Event 64

Paul Mason - Reds - A Global History of Communism

The former Channel 4 News reporter talks to journalist Paul Lashmar about the global history of communism. Reds traces the history of communist ideas through the ancient world, and chronicles the rise of 19th-century anti-capitalist movements. Crucially, it asks how the idealism of millions led to mass murder and repression. Using testimonies from perpetrators and victims, Mason offers a terrifying account of how a 20th-century political experiment became a totalitarian nightmare. He also has a warning for the present. Western democracies lack self-belief: millions in the global south see China’s authoritarian development model as a viable alternative. Is history destined to repeat itself?