The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $9.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
About this listen
How did communism become such a pervasive economic and political philosophy? Why did it first take root in early 20th-century Russia? These and other questions are part of a fascinating story whose drama has few equals in terms of sheer scale, scope, or human suffering and belief.
These 12 lectures invite you to go inside communism’s journey from a collection of political and economic theories to a revolutionary movement that rocked the world. Rich with historical insights, they zero in on the “how” and “why” of the Bolsheviks' rise to power and how communist ideas worked in theory and practice - and how they didn’t.
First, you’ll examine the utopian movements that influenced Marx and Engels, and how these leaders came to develop their revolutionary philosophies. From there, you’ll discover how Lenin became the first person to put Marxist ideas into action by violently seizing power in Russia during the chaos of the First World War. Throughout, you’ll meet thinkers and revolutionaries like Rosa Luxemburg and Leon Trotsky, unpack the meaning of texts like Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto, and experience the shock and awe of events including the Paris Commune and the October Revolution.
An uncompromising look at one of the dominant political ideologies of the 20th century, this is a fascinating, and sobering, study of how theories rise to power in a bid to create a new civilization - whatever the human cost.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
Communism in Power
- From Stalin to Mao
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trace the growth of communism from Stalin’s consolidation of power to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao. These 12 half-hour lessons shed intriguing light on a revolutionary movement that played an outsized role in the 20th century and continues to shape 21st-century geopolitics.
-
-
A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The Real History of Secret Societies
- By: Professor Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Richard B. Spence
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to The Real History of Secret Societies, a historical look at the true-life groups which, if you believe the myths, are the unspoken power behind some of the world’s major turning points, from controlling the British crown to holding back the electric car and keeping Martians and Atlantis under wraps. Prepare yourself. In this course brought to you in partnership with HISTORY®, you will be visiting some of history’s deepest rabbit-holes, across centuries and continents, in search of secret societies in all their varieties.
-
-
Far more politics than fraternity.
- By Tp on 11-25-19
By: Professor Richard B. Spence, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
- By: Wesley K. Clark, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wesley K. Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st.
-
-
Boring, should have been titled "Battle Summaries"
- By Ben Chen on 10-12-18
By: Wesley K. Clark, and others
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
A biased view of economics.
- By David S. Westby on 09-03-19
-
Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
-
-
Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Communism in Power
- From Stalin to Mao
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trace the growth of communism from Stalin’s consolidation of power to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao. These 12 half-hour lessons shed intriguing light on a revolutionary movement that played an outsized role in the 20th century and continues to shape 21st-century geopolitics.
-
-
A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The Real History of Secret Societies
- By: Professor Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Richard B. Spence
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to The Real History of Secret Societies, a historical look at the true-life groups which, if you believe the myths, are the unspoken power behind some of the world’s major turning points, from controlling the British crown to holding back the electric car and keeping Martians and Atlantis under wraps. Prepare yourself. In this course brought to you in partnership with HISTORY®, you will be visiting some of history’s deepest rabbit-holes, across centuries and continents, in search of secret societies in all their varieties.
-
-
Far more politics than fraternity.
- By Tp on 11-25-19
By: Professor Richard B. Spence, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
- By: Wesley K. Clark, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wesley K. Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st.
-
-
Boring, should have been titled "Battle Summaries"
- By Ben Chen on 10-12-18
By: Wesley K. Clark, and others
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
A biased view of economics.
- By David S. Westby on 09-03-19
-
Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
-
-
Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Introduction to the Qur’an
- By: Martyn Oliver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Martyn Oliver
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often, much of what is misunderstood about Islam is the result of a lack of information - and some dangerous and prolific myths. To combat these myths and better understand the complex Islamic tradition, Dr. Martyn Oliver, a senior professorial lecturer at American University, presents 12 in-depth lectures to provide you with a multifaceted approach to Muhammad, Islam, and the revelation known today as the Qur'an.
-
-
A Fine Survey
- By Mark on 10-13-19
By: Martyn Oliver, and others
-
History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.
-
-
Martial Chaos
- By Cynthia on 08-16-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
America After the Cold War
- The First Thirty Years
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 30 years of contemporary US history following the fall of the Soviet Union tend to get short shrift, perhaps because this period of history is still being written, or perhaps because the end of the Cold War is a natural stopping point, an inflection point when one story ends and something new - something unpredictable - begins. Nonetheless, events of today have been profoundly shaped by the past several decades, and one must understand this recent history to understand the world today.
