Amadeo Bordiga, founder of the Communist Party of Italy, remains a reference point for sections of the radical left today. The reasons are not difficult to understand: he was a tireless fighter against reformism in the Italian socialist movement, an ardent opponent of imperialism during the First World War, and eventually one of Stalin's boldest critics in the socialist movement. But his leadership of the Communist Party was disastrous, characterised by extreme sectarianism toward workers outside party ranks and an inexcusable passivity in the face of the rise of fascism. This talk will explore Bordiga's life and politics to make a case for why his politics can't be a guide for the revolutionary left.