Trotskyism in the United States: Historical Essays and Reconsiderations

by Paul Le Blanc, George Breitman, Alan M. Wald

In the new edition of this definitive work on the history of the revolutionary socialist current in the United States that came to be identified as "American Trotskyism," Paul Le Blanc offers fresh reflections on this history for scholars and activists in the twenty-first century. Includes a preface written especially for the new edition of this distinctive work. Paul Le Blanc is a professor of History at La Roche College and author of Choice Award–winning book A Freedom Budget for All Americans .

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Paul Le Blanc is an American historian at La Roche University in Pittsburgh as well as labor and socialist activist who has written or edited more than 30 books on topics such as Leon Trotsky and Rosa Luxemburg.

Le Blanc was born in 1947 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and spent his childhood in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. His parents, Gaston Le Blanc and Shirley Harris, were labor activists; he has two sisters. He studied at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on history and receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971, a Master of Arts degree in 1980, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1989.

Reviews

[Jason Schulman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alan Wald essay is particularly good, particularly insightful in its analysis of the positives and negatives of the American Trotskyist -- or at least Socialist Workers Party -- experience.

[Shaun Richman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group-written post-mortem of the pre-Jack Barnes Socialist Workers Party. Alan Wald's contributions elevate the whole enterprise, which is otherwise too orthodox to be of much use.

[Jacob Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trotskyism: endearing, intellectual, entirely doomed