The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression by Stéphane Courtois | Goodreads

The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression by Stéphane Courtois | Goodreads







Want to Read

Rate this book
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars


The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression
(Black Book of Communism #1-2)
by
Stéphane Courtois,
Andrzej Paczkowski,
Karel Bartosek
4.10 · Rating details · 705 ratings · 65 reviews
Already famous throughout Europe, this international bestseller plumbs recently opened archives in the former Soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of Communism around the world: terror, torture, famine, mass deportations, and massacres. Astonishing in the sheer detail it amasses, the book is the first comprehensive attempt to catalogue and analyze the crimes of Communism over seventy years.

"Revolutions, like trees, must be judged by their fruit," Ignazio Silone wrote, and this is the standard the authors apply to the Communist experience--in the China of "the Great Helmsman," Kim Il Sung's Korea, Vietnam under "Uncle Ho" and Cuba under Castro, Ethiopia under Mengistu, Angola under Neto, and Afghanistan under Najibullah. The authors, all distinguished scholars based in Europe, document Communist crimes against humanity, but also crimes against national and universal culture, from Stalin's destruction of hundreds of churches in Moscow to Ceausescu's leveling of the historic heart of Bucharest to the widescale devastation visited on Chinese culture by Mao's Red Guards.

As the death toll mounts--as many as 25 million in the former Soviet Union, 65 million in China, 1.7 million in Cambodia, and on and on--the authors systematically show how and why, wherever the millenarian ideology of Communism was established, it quickly led to crime, terror, and repression. An extraordinary accounting, this book amply documents the unparalleled position and significance of Communism in the hierarchy of violence that is the history of the twentieth century. (less)

GET A COPY
Kobo
Online Stores ▾
Book Links ▾

Hardcover, 858 pages
Published October 15th 1999 by Harvard University Press (first published November 1997)
Original Title
Le livre noir du communisme: Crimes, terreur, répression
ISBN
0674076087 (ISBN13: 9780674076082)
Edition Language
English
Series
Black Book of Communism #1-2
Characters
Joseph Stalin, Che Guevara, Mao Zedong

Other Editions (42)






All Editions | Add a New Edition | Combine...Less DetailEdit Details





FRIEND REVIEWS
Recommend This Book None of your friends have reviewed this book yet.



READER Q&A
Ask the Goodreads community a question about The Black Book of Communism



Be the first to ask a question about The Black Book of Communism



LISTS WITH THIS BOOK
Communist Genocide

152 books — 38 voters
Essential Books on Communism

30 books — 17 voters

More lists with this book...



COMMUNITY REVIEWS
Showing 1-30
Average rating4.10 ·
Rating details
· 705 ratings · 65 reviews





More filters
|
Sort order

Sejin, start your review of The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression
Write a review

Oct 29, 2009Ben Rothman rated it it was amazing
Every idiot college kid who thinks Che and Fidel were really cool should read this book.
flag103 likes · Like · 4 comments · see review



Aug 14, 2015Jonfaith rated it did not like it
Enormous lapses prevail. Despite its looming effect, the Black Book is actually a void, a lack. The latter sections on the developing world are primed in terms of the white man's burden. The statistics provided within certainly don't lie. The approach to the endeavor lacks all the integrity of scholarship.
flag32 likes · Like · 6 comments · see review



Aug 05, 2011Urey Patrick rated it it was amazing
Shelves: history-20th-century
Communism was the most monstrous blight upon humanity of the 20th century. These French scholars - some of them former Communists - have painstakingly documented the repression, terror, venality and murderous tactics that have characterized every Communist regime. They have accessed archives and documentation unavailable before the demise of the USSR and its numerous satellites. The numbers are daunting - the scale of human suffering and death is almost incomprehensible. This book is deeply disturbing - but compelling and necessary. Communism has not been widely recognized for its catastrophic and bloody record, far in excess of the justly condemned crimes of Hitler's NAZIs. To the contrary, it has been admired and covered up by too many in the free world who should know better, but sadly do not. Too many apologists, too many relativists - the truth about Communism must be understood. This book is also an invaluable history of the various Communist movements throughout the 20th Century - with dedicated sections covering Russia (Lenin to modern days), China, eastern Europe, Korea, southeastern Asia, Central and South America, Cuba and Africa. It is an invaluable resource and reference. (less)
flag26 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review