-
-
Very consistent
- By J B Tipton on 05-05-20
By: Patrick N. Allitt, and others
-
The Rise of Rome
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Roman Republic is one of the most breathtaking civilizations in world history. Between roughly 500 BCE to the turn of the millennium, a modest city-state developed an innovative system of government and expanded into far-flung territories across Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. This powerful civilization inspired America's founding fathers, gifted us a blueprint for amazing engineering innovations, left a vital trove of myths, and has inspired the human imagination for 2,000 years.
-
-
Very good, but doesn't stand out
- By Christopher on 02-08-18
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
-
-
A useful survey, just what I wanted
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-07-16
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
-
Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making
- By: Randall Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Randall Bartlett
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.
-
-
Great for beginners, nothing you for an economist
- By V. Taras on 07-08-15
By: Randall Bartlett, and others
-
The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
-
-
Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
-
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest takes you through the mists of time to the rugged landscape of the British Isles. Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Jennifer Paxton of The Catholic University of America surveys the forging of a great nation from a series of warring kingdoms and migrating peoples. From Germanic tribes to Viking invasions to Irish missionaries, she brings to life an underexamined time and place.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 12-10-22
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
-
Years That Changed History: 1215
- By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is so important about the year 1215? There are some history buffs who may be able to tell you that 1215 is the year the Magna Carta was signed, but there are even fewer who know that King John of England’s acceptance of this charter was only one of four major, world-changing events of this significant year. In fact, the social, cultural, political, geographical, and religious shifts that occurred in this year alone had such a huge impact on the entire world, it warrants an entire course of study for anyone truly interested in the pivotal points of history....
-
-
1215 -- Before and Beyond
- By Carol on 08-16-19
By: Dorsey Armstrong, and others
-
Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While it’s easy to get caught up - and, rightfully so - in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full, rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies. Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional understandings, that tip sacred cows, and that enlarges our understanding of how the Renaissance revolutionized the Western world.
-
-
Reads like a bad high school essay.
- By Matthew Dennis on 10-29-18
By: Jennifer McNabb, and others
-
No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
-
-
Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
-
The Great Trials of World History and the Lessons They Teach Us
- By: Douglas O. Linder, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Douglas O. Linder JD
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No understanding of the past is complete without an understanding of the legal battles and struggles that have done so much to shape it. Inside a survey of world history's greatest trials are the key insights to critical issues we still talk about today, including freedom of speech, the death penalty, religious freedom, and the meaning of equality. Join Professor Linder for these 24 lectures that investigate important legal cases from around the world and across the centuries.
-
-
Interesting material, but . . .
- By Mark on 12-29-17
By: Douglas O. Linder, and others
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Communism in Power
- From Stalin to Mao
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trace the growth of communism from Stalin’s consolidation of power to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao. These 12 half-hour lessons shed intriguing light on a revolutionary movement that played an outsized role in the 20th century and continues to shape 21st-century geopolitics.
-
-
A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius reveals the internal and external forces that ripped apart the grand communist experiment. What were the mistakes made by the Soviet leaders who believed too deeply in their own propaganda? And why were they not able to see the many ironies in their own poor decisions? In 12 fascinating lectures, you will learn how the Soviet Union went from winning the space race against the United States in 1957 to Gorbachev’s resignation and the dissolution of the great experiment in 1991.
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
-
-
Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
A biased view of economics.
- By David S. Westby on 09-03-19
-
The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
-
-
Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
-
Communism in Power
- From Stalin to Mao
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trace the growth of communism from Stalin’s consolidation of power to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao. These 12 half-hour lessons shed intriguing light on a revolutionary movement that played an outsized role in the 20th century and continues to shape 21st-century geopolitics.
-
-
A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius reveals the internal and external forces that ripped apart the grand communist experiment. What were the mistakes made by the Soviet leaders who believed too deeply in their own propaganda? And why were they not able to see the many ironies in their own poor decisions? In 12 fascinating lectures, you will learn how the Soviet Union went from winning the space race against the United States in 1957 to Gorbachev’s resignation and the dissolution of the great experiment in 1991.
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
-
-
Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
A biased view of economics.
- By David S. Westby on 09-03-19
-
The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
-
-
Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
-
Renaissance: The Transformation of the West
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While it’s easy to get caught up - and, rightfully so - in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full, rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies. Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional understandings, that tip sacred cows, and that enlarges our understanding of how the Renaissance revolutionized the Western world.
