 1906 in the aftermath of the defeat of the 1905 Revolution. "The Permanent Revolution" was Trotsky's reply to Karl Radek's attack on his earlier work. Radek had never agreed with it, but his purpose in attacking it at the time was to ingratiate himself with Stalin. Radek had been jailed as a member of the Left Opposition, and he viewed this as his way out. It was, but only for a few years.... Both these Trotsky works are included in this book.When Jack Barnes, the National Secretary of the Socialist Workers Party first presented what I consider a modest critique of the theory of permanent revolution in 1983, 'Their Trotsky and Ours,' it was treated as a scandal. Yet I note that defenders of the theory today are only defending part of it. "The Permanent Revolution" is being presented as the answer to Stalin's reactionary theory of "socialism in one country." But what then is "Results and Prospects," which was written years before Stalin dreamed of such a thing?I urge people to read both the Trotsky book and the Barnes critique. One of the points Barnes makes is that there is no way this book (agree or disagree with it) can be considered among Trotsky's most important works, which include 'History of the Russian Revolution,' 'The Revolution Betrayed,' 'In Defense of Marxism,' and the writings which make up 'The Struggle Against Fascism in Germany.'

great printing of an important work, quick delivery