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Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 22 hrs and 49 mins
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Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life
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Summary
Karl Marx is a magisterial and defining biography that vividly explores not only the man himself but also the revolutionary times in which he lived. Between his birth in 1818 and his death 65 years later, Karl Marx became one of Western civilization's most influential political philosophers. Two centuries on, he is still revered as a prophet of the modern world, yet he is also blamed for the darkest atrocities of modern times. But no matter in what light he is cast, the short, but broad-shouldered, bearded Marx remains - as a human being - distorted on a Procrustean bed of political "isms", perceived through the partially distorting lens of his chief disciple, Friedrich Engels, or understood as a figure of 20th-century totalitarian Marxist regimes.
Returning Marx to the Victorian confines of the 19th century, Jonathan Sperber, one of the United States' leading European historians, challenges many of our misconceptions of this political firebrand turned London journalist. In this deeply humanizing portrait, Marx no longer is the Olympian soothsayer, divining the dialectical imperatives of human history, but a scholar-activist whose revolutionary Weltanschauung was closer to Robespierre's than to those of 20th-century Marxists.
With unlimited access to the MEGA (the Marx-Engels Gesamtausgabe, the total edition of Marx's and Engels' writings), only recently available, Sperber juxtaposes the private man, the public agitator, and the philosopher-economist. With Napoleon III, Bismarck, Adam Smith, and Charles Darwin, among others, as supporting players, Karl Marx becomes not just a biography of a man but a vibrant portrait of an infinitely complex time. Already hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a major work... likely to be the standard biography of Marx for many years," Karl Marx promises to become the defining portrait of a towering historical figure.
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What listeners say about Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR
- 27-05-20
A satisfyingly thorough biography
An excellent book which fills in many missing details of Marx's life and the development of his ideas. The author gives us a very full picture of the man in the setting of his personal and family life as well as the more familiar context of his engagement with political supporters, rivals, and opponents. The careful and convincing argument identifying him as above all a 19th century thinker located firmly in his time is particularly valuable.
The reader has a good voice and delivers the story at just the right pace and with pleasing expression. Unfortunately, like too many Audible presenters, he often mispronounces words, names, and places. This can be startling and distracting. The worst example is his rendering of Hegel, a name which inevitably recurs frequently throughout the book. During the first half he is 'Heggle' and in the second 'Heg-gell'. Other than that the pure quality of the content makes this a memorable experience.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bob Layson
- 26-01-22
Good on the reality of Marx. Poor on the imposs
Good on reality of Marx. Poor on the impossibility of Socialism in one or many a country.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James Mills
- 05-12-19
Getting to know Karl Marx
I Wanted to know who Karl Marx was. As someone that has limited knowledge on karl Marx and his writings, This seemed to give a good rounded view of what he wrote, when he wrote it, and what was going on in his life. Coving his up bringing to his death.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barry Wom
- 11-06-22
A Grand Story
A great biography of Marx made accessible by the author despite its depth. One quibble is with the narrator who doesn’t seem to know the difference between a comma and a full stop. This, at times, gives it a bit of a robotic feel but it’s not too distracting. Listen to the sample before you purchase.
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