Jan 08, 2008Chris rated it it was amazing
A MUST-read. Really, we all have our notions about the Communist ideology, but the documentation of the crimes conducted in the name of the ideology is mind-blowing. The systematic documentation of the murder of 100+ million people in the name of the Communist ideology makes this book difficult, but very important, to read. Moreover, the analysis of the authors as to how this history could actually have occurred is also very interesting. Their thesis is that a particularly violent Russian culture--Karl Marx, for his part, was consistently opposed to violence--combined with a millenarian ideology was the fertile soil for the growth of bloodshed. Indeed, I left this book thinking that, although the Communist ideology has been dealt a critical blow, the practical actions of Communist leaders in the 20th century passed on the culture of violence and millenarian ideology to another generation of murderers in the 21st century who would have nothing to do with Communism as an ideology.

If you have only studied Communism as an ideology you should really read this book to see how the ideology played out in practice. (less)
flag19 likes · Like · comment · see review



Apr 22, 2009Gabriel rated it it was amazing
Not an easy read, but well worth it, especially for those who have not seen the communism in action, first hand (as I did in my youth).

flag19 likes · Like · comment · see review



Dec 08, 2009Ebookwormy1 rated it really liked it
Recommended to Ebookwormy1 by: M. Medved
Shelves: non-fiction, reference, history, currenteventspolitics, world
Years ago, I was in a meeting where the question was asked: "What are 5-10 highlights of history that every Ukrainian student is taught in school?" Questions like this that confront us with our own culture are often quite difficult to answer, because we assume such things are so well known among us as to be boring or irrelevant. The first response was Chernobyl, expected. The second response was stunning to me as an American, it was something like...'of course, students are taught about World War II and how the Russians won, and prior to that, the forced starvation of Ukrainians by the Russians in the '30s (Holodomor) when millions, maybe 25% of the population died. The Russian period was very bad for Ukraine, we are glad it is over.' Being from United States, I had not considered that in Eastern Europe, RUSSIA won World War II, a position that makes sense in light of Soviet expansion as a result of the war. Additionally, I was completely unacquainted with the Holodomor, an event which claimed (estimated) 6 million lives in the region (see "Black Book..." pg. 159). These perspectives, as well as the story of countries in Asia, Africa and South America would have been familiar to me had I read "The Black Book of Communism".

The editor proposes "The Black Book of Communism" documents that the Communism the Allies partnered with to win World War II is just as evil, if not more so, than the fascism of the Nazis which was eliminated. The editor neither suggests the alliance should have been avoided, nor denies the atrocities of Nazi Germany. Everyone acknowledges the war had to be fought, the war had to be won. However, this country by country examination of the workings of Communism as a governmental system espouses that Communism is an evil that deserves to be recognized as such based on it's historical record.

This seminal analysis explains WHY all freedom loving people should be opposed to a Communist system of government. Had Ronald Reagan lived to see it published, he would have been proud. Not only does a complete read provide an overview of 20th century history during which Communism was born and cultivated, it also illuminates how Communism impacted the specific nations in which it was adopted.

While the scope of this work is in some ways similar to Martin Meredith's "The Fate of Africa", the accessibility is a bit less. Meredith's journalistic style eases the burden on the reader, but "The Black Book of Communism" maintains a somewhat academic tone. Given that each section is written by different authors, and originally composed in French before being translated, there is a certain inconsistency that makes some sections more readable than others. Readers lacking commitment may find "Black Book..." slow going. It is worth the effort! Readers should be prepared for intellectual engagement, philosophical examination, a high body count, non-fiction documentation and building moral outrage as the bell tolls on through country after country around the globe. There is a bit of tedium here that only serves to magnify the horror.

Bottom line: This is a perspicacious read that should be required for all liberal arts college students, with particularly robust examination by political science and government majors, as well as anyone who wants to be informed of the history shaping our times. 4 stars.

