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Summary: Interesting Addition to Modern Library Chronicles Series
Review: Richard Pipes' book, Communism a History, is another installment in the interesting Modern Library Chronicles series matching renowned authors with subjects and giving them a short (less than two hundred pages) amount of space to discuss it. There are obvious drawbacks to this system if one is expecting thorough and scholarly examinations of a particular topic. These are designed for a quick look at a topic as a way to, hopefully, lead the reader further. This books serves that purpose quite adequately.The author looks at communism's rise and fall in the twentienth century. He concentrates on personalities, moving from Marx (too briefly) to Lenin to Stalin, while touching on Mao and, even, Pol Pot. The book is right wing tinged, in fairness Stalin did give plenty of ammunition for attack, with little examination of the other side of the Cold War. Africa is presented, for example, as being manipulated by opportunistic dictators favouring Russia and Communism for their own purposes with not even a brief mention of the opposite number of dictators favouring the United States, such as in the Congo. This will upset some readers but will hopefully lead them to other good books covering the entire spectrum of this debate. For a short introduction into the horrors of communism, this book can not be beat. For a look at the madness that fear of communism created in the Western World, the reader will have to look elsewhere. But after reading this slim, readable volume, the reader will, at least, learn where the fear came from.
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Summary: Student from Cambridge, MA
Review: This is a totally unfair extremely right-wing (what else do you get from someone who served in Reagan's administration) analysis of Marxisim/Communism, Leninism etc. I know that horrible things happened in Russia and China under communism but look at what America has done to the rest of the world - capitilism at its worst. Also this book is the worst example of American academia - how can you fit in any such analyses in 167 pages.
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Summary: Must reread again.
Review: I did not get much out of this book the first time
around. Mr. Pipes standards as an author were not met, as in his
first book. So, I won't give it a buy rating, but I will read it again. Jimmy
Rating: 
Summary: A Well-Deserved Obituary
Review: In a succint 160 pages, Richard Pipes aptly lays down a history of Communism which is meant to serve both as an introduction to and an obituary for this "utopia" envisioned by Karl Marx and others. The telling quotes and the refreshingly logical progression (from its starting point in the books of philosophers to the bloody ocean of victims it left behind) make this book arguably one of the best ever written on this grim subject. Although I cannot speak for everyone, the skill that Pipes displays while grounding his conclusions in the facts as well as his ability to pick the quotes that best exemplify each leader, make this the best that I personally have ever read on Communism--and thus my rating of five stars. To be frank, if Communism does survive after this, the book will only prove its point--that Communism, in theory as well as in practice, has a reckless disregard for both the facts of reality and for human life.
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Summary: Concise and Brilliant.
Review: Oscar Wilde said that the cigarette was the perfect type of pleasure, as it was exquisite but left one unsatisfied. The same can be said regarding Richard Pipes' Communism: A History. It is a concise work, and its 160 pages of narrative are perfect for those under time constraints, but when you're done, you'll wish there was another section hidden behind the index. To corrupt the words of Stalin, this book is an essential and short course on communism, which, in hindsight, can be defined as the desire of a government to destroy its own people.
Pipes had an ambitious task before him when he classified so much history into so little space, but the end product is first rate. His conclusion that, "Communism was not a good idea that went wrong; it was a bad idea" rings true to the majority who have studied it. Communism's survey is quite damning and leaves little room for exculpatory evidence for all the tragedies committed on the behalf of a pseudo-philosopher named Marx. Pipes visits the theoretical underpinnings of Marxism and finds every premise flawed. First, there has never been a society where man did not value his possessions. Even in the days of feudalism, the serf had his own plot of land he worked and was allowed to maintain. What he did not give to his lord he kept for himself. Communism pretends that man will productively work when he is inherently not vested in the results of his labors. This has never been the case. When one acknowledges this theoretical misassumption, the doom that flows from it is not surprising. Traditionally, the landowner and the tenant were partners, and the landowner could not profit without the tenant's successful tilling of the soil. With communism, no such interaction between citizen and bureaucrat was necessary. If the yields were low, only the citizens starved. The bureaucrats never did. In Russia , there was no motivation to work at all. As one peasant said, "They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work." Another said, "If you don't steal from your government, you are stealing from your family." If you get any time off over the summer and are at the beach (or even at a laundromat), I recommend reading or skimming Communism: A History. If nothing else, it helps us give thanks for all we've been given (and avoided) by living in the United States of America.
