To paraphrase Marx, the ruling ideas in society are the ideas of the ruling class. That’s why they must be challenged and interrogated, and why we take seriously the development of our own theory and the writing of our own history.
On this page, we aim to provide a guide to contemporary and historical Marxist theory and the history of struggles of the working class and the oppressed, particularly that which concerns socialists in Australia. This list is in the process of development and change – please bear with us while we finalise it. If you have suggestions, please send them to us.
Topics
Introductions to Marxism
Aboriginal oppression and history
Africa
Alienation
Anarchism and autonomism
Arab Spring 2011-
Australian imperialism
Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party history – Solidarity series
Australian labour history
Australian racism
Asia
China
Climate change and the environment
Disability
Economic crisis of 2008
Fascism
Historical materialism
Immigration and refugees
Imperialism and war
Israel and Palestine
The Global South
Latin America
Leninism and revolutionary organisation
LGBT oppression and sexuality
Marxist classics
Marxist economics
Marxist philosophy
National liberation
Neo-liberalism
Permanent revolution
Police
Racism
Reformism
Religion
Revolutionaries
Revolutions in history
Revolutionary press
Revolutionary women – Solidarity series
The Russian Revolution
Science and the natural world
Socialist strategy and tactics
Socialism
Stalinism and state capitalism
Students and universities
The state
Trade unions and strikes
Trotskyism
The working class
The United States
Women’s liberation
Violence
How Marxism works Chris Harman
One of the best short introductions to Marxism.
Marxism at the millennium Tony Cliff
Covers some basic Marxist principles and developments of Marxist theory in the second half of the 20th century in an easy read.
The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx by Alex Callinicos
The best book length introduction to Marx and the relevance of his ideas today
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific Frederick Engels
A classic polemic that helped define Marxist socialism.
The Two Souls of Socialism Hal Draper
A classic polemic against Stalinist and state socialism and for workers’ power.
What is the real Marxist tradition? John Molyneux
A withering critique of traditions often referred to as Marxism, such as Maoism, and a defence of classical Marxism.
Aboriginal oppression and history
Capitalism and Indigenous oppression Paddy Gibson
Locked up and killed for being Black: Racism and Black deaths in custody Paddy Gibson
Assimilation and the Intervention: A Solidarity pamphlet (2014)
Indigenous child removals: the new Stolen Generation Paddy Gibson
The Gurindji strike: Unions and the fight for land rights Paddy Gibson
Noonkanbah: when Aboriginal people and unionists united for land rights Mark Gillespie
Red and black: a history of the Communist Party’s support for Aboriginal struggles Jean Parker
Tent Embassy 1972: Land rights or else! Solidarity
Twenty years since Mabo: why Native Title hasn’t delivered Paddy Gibson
For our most recent coverage of Indigenous issues see here
Lessons from the fight against Apartheid in South Africa Paddy Gibson
The Marikana massacre and South Africa since Apartheid Lucy Honan
Zimbabwe: the road from liberation to dictatorship Jarvis Ryan
An introduction to Marx’s theory of alienation Judy Cox
Marx’s theory of alienation: a world where workers have no control Amy Thomas
Anarchism: A Marxist criticism John Molyneux
Can we change the world without taking power? John Holloway and Alex Callinicos debate
In perspective: John Holloway Paul Blackledge
Tony Negri in perspective Alex Callinicos
Neo-liberalism, the state and revolution: the case of Egypt Phil Marfleet
The Egyptian workers’ movement and the 25 January revolution Anne Alexander
Lessons from last time: national liberation and the Arab world James Supple
Syria, war and imperialism: why the main enemy is at home Geraldine Fela
Taking sides in Syria Simon Assaf
Australia’s imperialist insurance policy Tom O’Lincoln
Australia: imperial master of Papua New Guinea Tom Orsag
Robbers and spoilers: Australia and Britain in the 19th century Pacific Tom O’Lincoln
West Papua: Australian complicity and the fight for freedom Tom Orsag
The rise of China: a dilemma for Australia’s rulers David Glanz
For our most recent articles see here
Election defeat 2019: Why didn’t workers trust Labor? James Supple
Lessons from Labor’s last time in power Mark Gillespie
Saving capitalism: Rudd, Labor and social democracy (2009) Ian Rintoul
What’s the real Labor tradition? Phil Griffiths
After 100 years in parliament: Has Labor changed? (2001) Phil Griffiths
“Socialism in our time”: Communists and the NSW Labor Party during the Great Depression Terry Symonds