-
-
Reads like a bad high school essay.
- By Matthew Dennis on 10-29-18
By: Jennifer McNabb, and others
-
American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
- By: Wesley K. Clark, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Wesley K. Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st.
-
-
Boring, should have been titled "Battle Summaries"
- By Ben Chen on 10-12-18
By: Wesley K. Clark, and others
-
The Vietnam War
- By: John C. McManus, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John C. McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Vietnam War, you will learn about the causes and consequences of the war in Vietnam. You will explore the scope of American intervention from air campaigns to large-scale military operations on the ground. You will survey the history of Vietnam from colonial Indochina onward, getting to know the homegrown ideas, personalities, and politics that would come to shape the conflict. You will reconstruct major military operations like the Tet Offensive and Rolling Thunder.
-
-
information
- By boznremtp on 12-22-22
By: John C. McManus, and others
-
Law School for Everyone: Contracts
- By: David Horton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor David Horton
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join Professor Horton for an accessible introduction from contract essentials, including offers, acceptances, counteroffers, and options and defenses, to contract enforcement, such as fraud, duress, and unconscionability. In lectures that demystify concepts and terms that can often seem intimidating to individuals outside of legal fields, you’ll better understand (and navigate) the contracts of everyday life.
-
-
Clears up a lot about contracts
- By Philo on 11-22-20
By: David Horton, and others
-
How the Spanish Civil War Became Europe’s Battlefield
- By: Pamela B. Radcliff, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Pamela B. Radcliff
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Spanish Civil War was a local conflict on the margins of Europe—a short yet bloody series of battles in a lull between the great World Wars—but the conflict was a microcosm of war in the 20th century. Not only did the Spanish Civil War foreshadow the global conflagration to come, but it also had its roots in the modern era’s central divides: urban versus rural, religion versus secularization, rich versus poor, progress versus tradition, democracy versus fascism and communism.
-
-
Much More Than a Military History
- By Mark on 07-23-23
By: Pamela B. Radcliff, and others
-
The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch
- By: Molly Worthen, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Molly Worthen
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When you think about Christian history, you might think of the first thousand years - the events of Jesus' life, the acts of the apostles, the establishment of the church, and the various councils that established theological doctrine. But the history of Christianity from the Reformation to the present is equally dramatic and profoundly relevant. It's a story about people as much as theology - our cultures, our politics, our relationship to the world.
-
-
History of Christianity
- By Catherine on 12-12-17
By: Molly Worthen, and others
-
The Real History of Pirates
- By: Professor Manushag N. Powell, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Manushag N. Powell
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s an apocryphal story that Alexander the Great once captured a notorious pirate named Diomedes. The great conqueror decided to interview the doomed pirate, asking him what he thought gave him the right to seize the property of other people. The pirate responded by asking the emperor what he thought gave him the right to take property that doesn’t belong to him, including entire countries. The story goes that Alexander thought the pirate very clever, granting him freedom instead of execution.
-
-
Not an intro, but some interesting perspective
- By N. D. Hemingway on 06-21-21
By: Professor Manushag N. Powell, and others
-
Understanding the New Testament
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor David Brakke
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join Professor David Brakke, an award-winning Professor of History at The Ohio State University, for Understanding the New Testament. In these 24 eye-opening lectures, he takes you behind the scenes to study not only the text of the New Testament, but also the authors and the world in which it was created. You will explore Jewish lives under Roman occupation, reflect on the apocalyptic mood of the first and second centuries AD, witness the early Christians’ evangelism beyond the Jewish communities, and witness the birth of a faith that continues to shape our world today.
-
-
Familiar but Worthwhile
- By Mark on 12-01-19
-
Democracy and Its Alternatives
- By: Ethan Hollander, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ethan Hollander
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle called man a political animal. But what did he mean by that? What is democracy? How do democracies differ from one another? How do they stack up against their alternatives, like dictatorship? And can democracy survive the many challenges it faces today? To answer these questions, look no further than Democracy and Its Alternatives. Political science, history, and current affairs rolled into one, these 24 lectures investigate democratic government in theory and practice.
-
-
Very Informative
- By Racheal Dorsey on 12-20-22
By: Ethan Hollander, and others
-
Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers
- By: Joseph Hoffmann, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Joseph Hoffmann
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It would be difficult to overstate the influence of The Federalist Papers. Despite their lack of official or legal status, these 85 brilliant essays have served as the single most important guide to the interpretation and application of the US Constitution for more than 230 years. Authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers offer a detailed blueprint for building a successful democratic republic. Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers gives you the chance to delve into this magisterial blueprint for yourself.
