Public Domain Communist Texts
I’m Aubrey, a communist in the Pacific Northwest. I like reading theory and document formatting.
There are texts that deserve to be read, that too few have, and whose availability is painfully limited considering they have fallen into the public domain. They may be available in some capacity, like a middling PDF scan on Archive.org, but certainly not well-formatted or as ebooks. This project is an attempt to fulfill this need.
In addition, my curiosity about reporting on the Soviet Union and its relation to and perspective on international affairs—particularly as regards to other socialist projects and western meddling therein—led me to start collecting news articles from the era I can’t find online.
If you find any errors in formatting or spelling or whatnot, or have a recommendation for a text to transcribe, please email aubrey@leftis.best and I’ll see what I can do. Enjoy, and solidarity.
Last updated May 28, 2026.
Rajani Palme Dutt, 1935
Dutt’s seminal contemporaneous analysis of the development of fascism. While versions of this exist online as PDFs, I have not been able to find a quality rendition for easy browsing. Third revised edition.
Anna Louise Strong, 1949
Strong’s 1949 reporting of her 1947 visit to North Korea, originally published in Soviet Russia Today, exploring the reality on the ground in the northern division of Korea after World War II. Most western sources were replete with western propaganda, making her interviews and analysis especially valuable.
Aimé Césaire, 1955
Originally published in Présence Africaine in 1955, this short work comes from Césaire, the mentor to Frantz Fanon. Since only PDFs appear to be archived, here is a readable HTML version.
Anna Louise Strong, 1956
Strong’s 1956 reflection on the Stalin Era, considering the claims of Khrushchev’s secret speech in the context of the Soviet Union’s achievements and shortcomings from the revolution to, through, and beyond World War 2.
Beatrice Kinkead, 1941
Originally published in the July 1941 issue of Soviet Russia Today, this brief article explores the methods and curriculum of Soviet schools at that time.
Isidor Schneider, 1942
Originally published in the February 1942 issue. Details the story of Bashir Shambe in his own words, bought as a child slave and eventually sold into Georgia, where he was finally liberated after the revolution, now a firefighter and elected to the local Soviet.
Anna Louise Strong, 1942
Published in March 1942, this article explores the ways that people from a variety of industries adapt their skills and expertise toward the defense effort in the great patriotic war.
Anna Louise Strong, 1945
Originally published as an article in the June 1945 issue of Soviet Russia Today, a magazine published by the Friends of the Soviet Union. Completely unavailable online. Details contemporaneous reporting on the final battle that secured the fall of Berlin at the end of the Great Patriotic War, with heartwrenching details of the people who were there.
Frederick V. Field, 1950
Originally published in the August 1950 issue of Soviet Russia Today. Details the events leading up to the U.S. involvement in Korea and their colonial war supporting their puppet in South Korea, as well as the relation to the U.S. support of Taiwan (called Formosa here).