Catalogue

A leading economic theorist of the European socialist movement, Luxemburg (1871-1919) remained a lifelong proponent of romantic socialism. After her early break with Lenin and his supporters, she remained active in both the Social Democratic party of Poland and Lithuania and the Social Democratic party of Germany. In contrast to Elzbieta Ettingers's more personal Rosa Luxemburg: A Life ( LJ 12/15/86), Abraham concentrates almost exclusively on the public Luxemburg, her writings, and her party activity, without trying to breach the wall around her privacy. His work is limited to synthesizing the comments and analyses of others, adding no new insights, but providing a concise introduction for those not familiar with this remarkable woman.-- Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Rosa Luxemburg, "the incarnation of revolutionary audacity," overcame the "handicaps" of being a woman, a Jew, and a cripple to become (in Lenin's words) an "eagle" of Marxism. Although she has been the subject of an excellent film, there is no good general biography of this fascinating woman. Abraham attempts to fill this gap with his brief work, intended as a concise introduction to Luxemburg's life, theories, and achievements. Unfortunately, he does not succeed. The disjointed descriptions of her ideas and her struggles with the "fathers of the Revolution" would puzzle any reader unfamiliar with Marxist ideology and the Byzantine world of Marxist infighting. Discussions about her femininity and her Jewish background are dismayingly superficial. In addition, Abraham intrudes himself into sectarian Marxist disputes with disparaging comments about the "vulgar Marxism" of Liebknecht, the "utopian inanities" of Kautsky, and others. This book is suitable only for libraries with extensive collections on Marxism. -L. Mayo, County College of Morris