A Marxist History of the World From Neanderthals to Neoliberals

by Faulkner, Neil

• ISBN13: 9780745332147
• ISBN10: 0745332145
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-04-09
• Publisher: PLUTO PRESS

Summary

This magisterial analysis of human history - from 'Lucy', the first hominid, to the Great Recession of 2008 - combines the insights of earlier generations of Marxist historians with radical new ideas about the historical process.*BR**BR*Reading history against the grain, Neil Faulkner reveals that what happened in the past was not predetermined. Choices were frequent and numerous. Different outcomes - liberation or barbarism - were often possible. Rejecting the top-down approach of conventional history, Faulkner contends that it is the mass action of ordinary people that drives great events.*BR**BR*At the beginning of the 21st century - with economic disaster, war, climate catastrophe and deep class divisions - humans face perhaps the greatest crisis in the long history of our species. The lesson of A Marxist History of the World is that, since we created our past, we can also create a better future.

Author Biography

Neil Faulkner is a Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, co-director of several archaeological field-projects, and author of numerous books, including Rome: Empire of the Eagles (2008) and A Visitor's Guide to the Ancient Olympics (2012). He is a leading member of Counterfire and publicity officer for the Coalition of Resistance.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why History Matters
1.  Hunters and Farmers
2.  The First Class Societies
3.  Ancient Empires
4.  The End of Antiquity
5.  The Medieval World
6.  European Feudalism
7.  The First Wave of Bourgeois Revolutions
8.  The Second Wave of Bourgeois Revolutions
9.  The Rise of Industrial Capitalism
10. The Age of Blood and Iron
11. Imperialism and War
12. The Revolutionary Wave
13. The Great Depression
14. World War and Cold War
15. The New World Disorder
Conclusion: Making the Future
Timeline
Sources
Index