Vanguard of the Revolution: The Global Idea of the Communist Party

A. . James McAdams is the William M. He lives in South Bend, Indiana. Scholl Professor of International Affairs and director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame. His many books include Judging the Past in Unified Germany and Germany Divided: From the Wall to Reunification (Princeton)

From the Back Cover"A highly informed and beautifully written history of the rise and decline of world communism - and of the theory and practice of the ‘leading role of the party.’ Vanguard of the Revolution is ideal for students and general readers alike."--George Breslauer, University of California, Berkeley"Vanguard of the Revolution is a brilliant overview of communism from A to Z, from Lenin to Xi Jinping. McAdams has produced a volume that will be savored by a very wide readership in the

McAdams explains why communist parties lasted as long as they did, and why they either disappeared or ceased to be meaningful institutions by the close of the twentieth century.The first comprehensive political history of the communist party, Vanguard of the Revolution is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand world communism and the captivating idea that gave it life.. In this book, A. He shows how the leaders of parties in countries as diverse as the Soviet Union, China, Germany, Yugoslavia, Cuba, and North Korea adapted the original ideas of revolutionarie