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Summary: Words from the master
Review: There is, quite simply, no better brief treatment of such a complicated subject in print. Pipes is a true expert on the subject of communism and he provides, quick incisive analysis in this pithy volume. A brisk, well-written read, it is intended to be a quick study and introductory in nature (e.g., it has no footnotes, nor do most of the Modern Library Chronicles series). As such, it succeeds admirably and leaves an inquisitive reader with a good foundation for further study. If you want more detail or breadth, I suggest some of Pipes' other books ("The Russian Revolution", "Property and Freedom"), some of the works by Robert Conquest (Stalin bio, "Reflections on a Ravaged Century" or "Harvest of Sorrow") or the controversial "Black Book of Communism." Many of the criticisms I have read are peculiar:(i)"no footnotes"--again, a feature of most of the books in the MLC series; (ii) "misspelling omelette"--who cares?; or (iii) "pro-communist"--a criticism akin to calling Pipes' son Daniel "pro-Islamist". Some are more serious: (i) "bias"--I prefer to think of it as Pipes' judgment as informed by history, but if you want to read Marxist apologists, you probably already know where to find them without any help; and (ii) "factually inaccurate"--not really true and not anything I've encountered in Pipes' other works. All in all, a great jumping-off point for readers and another triumph for the Modern Library Chronicles series. Read it and be thankful Pipes writes the "obituary" of this dehumanizing ideology.
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Summary: Excellent analysis of an unworkable political system
Review: Pipes provides an interesting analysis of the political system from its formation as a theory to the actual practice in the 20th century. Pipes explains why it looks good on the surface but actually ends up breeding exactly the sort of system that it was supposed to eliminate. In trying to make everyone and their lifestyle equal, the system ignores the very human tendency to seize control and power. Recommend for history students and buffs, political science enthusiasts and anyone else who wants to learn more about communism.
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Summary: Communism 101
Review: If you want to digest Communism in a few hours this book offers a convenient way to do it. Pipes does not dwell on minute differences of doctrine within the Communist camp. Rather, he focuses on the main personalities (Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao) and their influence on history. This is not a neutral history. Pipes serves up Soviet history with a strong anti-Communist slant. Given his own experience as a Polish immigrant and, later, as an intellectual whose ideas strongly influenced Reagan's Cold War policy, his perspective is neither surprising nor annoying. Pipes is not climbing atop a soapbox. Rather, he offers a history that doesn't pretend to adopt a morally neutral framework. At times I thought he could have replaced some of his Soviet-bashing with more explanations of how Communism appealed to some people. However, on balance, Pipes' criticisms seem neither overly excessive nor unfounded.
A bright high school student would have no trouble understanding the story Pipes tells. His book could serve as a text for an undergraduate class on "Communism's Influence on the 20th Century" although, at only ~150 pgs it would be a bit short. If an overview of Soviet communism is what you want, Pipes provides it.
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Summary: GREAT LITTLE BOOK
Review: This is a great little book and overview on the folly of Communism; not just in its practice but also in theory. Communism goes against all laws of human nature. Some people like to say that "true" communism is good or would work if only tyrants like Lenin, Stalin, and Mao didn't mess it up. This is utter nonsense. Communism is morally bankrupt and just doesn't work. To Stephanie S. from Nottingham: What book did you read? How can you state that Mr. Pipes' point of view is from a "left/pro communist" direction? Read a few of his works and you will see where he stands. Richard Pipes and Robert Conquest are two of the best authors if one wants to learn about the true horrors of Leninism and Stalinism.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a reliable resource
Review: While this book may not contain a single factual error (I doubt it), one would not know because almost nothing is cited. There are almost NO citations in this book, and the author makes plenty of claims that leave you wondering "where did he get that information?". While the book is well written and entertaining, it does tend to lean toward the left/ pro-communist view, further bringing into question the source of his credibility. If you want to have an opinion, fine, but don't make-believe your opinions are facts. Cite the facts!
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