Wrt Khruschev, there was an inkling of my understanding of him as a historical figure obviously to be found in Grover Furr’s Khruschev Lied, something I would recommend all persons interested in the truth behind Stalin’s legacy to read.
My understanding of him as more of an ultraleftist figure comes mostly from Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union by Roger Keeran and Thomas Kenny, a great attempt to dispassionately deconstruct the collapse of the Soviet Union from a communist perspective as well as an attempt to guide the movement away from similar errors in the future. They do a great job illustrating Khruschev’s strangely ultra behavior like attempting to dissolve party “bureaucracy” nationwide and disseminate power more locally (at the great expense of central government).
On Mao: I recommend the notably critical piece Mao’s China and After by Maurice Meisner for a well-rounded history of Mao’s China from before the revolution to after “capitalist restoration”. It has its issues - Meisner’s critique of “Stalinism” reeks of academic Trotskyism to me, for instance, but it was still beyond illuminating imo.
When it comes to analyses of specific misadventures most of my understanding stems from a Monthly Review article here and other such periodical sources. Whenever I’m off work I’d be more than happy to track a few of them down!
Do you have any specific works in mind which details the things you mentioned, comrade? Specifically Khrushchev’s policies and China’s policies
Wrt Khruschev, there was an inkling of my understanding of him as a historical figure obviously to be found in Grover Furr’s Khruschev Lied, something I would recommend all persons interested in the truth behind Stalin’s legacy to read.
My understanding of him as more of an ultraleftist figure comes mostly from Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union by Roger Keeran and Thomas Kenny, a great attempt to dispassionately deconstruct the collapse of the Soviet Union from a communist perspective as well as an attempt to guide the movement away from similar errors in the future. They do a great job illustrating Khruschev’s strangely ultra behavior like attempting to dissolve party “bureaucracy” nationwide and disseminate power more locally (at the great expense of central government).
On Mao: I recommend the notably critical piece Mao’s China and After by Maurice Meisner for a well-rounded history of Mao’s China from before the revolution to after “capitalist restoration”. It has its issues - Meisner’s critique of “Stalinism” reeks of academic Trotskyism to me, for instance, but it was still beyond illuminating imo.
When it comes to analyses of specific misadventures most of my understanding stems from a Monthly Review article here and other such periodical sources. Whenever I’m off work I’d be more than happy to track a few of them down!
I only read half of it, and it’s an outstanding work. Really monumental in their scope and I believe they reached the goal of their book.
Thanks for the Meisner recommendation, I’ll definitely check it out if I find it on Library Genesis or a random pdf around