I'm greatly interested by Communist (or Socialist) histories, and am looking to study history at university. I've read about countries such as China, Russia and Cuba and am currently reading about the Balkan nations. I also have some more general Communist history books in the pipeline to read.
My question is what other, less prominent Communist regimes, such as those in Africa and South America, make good reading, and can you recommend any works?
It's obviously a very subjective question. What interests you the most? Ceaușescu in Romania was the only one who cracked down on protesters in 1989 as the communist regimes fell in eastern Europe. Opposite from him in a way, Salvador Allendes socialist government in Chile was democratically elected, but (unfortunately, i would add) removed in a coup by General Pinochet and the CIA.
Personally, I would add that I find the republican side of the Spanish Civil War among the most interesting, but I've got some anarchist leanings myself, and I'm a huge fan of Orwell - giving me a bit of a bias!
As for studying history at a university, I am currently doing it, and loving it! 10/10 would recommend!
Not quite Communism exactly, but have you thought about looking at the proponents of 'African Socialism', and in particular Julius Nyerere? The latter was the first president of Tanzania who proposed the concept of ujamaa, which was a mixture of African 'self-reliance' from the West and socialism. He did have great successes in terms of education and health policy, but he was also extremely authoritarian and enforced a policy of forced removal of farmers from their land to put them into collectivised farms.
I don't have much time to elaborate right now but I think that's a good place to start.