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Written to be accessible to students and non-experts, this book challenges common conceptions of Marx’s ideas and seeks to stimulate new interpretations of Marx’s work among academics.

The book charts the earlier stages in Karl Marx’s intellectual development, drawing on his letters, preparatory manuscripts of Capital, and the Marx-Engels-Gesamtausgabe (Marx’s early writings assembled by Friedrich Engels). The first part of the book looks for Marx’s intellectual influences in his childhood, youth, and university years, with one chapter devoted to his earliest encounters with political economy. The next section examines his critiques of political economy and the origins of his Capital, from his studies of political economy through his early manuscripts. The third section of the book chronicles his political militancy during the period from 1864 to 1872, such as his involvement in the International Working Men’s Association, the revolution in Paris, and his conflict with Mikhail Bakunin. Historical b&w photos are included.