-
-
Not about the Federalist Papers. liberal opinions
- By Spitfire on 12-07-20
By: Joseph Hoffmann, and others
-
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
-
-
Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
-
Understanding Economics
- Game Theory
- By: Jay R. Corrigan, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jay R. Corrigan
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Game theory is the study of strategic decision-making in politics, sports, diplomacy, and a host of other areas, but especially in economics, where game theory flourishes. Understanding Economics: Game Theory introduces you to this fascinating field, which combines the fun and challenge of games with the logic of brain teasers. In 12 engaging half-hour lessons, Professor Jay R. Corrigan of Kenyon College analyzes such classic games as the prisoner’s dilemma and the hawk-dove game.
-
-
The best entry point I've seen for game theory
- By Philo on 04-24-21
By: Jay R. Corrigan, and others
What listeners say about The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 01-03-20
Good work. Worth the time.
Interesting and informative. The jumps in time line might necessitate re-listening and/or lecture reading, but overall organized and engaging.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Isaac
- 10-26-22
this was awesome
i love this instructor. he is very insightful. speaks several languages and has eastern European ancestry. i look forward to viewing all of Mr. Liulevicius presentations.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Giulio
- 11-19-23
Excellent
good account of the years from Marx up Lenin.
I can not say if the author is a sympathiser or an antagonist of their ideas and that is a prise to his balance.
for my part I can only say this: Marx, Lenin, Luxembourg, were just some nutcases.
they were very clever in a way, able to understand complex theoretical ideas but very stupid with regaard to simple practical facts. they understood nothing of human nature. they thought they knew society well enough to re-build it from scratch. they thought that when reality does not follow theory, reality is wrong. they were arrogant. to the point that thay thought they could take someone's life because they dared to oppose their ideas.
and yes, as suggested at various points in the audiobook, communism is just another religion. there is no science, no theoretical truth. just irrationality and emotiviity.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John
- 06-01-22
The Birth of an Ideology that Won’t Go Away
The more I understand Communism, the more I realize that, even though “History” (for all its ballyhooed inevitability) failed to fulfil the revolutionary’s prognostications, we’re stuck with the mindset bequeathed to us by Marx, Engels and Lenin.
I refer to the quasi-religious faith in science and political action. The destructive notion that we can re-engineer human nature. The rejection of individual moral culpability (and therefore human freedom and dignity) in favor of collective, class-based political guilt. And the plague of experts – call them the nomenklatura or the elites – who think they are fully competent to do our thinking for us. That last assumption is predicated, of course, on the idea that, given enough computer models and granular data, we can predict the future – that History is, after all, inevitable. You might even suggest that, ironies of ironies, Marx’s reduction of the human person to an economic functionary is precisely what corporations have achieved.
Professor Liulevicius doesn’t make these connections, but listening to his cogent, lucid account of the roots of Socialist and Communist thought and the establishment of the Soviet state, it’s really not that hard to make them for yourself.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Peter Avery
- 03-01-20
another Favorite
I've been turned into a big fan of this guy. I enjoy the subjects he covers, the level of detail, quotes, jokes, and etymology of his subjects.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hockyboky
- 05-02-20
Fantastic
I exactly needed that. A short and concise
overall understanding of this era. Looking forward to start the next lecture series
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rodney G Gray
- 02-22-20
Lots of information...
Great start to the deep and historical roots of communism. Definitely a lot of character information I did not know and events that hold sway to this very day.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maureen Walsh
- 06-11-20
Loved it
fascinating, I ended up wanting more! I will check out other similar courses and books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Denis Kravchenko
- 04-01-20
oh, so short!
these end unexpectedly with death of Lenin. I was disappointed, there's so much more to say!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Darrel Bishop
- 12-17-19
An Objective History from Marx to Lenin
Disregard the bad review from 11/09/19.
I liked this overview of the roots and growth of Communism from Marx to Lenin. I read the review of another Audible listener (below) which gave a critical review of the lecture and called it "bad scholarship." It's clear the review author sees anything less than gushing praise for communism as right wing propaganda. As a historian, I found the scholarship to be on Paar with academic practices today. I found the lecture informative and objective and followed a logical course through the end of the 19th century and into the 20th. I would purchase another lecture from this professor.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
18 people found this helpful