David Priestland

British historian and author known for works on the history of communism and modern global history.

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. The Red Flag

    A History of Communism

    A sweeping history that traces communism’s intellectual origins, revolutionary upheavals, and global impact from the 19th century to the present, analyzing how its utopian promises of equality and emancipation repeatedly collided with authoritarian practice and mass violence; the book examines the rise and fall of Soviet-style regimes, adaptations in China and elsewhere, and the movement’s appeal and contradictions, arguing that communism reshaped modern politics and societies even as its failures and compromises left a contested legacy.

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