The twentieth century was an era of socialist revolutionary transformations and significant social-democratic reforms. By the twenty-first century, these socialist inspired movements have largely disappeared, their ideologies have been disavowed, and their institutions dismantled and replaced by global neoliberal capitalism.

This book explores the social, political and economic forces driving these movements in Western Europe and in the USSR, explaining their initial triumphs and how they eventually faltered under the influence of global neoliberalism. David Lane examines the nature and appeal of neoliberal capitalism and analyses current social and political proposals for its reform or replacement, including statist forms of capitalism; social-democratic and ecological globalization reforms; self-sustaining autonomous communities; and globalised forms of social-democracy or socialism.

Outlining his own proposal to replace global neoliberal capitalism with political systems based on a combination of market socialism and state planning, Lane provides important insights for ways forward, and a challenge for parties seeking political and economic alternatives.

"Though the marketplace of ideas about the future of capitalism and globalisation is extremely crowded, there are very few books that rival David Lane’s in its geographical scope, scholarly coverage and bold theorising." Leslie Sklair, London School of Economics
"This book provides a highly impressive overview of the historical development of global neoliberal capitalism, alongside the range of alternatives that have developed throughout this time. To bring these histories and alternatives together in a single volume is exceptional in its scope." David J. Bailey, University of Birmingham

David Lane is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Cambridge University.