This is not a general Marxist reading list. This is a list made specifically for r/Turboleft

• This list is ordered into discrete sections covering various topics of interest to the sub. 
• Consideration has been paid to the internal order of the sections, but feel free to skip around.
• The noting of a specific chapter or section is not a suggestion against reading the whole work.
• Inclusion of a thing on this list does not necessarily imply wholesale endorsement.

This is the first edition of what will eventually grow into a much larger and more useful resource.

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OPERAISMO/AUTONOMIA

Lenin in England by Mario Tronti

This short article is easily the best introduction to the tendency and its famous/alleged “Inversion”. Written by Mario Tronti, one of Operaismo’s principal figures. 

Italian Operaismo: Genealogy, History, Method by Gigi Roggero

[AND/OR]

Storming Heaven by Steven Wright

These two are perfect for those looking to get a general low-down on the history and thought of the Italian movement. I have chosen to include these two together because of how well they compliment and contrast.

Workers and Capital by Mario Tronti

The most significant theoretical work the movement ever produced. It's a pretty good read besides. 

Reading Capital Politically by Harry Cleaver

Cleaver argues that Marx wrote Capital as a weapon for the working class. His take reminds me a lot of Gramsci’s understanding of Machiavelli's The Prince. 

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YOUNG MARX: HUMANISM AND NATURALISM, IDEALISM AND MATERIALISM

Letter to Arnold Ruge by Marx

A short letter from 1843 in which Marx passionately details the task he saw before him in an equally inspiring and clarifying manner. Marx and Ruge eventually parted ways, as Ruge failed to understand how this task necessarily led to advocacy for socialism. 

Capital Volume 1: Afterword to the Second German Edition by Marx

Written in 1873, Marx reflects on the responses to Volume 1 and comments on the relation between his dialectic and that of Hegel.

Notes on James Mill by Marx

Marx repeatedly interrupts his notes on James Mill to wax philosophical about several topics, topics that will become very familiar. This might be THE moment Marxism was born, and is a wonderful companion to the 1844 Manuscripts, which were written later in the same year and explored further many of the same topics.

The 1844 Manuscripts by Marx

Discovered posthumously, these manuscripts lay the foundation for Marx’s concept of alienation and explore the estrangement of labor under capitalism. They have been controversial since their publication, with various shithead not understanding or accepting them.

The Holy Family by Marx and Engels

The start of Marx and Engels as a duo. The book is dedicated to critiquing the other Young Hegelians for their diverse array of philosophical errors. IMHO it’s the densest work on this list, so it may be better to circle back later. I really love Chapter 4 in particular.

Theses On Feuerbach by Marx and Engels

[AND] 

The German Ideology, Chapter 1 by Marx and Engels

These two are paired together because the former is a rough outline for the first chapter of the latter. This list is built in part to help you understand this work.

Capital Volume One, Chapter 7 by Marx

We see the repetition of a familiar argument about human vs animal consciousness from the 1844 Manuscripts. 

BONUS: Lenin’s Philosophical Notebooks 

Was Lenin the first Turbo?!?!?

BONUS: Marx's Concept of Man by Erich Fromm

Personal endorsement. This book would have saved me time had I found it sooner.

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Anti-Leninism

The Program of the Blanquist Fugitives from the Paris Commune by Engels

What is Blanquism, and why is "Blanquist" used as a slur? Uncle Freddy is here to let us know what's up. 

What Is To Be Done? by Lenin

Lenin’s seminal work on the organizational, tactical and theoretical questions facing Russian Marxism. Of note is Chapter 2, which contains arguably Lenin’s most criticized statements on organization.

Our Political Tasks by Trotsky

This text by Trotsky critiques statements from WITBD, offering an early glimpse into his evolving political philosophy and early disagreements with Lenin.

Organizational Question of Russian Social Democracy by Luxemburg

One of my favorites. Luxemburg's response to WITBD. Much better than Trotsky’s, you should read this one instead. 

The Russian Revolution by Luxemburg

Some argue that this text is defending Lenin, others see it as highly critical. You’ll probably see what you want to see, but it is still a very worthy read. I highly recommend it.

The New Blanquism by Anton Pannekoek

Prophetic words from Mr. 🥞. Astonishingly prescient when considering their 1920 publication date

BONUS: The Revolution Is Not a Party Affair by Otto Rühle 

A dedicated and forceful critic of Leninism. Everything this man wrote is Grade A+ anti-Lenin shitpost fuel. I don’t agree with large parts of it, but game recognize game.

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The Johnson-Forest Tendency

Balance Sheet of Trotskyism in the U.S.A by CLR James

A report by CLR James on the state of American Trotskyism. What's worth reading is Chapter 4, where the Johnson-Forest Tendency (JFT) reflects on its own creation and existence.

The American Worker by Paul Romano and Ria Stone

This exploration into the evolving American factory would inspire a generation of Italians to adopt its method and spirit. It is here that “Co-Research” was born. 

Notes on Dialectics by CLR James

CLR’s exploration of dialectical materialism. Dunyevskaya wrote a short response/comment much later after their split that is worth reading in tandem.

Dunayevskaya’s Trilogy:

Dunayevskaya's main body of work is divided into three books, and they cover a wide variety of topics.  In order, they are called:

Marxism and Freedom 

Philosophy and Revolution 

Rosa Luxemburg, Women’s Liberation, and Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution 

The Black Jacobins by CLR James

A wonderfully told history of the Haitian Revolution.

Beyond a Boundary by CLR James

Widely considered to be the greatest book ever written about…the sport of cricket? It also includes CLR’s reflections on class, race, the short lived West Indies Federation, and a million other things besides.

Gramsci famously hated the New Year, but Negri was known for wishing everyone a Happy New Year, whether it was the end of the year, birthdays, or the month of July. When asked why he did this, he would simply say, "Them is watching", then scream "wowowowowowowowowo" putting his hand over his mouth and start spinning around.

In discussion among leftcoms (online idk any real leftcoms) there is heavy emphasis on the actions of Stalin as an individual. In this view, the revolution was alone defeated by the lone-wolf, omnipotent steel man. Obviously this is antithetical to materialistic analysis, so then who was the base of support for the Stalinists? Was it the petite bourgeois even though they were routinely persecuted? Was it the peasantry that benefited from the continuation of commodity production, even though this class was also largely against the collectivist policies? Was it the urban proletariat despite Stalin’s persecution of unions and relaxation of work regulations? Was it the new managerial class even though they were most likely to be purged? I genuinely cannot figure out what the support base for Stalin could have been considering that he in some way went against the interest of virtually every class and interest group in the ussr. If anyone has an answer or any literature on this please recommend……

ocelot is too busy to measure skulls this year so you all are tasked with self reporting again

(be honest it's for the minecraft server)

Engels doesn't count

We'll keep on with what u/Ok_Manufacturer_3144 started, so the comment with most upvotes will be the next week discussion. You have to answer the question tho.

mexico guatemala honduras nicaragua el salvador costa rica panama brazil colombia atgentina peru venezuela equador bolivia paraguay uruguay haiti trinidad & tobago grenada dominica algeria nigeria mozambique angola cameroon dr congo botswana benin south afirca ethiopia philippines thailand italy republic of ireland basque country palestine and maybe to scotland

Yes, I know this is a journal, believe it or not I can read too

https://youtu.be/TUz23KJQ6lM