Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsA superb book: Exciting, informative and scholarly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2012
In "The rise & Fall of Communism", Brown chronicles the history of communism from its ideological inception in the second half of the 19th century until the current times. As communism by now is present only in few states, the history feels very much as a "complete story" with a beginning (Marx and Engels writing the communist manifesto), middle (the revolutions in Russia and subsequent spread of communism) and end (Glasnost and Perestroika in Russia and the dismantling of the Soviet union).
The book feels uniformly well written, detailed and objective throughout its more than 600 pages. Brown does a good job of not only describing historical events, but also of putting them into context and taking a birds-eye view of his subject. In particular, he spends several chapters not on relaying any particular facts, but instead on "building understanding" by outlining for example what is meant by a communist system, the psychological appeals of communism, the reasons for the longevity of communism and so on.
The book is long, and I must admit that during the middle years (post-Stalin) where things were less dramatic, I occassionally found it to be not quite as engaging as in the beginning and the end. However, for the most part, the book literally is an exciting read. The history of communism is to a large extent both colorful and dramatic, and demonstrates both the heights and depths of human nature.
After reading the book, I definitely felt more informed about the history and origins of the society we live in today, how large a role communism has played in shaping the world of today and how different things were just thirty years ago. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the history of the 19th and 20th century, or with an interest in human nature and political ideology in general.