A Collection of Marxist Writings

The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx’s Wage-Labour and Capital, Friedrich Engels’ Socialism: Utopian and Scientific

By: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

Narrated by: Matthew J Chandler-Smith

Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

This audiobook contains three major works on Marxism: The Communist Manifesto, Wage-Labour and Capital, and Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

©2018 Darwin Publishing (P)2018 Darwin Publishing

Fascinating perspective, great collection

I grew up during the cold war, and my ideas about Communism and Karl Marx were formed in that culture, in that time.
I had heard from time to time that Communism "looks good on paper" with the understanding that the meaning was that it didn't work in the real world. When I came across this audio book, it occurred to me that all the times I heard the "looks good on paper" line, this is the thing they were talking about, The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx. I gave it a listen, just out of curiosity. I'm glad I did. It's a work well worth a listen, just as a historical document. Considering it was published for the first time in 1849, it was ahead of it's time on many fronts. It speaks out against slavery and racism, child labor and the position of women in society as second class citizens. The Emancipation Proclamation would not come along until 1863 in the US, and our 13th amendment formally abolishing slavery would not be ratified until 1865. Meaningful legislation against child labor would not be formally proposed in the United States until 1924, and it was not actually outlawed until 1938. Women, as the world knows, continue to struggle for equal pay and rights even today. The Communist Manifesto literally proposed equal pay for women.... in 1849. Mind blowing.
Obviously, there is a lot more to the story. Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, is just one work of many that shows what a nightmare life was in the Stalinist Soviet Union, just as one example of what Communism Gone Wrong looked like.
Still, the works contained in this audio collection are fascinating. The narration is wonderful. I highly recommend this to anyone who is curious to know more.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Doesn’t know how to pronounce bourgeoisie

Every time the narrator mis-pronounced bourgeoisie, it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. How can you miss-pronounce a term that is so central to Marxs??

A sobering realization

common themes arise throughout these publications that are frighteningly the policies of our current elected leaders. listing to these 3 works has given me a perspective of the ideology that runs counter to the founding of our Nation. A sobering look at a posible future where people are an instrument of the state. I highly recommend lisstenig or reading in order to enhance one's understanding of socialism and communism.

classic on class antagonism/class warfare analysis

verbose, but if you persevere the analysis is worth it would absolutely recommend to anyone

A must-read

I bought this and have listened to it along side the Communist Party Manifesto and The Gulag Archipelago and others in a personal study of Soviet era history.

This is a fascinating insight into the works of Engels and Marx without the mind-numbing length of the three volumes of Capital. If you are interested in learning more about an area of history that in the West is very poorly understood then I would strongly recommend you add these to your reading list.