Rise and Fall

by Milovan Djilas, John Fiske Loud (translator)

In the aftermath of the dramatic Communist partisan victory that gave them control of Yugoslavia in 10/1944, Milovan Djilas became one of the three aides closest to Tito; he witnessed revolutionaries becoming rulers, conferred with Stalin & confronted him at the historic meeting that led to the break with Moscow. Ten years later, because Djilas criticized the misuse of power that led to the rise of a 'new class' & championed the cause of democratic socialism, he was expelled from the Central Committee & imprisoned for nine years. Djilas' inside account of a revolution gone awry, of a dictatorship whose power ethic led it to seize control not only of minds but of bodies as well, is a painful, personal book of bitter truths forged from the struggle to remain true to a revolution that was cruelly untrue to him.

Genres: History

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Milovan Đilas was a prolific political writer and former Yugoslav communist official remembered for his disillusionment with communism. Much of his work has been translated into English from Serbian. He was, above all, a literary artist. In several of his books, Djilas proclaimed himself a writer by vocation, and a politician only under the pressure of events.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Djilas was a bit of a hero to some of us in high school as he was one of those who represented the idealism of communism, so often betrayed when ostensibly communist movements come to power. This is one of, I believe, three volumes which effectively constitute his autobiography, this one, the last, covering the years 1944-84.

[Andrew Weitzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got around to finishing Djilas' trilogy of memoirs-- only took six years! This concluding volume chronicles his time in the newly-formed Yugoslav government, where he is a member of Tito's inner circle. At least until he gets turned on for having democratic opinions and chucked back into prison, as inevitably happens in Communist dictatorships. This is also the most narratively coherent of his memoirs. It was pretty good! 4/5

[TroTro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Details about how the Yugoslav government worked.