Pickaxe and Rifle

"Pickaxe and Rifle" by William Ash provides a comprehensive look into Albania's construction of socialism, with the split between Albania and the Soviet Union over the nature of genuine socialism central to the broader divide within the world communist movement. Despite its significance, the story of Albania was largely overlooked in Western historiography until this book. The book is not only an historical narrative but also a political and sociological examination of Albania, the then-only socialist state in Europe. It explores how the Albanian people, after liberating themselves from fascist occupation, also freed themselves from exploitation and established a socialist state amidst hostile neighbouring countries. The new social institutions and governmental structures that emerged as a result of the transfer of state power to the working class, as well as the characteristics of Albanian society, are investigated, highlighting how it avoided the distortions plaguing other Eastern European socialist states. "Pickaxe and Rifle," which is based on extensive tours of Albania in 1969 and 1971, including during the Sixth Congress of the Party of Labour of Albania, was supported by William Ash's discussions with historians, state and Party leaders, and the Albanian people themselves. For this edition, some corrections and changes have been made to more accurately reflect the experience of the Albanian people in building their people's state power and in the international situation. Still, this work presents a compelling narrative of real socialism in action, demonstrating how the Albanians managed to safeguard their version of socialism against external and internal threats.