Luciano Canfora

This book is a splendid profile of an extraordinary man, and a radically new interpretation of one of the most controversial figures in history. Caesar played a leading role in the politics and culture of a world empire, dwarfing his contemporaries in ambition, achievement and appetite. For that, he has occupied a central place in the political imagination of Europe ever since. Yet he remains something of an enigma, struck down by his own lieutenants because he could be neither comprehended nor contained. In surviving evidence he emerges as incommensurate and nonpareil, just beyond the horizons of contemporary political thought and understanding. The result of Luciano Canfora's many years of research is a fascinating portrait of the Roman dictator, combining the evidence of political history and psychology. The product of a comprehensive study of the ancient sources, it paints an astonishingly detailed portrait of a complex personality whose mission of 'Romanisation' lies at the root of modern Europe. Key Features * Easy, engaging and pleasurable to read * About 42 chronological studies of events create a full portrait of Caesar and the contemporary Roman background * Space is devoted to the details surrounding his assassination

The history of universal suffrage is best understood as a conflict between liberal elites and democractic workers' movements, according to Domenico Losurdo. John Stuart Mill, for example, argued that electoral influence should be more pronounced among the educated - and wealthy - than among those working with their hands. Every vote ought not to be counted the same. Countries with deep liberal roots have historically been quick to restrain the spread of the franchise, persisting in discrimination based on property, race, and gender. In this context, the rise of popular presidents and premiers, vested with extraordinary powers, has served to stimy attempts to associate politically and mobilize for meaningful change. This is modern Bonapartism, a soft authoritarianism in which popularity, stirred up by a news media dominated by the interests of the rich, replaces true democratic expression. As alternatives to this system drift toward the horizon, Bonapartism is set to become the dominant political regime of our era. Understanding the history of its development and the contradictory forces behind it may permit us to move towards true democracy. Praise for LIBERALISM: A COUNTER-HISTORY'Losurdo is almost unbelievably well-read'- JACOBIN'A brilliant exercise in unmasking liberal pretensions, surveying over three centuries with magisterial command of the sources'- FINANCIAL TIMES'Stimulatingly uncovers the contradictions of an ideology that is much too self-righteously invoked'- PANKAJ MISHRA, GUARDIAN'A book of wide reference and real erudition'- TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'The book is a historically grounded, very accessible critique of liberalism, complementing a growing literature critical of liberalism'- CHOICEPraise for WAR AND REVOLUTION: RETHINKING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY'War and Revolution is a relentless document. It is dense and disconcerting. This is precisely why it should be considered one of the most important history books written since 9/11'- RON JACOBS, COUNTERPUNCH

No cabe duda de que el marxismo produjo un cambio profundo en la forma de entender la relaci n entre individuo y sociedad. Asimismo, el materialismo hist rico, o m todo marxista de entender la Historia, transform la forma de interpretar los acontecimientos y procesos hist ricos. Este cambio de paradigma alcanz a los estudios sobre la Antig edad, resignificando temas cl sicos de estudio e introduciendo nuevos enfoques que revitalizaron la disciplina hasta el ltimo tercio del siglo XX. Fruto de ello son, por ejemplo, la aparici n de revistas como Past and Present en 1952, la creaci n de espacios de debate como el GIREA (Groupe International de Recherche sur l'Esclavage dans l'Antiquit ) en 1970 o la publicaci n de importantes vol menes como Studies in Ancient Society, coordinado por M. I. Finley en 1974. Estos y otros ejemplos evidenciaron la necesidad de entender el mundo cl sico "desde abajo" a la vez que consolidaron esta tendencia historiogr fica. En cambio, tras la ca da del Muro de Berl n y el desmantelamiento de la Uni n Sovi tica, empezaron a publicarse trabajos que se preguntaban sobre la importancia y la vigencia de Marx y el marxismo en los estudios de la Antig edad de las d cadas precedentes, demostrando que el asunto segu a m s vivo que nunca. En esta l nea se enmarca el presente libro, coincidiendo con el centenario de la Revoluci n Rusa (1917) y el bicentenario del nacimiento de Karl Marx (1818) y Friedrich Engels (1820). Cada una de las contribuciones del presente libro aborda hitos relevantes para entender la importancia de Marx y el marxismo en la interpretaci n actual sobre la antig edad en Europa.

La belle mecanique n'a pas fonctionne comme prevu. Le suffrage universel, finalement conquis (plus ou moins tard selon les pays et en Italie presqu'en dernier), a decu trop souvent ceux qui s'etaient battus pour lui et n'a pas produit les effets esperes. Au contraire, les urnes ont servi a legitimer des equilibres, des classes, un personnel politique presque immuable -- et peu importe si ce dernier est diversifie et divise. Et si le vrai pouvoir etait ailleurs? C'est ce dont il sera question, cher lecteur, dans les pages qui suivent. Canfora insinue bien plus que de vagues soupcons sur les deguisements du pouvoir: cette domination de quelques-uns -- elle n'est d'un seul qu'en apparence -- qui ne peut cependant se maintenir qu'a condition de s'assurer un large consensus. Tout en restant, bien entendu, au sens plein de ce mot, une domination.

This history traces the development of democracy in Europe from its origins in ancient Greece up to the present day. Considers all the major watersheds in the development of democracy in modern Europe. Describes the rediscovery of Ancient Greek political ideals by intellectuals at the end of the eighteenth century. Examines the twenty-year crisis from 1789 to 1815, when the repercussions of revolution in France were felt across the European continent. Explains how events in France led to the explosion of democratic movements between 1830 and 1848. Compares the different manifestations of democracy within Eastern and Western Europe during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Considers fascism and its consequences for democracy in Europe during the twentieth century. Demonstrates how in the recent past democracy itself has become the object of ideological battles.