The second volume of this trilogy about the origins and evolution of the communist movement proves this to be a work of research unprecedented in world letters. No history of the phenomenon up to the present day has fleshed out this ideological debate with the details of its economic context, the development of parallel institutions like unions, big business, intellectual property, and the social safety net. This is also the first to examine the movement’s distinct manifestations in North America, England, France, Spain, Germany, and Russia.
Always cleaving to primary sources, Escohotado brings his theme up to date thanks to the torrent of new data brought to light by the internet, which gives the book the feel of a drama taking place in real time. The author takes as central themes the dramatic period spanning the beginning of the XIX century and the birth of the USSR and the tension between the messianic and democratic models of socialism, and arrives at a set of general conclusions that lead him to a consideration of the weaknesses, peculiarities, and biases of communism in the present day.