Australian Labor Party history – Solidarity series (in order)
World War 1 and conscription: how the unions fought to expel a Labor Prime Minister Tom Orsag
Socialism in our time: The story of Jack Lang and NSW Labor in the Great Depression Jean Parker
Wage cuts and bailouts: Labor and The Great Depression Jean Parker
The 1950s great Labor split: a battle for control that nearly tore Labor apart James Supple
Whitlam: Labor’s golden age? Jean Parker
Labor’s Accord: How Hawke and Keating began a neo-liberal revolution Jean Parker
Labor’s love affair with the market: the Keating years Jean Parker
1949 coal strike: How Chifley lost Labor’s supporters David Glanz
1973 Ford Broadmeadows strike: how migrant workers rose up Tom Orsag
Defying the law: the 1982 Queensland general strike Amy Thomas
How the penal powers were defeated Amy Thomas
Labor and the depression: the Great coal lockout of 1929 Carl Taylor
MUA here to stay!: ten years on from the Maritime dispute Mark Gillespie
Strike Fraser Out! Phil Griffiths
Understanding Australian history Phil Griffiths
Unions versus Labor: the 1948 rail strike Mark Gillespie
Australian racism (see also Aboriginal oppression and history, Immigration and refugees)
Australian racism: whose ideology? Terry Symonds
Footsoldiers of capital: the influence of RSL racism Sarah Gregson
Probing Australia’s racist roots Mark Goudkamp
Racism and class in Australian history (collection of articles) Phil Griffiths
Racism in Australia: the working class is not to blame James Supple
Racism, White Australia and the union movement Jasmine Ali
Racism: whitewashing the class divide Phil Griffiths
The making of White Australia (thesis) Phil Griffiths
Indonesia: from ‘reformasi’ to reaction Tom O’Lincoln
One of the 20th centuries greatest crimes: inside Indonesia’s anti-Communist purge Lachlan Marshall
Over the hills and far away: left politics in the Phillipines David Glanz
The unchallenged rise of anti-Tamil racism in Sri Lanka Mark Gillespie
1927: When China’s workers struggled for power Feiyi Zhang
Is China headed for world domination? Feiyi Zhang
Leon Trotsky’s collected writings on China
Climate change and the environment
Capitalism v the climate: A Solidarity pamphlet (2019)
What’s wrong with carbon taxes and market solutions
Fighting for climate jobs, pay and union rights Penny Howard
Why 100 per cent renewables requires public ownership Penny Howard
Fighting Abbott’s climate denial: why we shouldn’t defend the carbon tax Chris Breen
Marx’s ecology Jasmine Ali
Unions and the fight for the environment Emma Torzillo
Marxism and disability Roddy Slorach
From the credit crunch to the spectre of global crisis Chris Harman
Marxist accounts of the current crisis Joseph Choonara
Revolution and civil war in Spain Freya Bundey
Trotsky on the rise of fascism (collection)
Trotsky, fascism and the united front Carl Taylor
Plumbing the depths: Marxism and the Holocaust Alex Callinicos
A People’s History of the World Chris Harman
Base and superstructure Chris Harman
Preface of A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy Karl Marx
Detention, racism and refugees: A Solidarity pamphlet
Immigration is not to blame for cuts to jobs and wages James Supple
Malcolm Fraser’s refugee policy: no model for today Hal Hewson
No need for any refugee detention at all Ian Rintoul
Open letter to the left: welcome 457 visa workers Solidarity
Racism, immigration and border controls James Supple
Refugees and resistance in detention Ian Rintoul
The history of mandatory detention James Supple
Why socialists should support open borders James Supple
US-China rivalry creating a dangerous world Phil Griffiths
Analysing imperialism Chris Harman
Imperialism and the world economy Bukharin
Imperialism: the highest stage of capitalism Lenin
The United Nations and the politics of imperialism Duncan Blackie
Was the Second World War a war for democracy? Chris Bambery
Israel: The Hijack State by John Rose
Powerless in Gaza: the Palestinian Authority and the myth of the peace process by Anne Alexander
Aid, governance and exploitation Charlie Kimber
Globalisation and the Third World Phil Marfleet
Chile 1973: the other 11th of September Ian Birchall
Cuba: no model for socialism in the 21st century Mark Gillespie
Evo Morales’ wrong turn in Bolivia Mike Gonzales
Haiti: repression and resistance Mike Gonzales
Leninism and revolutionary organisation
Lenin Volume 1: Building the Party Tony Cliff
Lenin: a study in the unity of his thought Georg Lukacs
Party and Class Chris Harman
Marxism and the party John Molyneux
Why do we need a revolutionary party? Tony Cliff
Equal love, equal rights: rediscovering the red in the rainbow Amy Thomas
The roots of gay oppression Norah Carlin
Can identity politics liberate the oppressed? Sharon Smith
