Returning to the New Books Network today is Paul Le Blanc, here to discuss his new book Lenin: Responding to Catastrophe, Forging Revolution (Pluto Press, 2023). The book deals with Lenin’s life and thought, looking at his ideas in their original context. Starting from his early development and thoughts on the importance of the vanguard, through the revolutions of 1917 and to his political mistakes and attempt at course-correction in the final years of his life, Le Blanc’s study is an accessible and informative survey for students and activists wondering what lessons Lenin might have to offer us today.

Paul Le Blanc is a professor of history at La Roche University. He is the author of numerous books on labor, class struggle and radical political movements, including Revolutionary Collective, which we discussed last year. He has also helped edit some volumes of the ongoing Collected Works of Rosa Luxemburg.

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