First published in 1985. Revolution has been often defined, often abused as a descriptive term for elements of the political process. This book analyses the concept of revolution, and discusses ways in which this concept has changed from Aristotle to the late twentieth-century.

Preface; Part One: A Historical Survey; 1. The Meaning of Revolution David Close 2. The Greek Experience and Aristotle's Analysis of Revolution P. A. Howell 3. The Transition from Classical to Modern Times P. A. Howell 4. Liberal Thought About Revolution from Locke to Mazzini P. A. Howell 5. Burke and the Conservative Tradition Carl Bridge 6. Marx, Lenin and Modern Revolutions Norman Wintrop 7. Modernisation and Revolution Bill Brugger and Kate Hannan; Part Two. Case-Studies of Recent Revolutions; 8. The Soviet Union - A Defunct Revolution David Close 9. China - An Interrupted Revolution Bill Brugger 10. Nazi Germany - A Doomed Revolution David Close 11. Guinea-Bissau - Revolution and Development Cherry Gertzel 12. France, May 1968: A New Kind of Revolution? Richard DeAngelis; Index