Marxism was a powerful force in French political and intellectual life throughout the twentieth century. Modern French Marxism tells the story of how it dominated the battle of ideas. Michael Kelly takes readers from Marxism’s early beginnings to its peak in the 1970s. He follows conceptual debates on the materialist dialectic, explores Marxism as a system of thought, and conveys the ambition of the men and women of letters who sought to change the world. This second edition is augmented with essays on how Marxist thinkers grappled with religion, everyday life, the Cold War, and other leading intellectual movements.