Intellectuals and the French Communist Party

`supremely well researched ... In the marshalling of evidence to support his analysis Hazareesingh shows masterly control of his material ... Well structured, closely argued and based on a wide variety of sources, this book represents scholarship of the highest order' Raymond Kuhn, Times Higher Education Supplement 'This is a particularly valuable contribution, since much less work has been done to relate internal aspects to the Party's present predicament.' Marja van Diggelen, Portsmouth Polytechnic, Modern and Contemporary France, No. 49, April 1992 'This is a look at an important topic - the commitment of French intellectuals to the communist cause. There have been several books on the subject before (and recently, quite a few in French), but none quite as systematic or analytical ... this is a significant book.' D.S. Bell, Leeds University, West European Politics, Vol. 13, No. 3, July '92 `a valediction of a fascinating aspect of the life and times of this most Stalinist of West European Communist Parties' Political Studies `the publication of Hazareesingh's doctoral thesis on the demise of the influence of the French Communist Party ... which until recently was the intellectual engine room of the Left, is timely ... The references and bibliography are comprehensive and the index is thorough and detailed. This book is a 'must' for all students of the rapidly disintegrating international communist movement.' Bob Swan, Australia and World Affairs, No. 18, Spring 1993 `The product of lengthy and careful research ... Bell and Criddle's general line of argument is persuasive, and their style of presentation is quite clear ... this book represents an important contribution to our understanding of the French Communist Party, its functioning during the Fifth Republic, and the reasons why it has declined.' Stephen D. Carls, Union University, The Historian