The Rise and Fall of Communism

Superb…a hugely readable book – Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *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 * Sunday Times *To understand one of the central stories of the 20th century - read Brown’s book * Independent *The breadth of his scholarship and research is hugely impressive… Brown offers clever insights, as well as some fascinating new revelations * Evening Standard *This book is the crowning achievement of Archie Brown’s career… This volume will remain a definitive study of communism… Thank you, Archie Brown – Oleg Gordievsky * Literary Review *Comprehensive and impressive * Financial Times *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 – Donald Sassoon * Guardian *A clear and expert account of the rise and fall of communism – Marcus Earl * Weekend Review *A stimulating read, which provides valuable insights – Adam Fabry * Socialist Review *His conclusions neatly balance the equally pertinent questions of why Communist systems collapse, and why they lasted so long – Stephen Howe * Independent *

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.