Class divisions in the gay community Peter Morgan
Solidarity has published a series of introductions to classic Marxist texts including:
Wages, price and profit by Karl Marx
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific by Friedrich Engels
The Civil War in France by Karl Marx
Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg
The Junius Pamphlet by Rosa Luxemburg
What is exploitation? Amy Leather
A Permanent Arms Economy Mike Kidron
Crisis in Australian history Phil Griffiths
Economics of the madhouse Chris Harman
Keynes or Marx? Feiyi Zhang
The crisis of bourgeois economics Chris Harman
The rate of profit and the world today Chris Harman
Unravelling Capitalism Joseph Choonara
History and Class Consciousness Georg Lukacs
Is Marxism deterministic? John Molyneux
The return of the national question Chris Harman
The right of nations to self-determination Lenin
Marxism and the national question Alex Callinicos
Theorising neoliberalism Chris Harman
Unravelling the neo-liberal paradox with Marx Jean Parker
Deflected permanent revolution Tony Cliff
The permanent revolution Leon Trotsky
Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution and its relevance to the Third World today Alex Callinicos
The police: armed guards for the rich and powerful James Supple
Racist cops are the real criminals Amy Thomas
Defending multiculturalism Jasmine Ali
Privilege theory and the fight against oppression Lucy Honan
The Hijab, Racism and the State Antoine Boulangé
The changing face of racism James Supple
Race and class Alex Callinicos
Jeremy Corbyn and the failure of left reformism in Europe Caitlin Doyle
Reform or Revolution Rosa Luxemburg
Marxism and Religion John Molyneux
The Prophet and the Proletariat Chris Harman
The revolutionary ideas of Antonio Gramsci Penny Howard
Storming Heaven: The Paris Commune of 1871 Lachlan Marshall
Birth of our power: Marxists and the 1905 revolution in Russia Mark Thomas
The 1918 German Revolution Tomáš Tengely-Evans
France 1968 Tony Cliff and Ian Birchall
The last wave of Arab revolt: Iraq 1958 Mark Gillespie
Portugal 1974-75 Bob Light
The revolutionary press by Chris Harman
What is to be done? Vladimir Lenin
Revolutionary women – Solidarity series
Louise Michel and the Paris Commune Jasmine Ali
Clara Zetkin: women’s suffrage and socialism Lucy Honan
Alexandra Kollontai: revolution and women’s liberation Freya Bundey
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: rebel women and radical unionism Erima Dall
Sylvia Pankhurst: socialism, suffrage and the sisterhood? Lucy Honan
Russia’s 1917 revolution: When workers took power David Glanz
The History of the Russian Revolution Leon Trotsky
The Lessons of October Leon Trotsky
The Revolution Betrayed by Leon Trotsky
Engels and natural science Paul McGarr
Engels and the origins of human society Chris Harman
The part played by labour in the transition from ape to man Friedrich Engels
Socialist strategy and tactics
The Communist International and the United Front Lachlan Marshall
The United Front Joseph Choonara
Left-wing communism: an infantile disorder Vladimir Lenin
Whither the Propaganda Perspective Ian Rintoul
Is human nature a barrier to socialism? John Molyneux
Revolution in the 21st century Chris Harman
The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
The future socialist society John Molyneux
Stalinism and state capitalism
Socialism yes, occupation no!: Czechoslovakia 1968 James Robertson
1989—Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall Mark Gillespie
State Capitalism Peter Binns
Russia: how the revolution was lost Chris Harman
China: whose revolution? Charlie Hore
Student power? Chris Harman
Universities in a neoliberal world Alex Callinicos
The state and capitalism today Chris Harman
The State and Revolution by Vladimir Lenin
Marxism and the trade union struggle Tony Cliff and Donny Gluckstein
The general strike Chris Harman
The Mass Strike Rosa Luxemburg
Tony Cliff: a revolutionary thinker Amy Thomas
Trotskyism Alex Callinicos
Trotskyism after Trotsky Tony Cliff
The new middle class and socialists Alex Callinicos
The workers of the world Chris Harman
Why the working class Hal Draper
1934: The year of the fightback John Newsinger
1937: The year of the sitdown John Newsinger
The hidden history of US radicalism Megan Trudell
Marxism and feminism today Judith Orr
Theories of patriarchy Lindsey German
Abortion: the fight that’s still to be won Judy McVey
Class struggle and women’s liberation Tony Cliff
Social Basis of the Woman Question Alexandra Kollantai
Women’s Liberation and Revolutionary Socialism Chris Harman
Women and the Communist Party of Australia Phil Griffiths
Army’s rotten sexism: a product of training killers Jasmine Ali
Gandhi’s ‘Salt March’ and the myth of non-violence Lucy Honan
Their Morals and Ours by Leon Trotsky
