the ghost of Phrixus said on 2013/02/01 at 4:46 pm
A couple of years ago I read Friedrich Engles' "The condition of the working class in England" (TB 16166) and was impressed by its Dickensian descriptions of Victorian squalor. But who was Engels? I mean, apart from being Marx's sponsor, what else is there to say about him?
Well that's the premise of this Engels biography. Hunt acknowledges Engels' relative obscurity and goes on to explain it in terms of his working relationship with Marx. It's a book very much in defence of Engels, attempting to correct what Hunt sees an negative misconceptions about the man. The character of Engel's emerges as an ethical version of Fraser's "Flashman" - a handsome middle class Victorian hero dashing about and having outrageous adventures.
It's far from An anti-Marxist book. Hunt has the usual reservations about the Soviet Union but he empathises with the socialist project and the role of nineteenth-century radicals in bringing about a new political philosophy. Indeed Hunt understands his philosophy well, and the explanation of the Hegelian background may be a little daunting to readers with no philosophy.
It's also very much a book about Engles as a person. Hunt is keen to present the humanity behind Engels humanism and does so by illustrating his warm and generous relations with the Marx family and the associated family saga that unfolds. This is contrasted with his aggressive promotion of Marxism among the radical political community of the time which earned him the nickname "Marx's Bulldog".
In all a fascinating biography of a man everyone's heard of but no-one knows about.
(TB 116881)
Michael Allan said on 01/02/2013 at 4:46 pm
Thank you ghost of Phrixus for you review and recommendation. It is always good to be pointed towards a new book.
I do have a slight stumble over the phrase "usual reservations about the Soviet Union". Reservations would be the least of it (though I am not an ardent fan of the right either, and have more sympathy with the left). I often think the history of the Soviet Union makes a great case against atheism, at least a militant organised atheism. Although of course state sponsored religion is not usually a healthy thing either.
This is all a digression from saying thank you for your review!
Michael