The Naked Communist

Communism didn’t disappear when the Berlin Wall fell—it changed tactics. The Naked Communist strips away slogans to show what communism really is, why it still appeals, and how its ideas still move through culture, education, media, law, and politics.

First published in 1958 by former FBI agent and Cold War analyst W. Cleon Skousen, this classic distills communist texts and speeches into one clear, readable volume. Its now-famous “45 Communist Goals”—later read into the U.S. Congressional Record—gave everyday Americans a way to see how a revolutionary ideology could erode freedom from within and produce a human toll in the tens of millions.

Skousen goes back to what communist leaders actually wrote and said, then shows how those ideas collide with basic freedoms—and how language about “justice” and “equality” is often used today to justify control, censorship, and the quiet takeover of institutions. Drawing on primary sources and history, The Naked Communist gives you a clear framework for recognizing these ideas in today’s debates and for explaining them to your children, students, or congregation in ways that build critical thinking and a love of liberty.

This updated edition keeps Skousen’s original text intact while adding a new preface and modern context for a generation that often hears only communism’s utopian promises. Whether you come to this book skeptical of communism, sympathetic to some of its promises, or simply curious, you’ll find a fact-driven guide to one of the most influential—and dangerous—ideologies of the modern world, and a foundation of understanding and liberty you can pass on to the next generation.

The Naked Communist has been featured in the New York Times and The Washington Post.