C.L.R. James's Notes on Dialectics

John H. McClendon III's CLR James's Notes on Dialectics: Left Hegelianism or Marxism-Leninism? is the first-ever book devoted exclusively to James's "magnum opus," Notes on Dialectics: Hegel-Marx-Lenin. The seed for this study was planted over thirty years ago when James handed the author his personal copy of Notes. James's contribution to dialectical philosophy and his vast intellectual and scholarly output is rivalled only by the seemingly bottomless depths of McClendon's own analysis and erudition. McClendon provides a thorough-going critique of James's exploration into the dialectic of Hegel, Marx, and Lenin while challenging all the seminal texts on James's Notes'. A book of this magnitude is rare. This is ever more the truth when it is focused on a giant like James who stands at the nexus of so many disciplines: philosophy, history, sociology, Caribbean studies, cultural studies, African, and African American studies. CLR James's Notes on Dialectics: Left Hegelianism or Marxism-Leninism? is a must read for anyone concerned with how revolutionary theory is a guide to contemporary struggles.

John H. McClendon III is Associate Professor of African American Studies and American Cultural Studies at Bates College.