The Rise and Fall of Communism

Winner of the 2010 W.J.M. Mackenzie Prize for Best Political Science Book of the Year 2010 
 
The relentless rise of Communism was the most momentous political development of the first half of the twentieth century. No political change has been more fundamental than its demise in Europe and its decline elsewhere. In this hugely acclaimed book Archie Brown provides an indispensable history that examines the origins of the ideology, its development in different countries, its collapse in many states following the Soviet perestroika, and its current incarnations around the globe. 
 
The Rise and Fall of Communism explains how and why Communists came to power; how they were able, in a variety of countries on different continents to hold on to power for so long; and what brought about the downfall of so many Communist systems. A groundbreaking work from an internationally renowned specialist, this is the definitive study of the most remarkable political and human story of our times.

The definitive and groundbreaking account of the revolutionary ideology that changed the modern world.

At its peak, communism controlled one third of the human race...Brown's scholarly, well-paced and critical overview contributes brilliantly to a reasoned reassessment

To understand one of the central stories of the 20th century - read Brown's book

The breadth of his scholarship and research is hugely impressive... Brown offers clever insights, as well as some fascinating new revelations

This book is the crowning achievement of Archie Brown's career... This volume will remain a definitive study of communism... Thank you, Archie Brown

Archie Brown tells the history of these 70-odd years...with poise, a sense of balance and a judicious understanding of the differences between the varieties of communisms

A clear and expert account of the rise and fall of communism

A stimulating read, which provides valuable insights

His conclusions neatly balance the equally pertinent questions of why Communist systems collapse, and why they lasted so long

One of Britain's leading experts on communism provides a grimly humorous and richly anecdotal study

Financial Times, History books of the year

Scholarly, well-paced and critical...few can match him for insider knowledge

Balanced, insightful, illuminated by intriguing detail and flashes of humour, this worldwide panorama is a miracle of compression

This superb book gives the history of the ideology and the reasons for its decline

It reads like Sovietology rendered by John le Carré

The book is well written with flashes of mordant humour and sufficient records of personal foibles and institutional stupidity to keep the reader going through some dreadful moments of human history

Archie Brown is a British political scientist and historian. He is Emeritus Professor of Politics at Oxford University and Emeritus Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford. A Fellow of the British Academy since 1991, Professor Brown was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003. He has written widely on Soviet and Communist politics, the Cold War, and political leadership.

Archie Brown

Political Leadership in the Modern Age

* UPDATED WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR * 
 
CHOSEN BY BILL GATES AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016 
 
Archie Brown challenges the widespread belief that 'strong leaders', dominant individual wielders of power, are the most successful and admirable. 
 
Within authoritarian regimes, a collective leadership is a lesser evil compared with a personal dictatorship. Within democracies, although ‘strong leaders’ are seldom as strong or independent as they purport to be, the idea that just one person is entitled to take the big decisions is harmful and should be resisted. 
 
Examining Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mikhail Gorbachev, Deng Xiaoping and Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair amongst many others, this landmark study pinpoints different types and qualities of leadership. Overturning the popular notion of the strong leader, it makes us rethink preconceptions about what it means to lead.

Archie Brown

The Myth of the Strong Leader

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