What do people in the West think about communism and the Soviet system, what did they think before? Who was the first communist? The fundamental work of the English professor at Oxford University David Priestland “Red Flag. The History of Communism" is an unexpected look at the "communist project" from the position of an outside observer. The original judgments of a Western author, interesting facts, unexpected parallels, a view of Soviet society as an "alien civilization" - all this, without a doubt, will arouse genuine interest among Russians reader.