The Fate of Africa, Meredith, 2006
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For personal testimonies of Communism, see
(China) Shanghai Faithful, Lin, 2017
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

(Romania) Saving my Assassin, Prodan, 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

(Romania) Tortured for Christ, Richard Wurmbrand, 1967
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

(Romania) The Pastor's Wife, Sabrina Wurmbrand, 1970
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (less)
flag12 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review



Oct 04, 2007John rated it really liked it
Recommends it for: everyone, especially left-wing academics
Shelves: ussr
Not the easiest read, but it confirms that the billions spent to oppose Communism globally were well worth it. Alleged intellectuals who differentiate Communism in theory from its real-world practice everywhere, or who believe there was any moral equivalence between the West and Communism can no longer pretend they have a leg to stand on.
flag11 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review



Jan 07, 2016Gary rated it it was amazing
Perhaps the most comprehensive and candid study of Communism yet to be written , the authors with brutal honesty lay bare the extent of the horror of the system called 'Communism' which has spread its tentacles across the globe , at its height ruling over a third of mankind, and still continues its reign of terror in some countries - 84 years after the Bolsheviks siezed power in Russia.As Martin Malia pints out in his forward what makes this book remarkable is unlike the previous studies which have been of Communist tyrannies in specific countries or regions whether in the Soviet Union , Eastern Europe , China , Cambodia , Ethiopia or elsewhere this work provides the totality of this system of total terror In his introduction Stephane Courtois gives a rough approximation of the more then 100 million people butchered by Communism USSR : 20 million deaths China : 65 million deaths Vietnam : 1 million deaths North Korea : 2 million deaths Cambodia : 2 million deaths Eastern Europe : 1 million deaths Latin America : 150 000 deaths Africa : 1.7 million deaths Afghanistan : 1.5 million deaths The international Communist movement and Communist parties not in power : about 10 000 deaths All of the regions where Communism's hellish iron grip weighed down like a chain of skulls and bones have been detailed in chapters of this book by different experts There is also a chapter detailing how all major post 1945 terrorist movements including the IRA , PLO-PFLP-DFLP , and terrorist groups throughout Europe ,Asia and Africa have been given logistic and moral support by the communist powers and have usually been inspired by Communist ideology Add too this revolutionary dictatorships which were/are not officially Communist but were/are inspired by Communist ideology such as Iraq,Syria,Libya,Zimbabwe and Nasser's Egypt and it is clear just how far reaching this perfidious ideology has been Stephane Courtois points out that despite arguments of intellectual sophistry to the contrary there is no moral or empirical difference between the twin evils of Nazism and Communism."In 1950 Margaret Buber-Neumann recounted her experience of being twice deported -once to a Nazi camp and once to a Soviet camp- in an article published on 25 February in Figaro literraire , "An Inquiry on Soviet Camps : Who is worse? Satan or Beelzebub" Reading the book leaves one completely overwhelmed and revolted that there are still those who propagate , defend or downplay the evil of this ideology It is clear the world has still learned little when we see how Red China has been chosen to host the 2008 Olympic Games and a blind eye is turned away from the excesses of the existing Communist and Revolutionary regimes today (less)
flag9 likes · Like · comment · see review



Jun 24, 2016MrsER rated it it was amazing
If there is a book that must be read, this is it. Extremely well-documented, formed by a collection of essays by distinguished scholars (some are members of the Left, some former communists), this book exposes the reality of communism, not the lies spread by academia, the media and their acolytes on the Left. The book’s editor, Stéphane Courtoi, was absurdly accused of anti-Semitism by the French rag “Le Monde” for (rightfully) equating communism to nazism. Together with Jonah Goldberg’s “Liberal Fascism,” it will help push back the frontiers of ignorance—to paraphrase my favorite Conservative, Dr. Walter E. Williams. (less)
flag9 likes · Like · see review



Nov 12, 2013Alexandra rated it it was amazing
Shelves: amazing
AMAZING AND HEART-WRENCHING!

This book is the bible of the anti-communist movement.

