This book provides a broad overview of the development of state socialism, focusing especially on Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe, and including comparative material on China and other socialist countries outside Europe. It discusses how state socialism was first created, examines attempts to reform it, and explains why it collapsed.

1. Introduction Part 1: State Socialism: the world we have lost 2. The Formation of State Socialism 3. Reforms: The Socialist Market Part 2: How and Why State Socialism Disintegrated 4. The Fatal Outcomes of Perestroika 5. Systemic Incompatibilities 6. Social Classes as Movers of Transformation 7. The Role of Exogenous Forces 8. The Move to Capitalism and the Alternatives Part 3: The Transformation to Something Else 9. Pathways to Capitalism 10. Varieties of Transformation 11. What Capitalism Delivered 12. The Reconstitution of Russia: A New Hegemon? 13. The Challenge of Liberal Democracy 14. Civil Society as Neo-Liberal Strategy 15. Stalled Transformation and the 'Coloured' Revolution Project 16. Reactions to Globalisation: National Capitalism or National Socialism?