Back in print for the first time in 30 years, this volume provides a brilliant and accessible summation of the ideas of left Marxist giant C. L. R. James. Originally delivered in 1960 as a series of lectures in his native Trinidad, James’s wide-ranging erudition and enduring relevance are powerfully displayed. From his analysis of revolutionary history and the role of literature, art, and culture in society to an interrogation of the ideas and philosophy of such thinkers as Rousseau, Lenin, and Trotsky, this is a magnificent tour de force from a critically engaged thinker at the height of his powers. Still relevant to politics today and an essential introduction to an important body of work, the ideas of C. L. R. James remain as necessary and illuminating for this century as they have for the last.