It documents a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by Communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and artificial famines.
flag8 likes · Like · comment · see review



Mar 05, 2012EricW rated it it was amazing
Shelves: cold-war
An important reference.
flag8 likes · Like · comment · see review



Aug 11, 2012Rhonda Keith rated it it was amazing
I am reading this book from the outside in -- intros and appendices. It is over 800 pages of history and I may not read all of it; I may focus on Cuba. But it is an essential work, compiling history of the 20th-century atrocities wrought by communist regimes around the world. Wholesale murder in Russia, China, Latin America -- everywhere communism has taken root -- is not just idealism gone astray, it's policy. The intros also discuss why the facts were covered up, and then rationalized away, by leftists. But even now there are young people who think Stalin was a great leader, just doing what he had to do. With what goal? The Marxist "dialectic" that purported to analyze the "internal contradictions" of capitalism never mentions the contradiction of killing vast numbers of people to save humanity. The photos herein are appalling. (less)
flag7 likes · Like · comment · see review



Aug 14, 2007JP rated it did not like it
Although the crimes of communistic regimes are well documented, this book utterly fails to provide a reasonable analysis of the history of the very regimes it condemns as well as the political context that fueled said revolutions in the various nations involved. Much is missing about US and European involvement and it simply boils down to hypocrisy. It also endlessly extrapolates upon statistical data that was never reliable to begin with, especially in what concerns data from China. The book further falls into ridicule by "Goodwin(ing)" itself from the start and making a various not so obvious libertarian stands. Communism was a indeed a failed experiment but so is this "book". (less)
flag7 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review



Jun 10, 2011sologdin rated it did not like it
Shelves: nuke-from-orbit-only-way-to-be-sure, soviet-empire
Multiple authors are inconsistent on central points. Not exactly the most credible exercise when text was originally produced by think tank in attempt to influence partisan politics in France. Focus on carceral systems and violent insurgencies accounts for the argument; there is little analysis of actual economics of communism.
flag7 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review



Feb 13, 2014Mary Catelli rated it really liked it
Shelves: history-modern

This is not light reading.

An extensive look at the violence and mass murder of Communism. The Soviet Union gets the largest chunk, followed by China, but there's more. On Eastern Europe. On North Korea. On Vietnam, Laos, Camobia. On Latin America and Africa and Afghanistan.

Sometimes it turns into lists of victims and the particular, not much varying detail of how they ended up dead, but a lot covers the movements, the specific programs, the classes of victims, and means used to target, torture, ...more
flag6 likes · Like · comment · see review



Aug 19, 2008G-- rated it it was amazing
Shelves: nonfiction-my-favorite-kind-of-boo
This book [french, so it is actually controversial where it was written] takes on the last century of communism, asserting that because the primary tenets of communism are based upon a mythically nice version of human nature, communism can only be imposed by force. I.e., the essence of communism must be repression. People act by self interest, and a regime cannot force them to abandon this quality. Fascinating--and for you free market fanatics out there--this dark view of human nature doesn't let you off the hook either. Seriously, if humans are jerks by their very nature, why should we let nature have its way with our markets? (less)
flag6 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review



Aug 16, 2017Viet Nguyen rated it it was amazing
MUST READ!!!
flag6 likes · Like · comment · see review



Oct 11, 2011Anne rated it really liked it
Shelves: political, historical, europe
This is mighty tome, and sometimes dull, but a must read for those who think Communism was not dangerous or is not still around. Responsible for far more murders than Hitler, this brand of socialism has been in a large amount of countries and in each one, many people who do not want it are slaughtered without mercy. It still exists today, and many people still believe in it and want to enforce it on the countries which have not suffered from it. It may take a while to read this, but you will find that after finishing, you will do anything to make sure it does not raise it's ugly head again. recommended. (less)
flag5 likes · Like · comment · see review



Dec 30, 2019Keti rated it did not like it
If you want a proper historical overview as opposed to mere propaganda (which was especially common for the 1990s, when "history ended"), do check out actual scholarly work on the history of communism by more credible academics. There are extensive criticisms of this book and the sources and methodology used to draw some extremely political conclusions. You can even start with Chomsky who was an avid critic of the Soviet Union:
https://web.archive.org/web/201609210...
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review



Sep 12, 2018Wilfredo Rodríguez Dotti rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites
Well, this book doesn't need a review too exhaustive since the title speaks for itself. It is basically a detailed historical compilation, chronologically ordered and very well done on the establishment of communism in all countries where it has existed, as well as its devastating effects paid with the loss of millions of lives, losses that continue to swell the bloody list today. Personally, based on the current situation in my country (Venezuela), and the transition that I had to live before departing, I think it is a book that is worth reading, especially to raise awareness about how harmful this ideology is. (less)
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review