The podcast Historical Figures reviews the life of Karl Marx in its fifth episode. The ‘cast has rebranded from Remarkable Lives, Tragic Deaths and the broadening of focus has allowed it to explore fascinating lives. Marx has too often been vilified or dismissed, but the 45 minutes Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson devote to him both humanize him and place him in his context well. There are disappointing biases throughout, but on balance it is a introduction to Marx as a person that delivers a lot in the short running time.
A radical writer and philosopher, Karl Marx found himself exiled from multiple countries thanks to his communist writings in the 1800’s. However, in the following century, this same writing stirred revolution across the world, as communist governments rose to power. What influenced the famous father of communism, and why did he believe it was the best system? Carter and Vanessa explore the life of the author of The Communist Manifesto and Das Capital, and how his revolutionary ideas resonated worldwide.
