Ernest Mandel

Rebel Between Dream and Action (1923-1995)

The Belgian economist Ernest Mandel (1923-1995) was an undogmatic Marxist thinker and a radical politician. He exerted a major international influence on the generation of '68. His writings have appeared in more than forty languages. In addition to his political-theoretical work, he wrote, among other works, "Uitgelezen moorden" (Selected Murders), a study of the crime novel. He enjoyed international recognition as an author and scholar and was feared by governments and their secret services in both East and West.
Jan Willem Stutje was the first to gain access to Mandel's archive. He has unearthed a wealth of information and spoken with many key figures. He discovered extraordinary, sometimes disturbing facts. This biography thus offers an exciting glimpse into Mandel's studio, closely following his encounters with philosophers such as Sartre, Ernst Bloch, and Lucien Goldmann, and with scholars such as Roman Rosdolsky and Perry Anderson. We also see Mandel on the barricades. In this often gripping account, fellow fighters like Rudi Dutschke, Tariq Ali, and Alain Krivine come to life. The attention to the tragedy of Mandel's life is surprising. The author has succeeded in penetrating the more intimate realms of his life.
In its exploration of the connection between public and private life, the book paints a complete and in-depth picture of Ernest Mandel.

Jan Willem Stutje
Houtekiet/Amsab-ISG, Antwerp/Ghent, 2007, 475 p., ill., hardcover