Revolutionary groups and movements Books

Book SynopsisIn October 1944, the US Office of Strategic Services described the Irgun Tsvai Leumi - National Military Organization - as 'an underground, quasi-military organization with headquarters in Palestine ... fanatical Zionists who wish to convert Palestine and Transjordan into an independent Jewish state ... advocate the use of force both against the Arabs and the British to achieve this maximal political goal'. In 1925, Ze'ev Jabotinsky founded the Revisionist Zionism organization, whose secular, right-wing ideology would lead to the formation of the Irgun and, ultimately, of the Likud Party. Commencing operations in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1931, Irgun adopted a mainly guarding role, while facilitating the ongoing immigration of Jews into Palestine. In 1936, Irgun guerrillas started attacking Arab targets. The British White Paper of 1939 rejected the establishment of a Jewish nation, and as a direct consequence, Irgun guerrillas started targeting the British. The authorities executed captured Irgun operatives found guilty of terrorism, while deporting hundreds to internment camps overseas. As details of Jewish genocide - the Holocaust - emerged, Irgun declared war on the British in Palestine. Acts of infrastructural sabotage gave way to the bombing of buildings and police stations, the worst being the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem - the hub of British operations and administration - in July 1946, killing ninety-one. Freedom fighters or terrorists - Irgun was only dissolved when the independent Jewish state of Israel was born on 14 May 1948\. This is their story.

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Book Synopsis'Fascinating . . . O'Driscoll's research is impressive' Ben Macintyre, The Times_____The astonishing story of the English heiress who devoted her life to the IRAShe grew up in a Chelsea townhouse and on a Devon estate.She was presented to the Queen at Buckingham Palace as a debutante in 1958.She trained at Oxford as an academic economist and had a love affair with a female professor (who was on the rebound from Iris Murdoch).At thirty, she commenced giving her inheritance away to the poor.In 1972, the deadliest year of the Northern Irish Troubles, she travelled to Ireland and joined the IRA.Sean O'Driscoll's Heiress, Rebel, Vigilante, Bomber tells the astonishing story of Rose Dugdale, who went on to become a committed terrorist, participating in a major art heist and a bombing raid on a police and army barracks; who kept a pregnancy secret for nine months in prison and gave birth there; and who ended up at the heart of the IRA's bomb-making operation during its deadly final spasms in the 1990s. Heiress, Rebel, Vigilante, Bomber is both the page-turning biography of a remarkable woman and a groundbreaking account of the inner workings of a terrorist organization._____'It would be hard to overstate how good this book is . . . a fantastic read' Sunday Independent'Superb . . . an even-handed and thrilling gallop through [Dugdale's] improbable life' Daily Telegraph'Possibly the most extraordinary book you'll read this year' Irish Examiner'Jaw-dropping' Joe Duffy'Well-researched' Irish TimesTrade ReviewFascinating . . . O'Driscoll's research is impressive -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *Riveting -- Roy Foster * TLS *Generous and well researched -- Rosa Lyster * LRB *An absorbing, well-researched and extremely well-written account of a life that almost defies belief -- David McCullagh * RTÉ *Superb . . . an even-handed and thrilling gallop through [Dugdale's] improbable life * Daily Telegraph *Possibly the most extraordinary book you'll read this year * Irish Examiner *Unputdownable . . . jaw-dropping -- Joe DuffyIt would be hard to overstate how good this book is . . . a fantastic read -- Eilis O'Hanlon * Sunday Independent *[A] pacey, well-researched book -- Frank Coughlin * Irish Independent *Well-researched . . . balanced -- Charles Lysaght * Irish Times *Sean O'Driscoll's fair-minded examination of her extraordinary, often violent life . . . acknowledges her humanity and viciousness * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a succinct yet up-to-date and challenging approach to the French Revolution of 1789-1799 and its consequences. Peter McPhee provides an accessible and reliable overview and one which deliberately introduces students to central debates among historians.The book has two main aims. One aim is to consider the origins and nature of the Revolution of 1789-99. Why was there a Revolution in France in 1789? Why did the Revolution follow its particular course after 1789? When was it ''over''? A second aim is to examine the significance of the Revolutionary period in accelerating the decay of Ancien Regime society. How ''revolutionary'' was the Revolution? Was France fundamentally changed as a result of it?Of particular interest to students will be the emphasis placed by the author on the repercussions of the Revolution on the practives of daily life: the lived experience of the Revolution. The author''s recent work on the environmental impact of the Revolution is also incorporated to provide a lively, modern, and rounded picture of France during this critical phase in the development of modern Europe.Trade ReviewOverall, I think [this book] is one of the best short histories of the Revolution to appear in many years. He is particularly successful in integrating specific case examples and quotations from the period into his general narrative and historiographic analysis and in thus conveying the drama and passion of the Revolution, so often passed over in texts of this kind. It also provides an excellent corrective to many recent "revisionist" texts, reasserting the importance of social dynamics before and during the Revolution and eshewing simplistic explanations of the Terror based solely on ideology or internal politics. Finally, I am impressed by his effective integration of a great deal of new scholarship published during the last decade, notably in his treatment of rural history and the experience of women during the Revolution. In sum, I would strongly recommend the book, and I look forward to trying it out in my own courses. * Timothy Tackett, University of California *Peter McPhee's history of the French Revolution is a real tour de force. More successfully than any other general history of the period, it combines an admirably clear narrative of this complex decade with an intelligent survey and analysis of other historians' perspectives. Beside them, McPhee sets out his own understandings of the Revolution sensibly and undogmatically so that readers can judge their merits. Beyond these strengths, the book is enriched by illuminating discussions of the effects of the Revolution on everyday lives of women and men and by a refreshing attention to rural France - the home of the great majority of French people at the time. Written in a lively and engaging way, this book cannot but draw readers more deeply into one of the most fascinating periods in world history. * Roderick Phillips, Carleton University *With an easy style and a clear purpose, Professor Peter McPhee pilots students past key questions of the origin and course, meaning and significance of the French Revolution. Touching most debates in the historiography, McPhee's history still offers a sound narrative of revolutionary events, egos and enactments, always in chapters of manageable length, always with an eye to evidence that's first-hand, fascinating and fresh. Scores of students and teachers will owe him a debt of thanks. * Adrian Jones, La Trobe University *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. France in the 1780s ; 2. The Crisis of the Old Regime ; 3. The Revolution of 1789 ; 4. The Reconstruction of France, 1789-91 ; 5. A Second Revolution, 1792 ; 6. The Revolution in the Balance, 1793 ; 7. The Terror: revolutionary Defence or Paranoia? ; 8. Ending the Revolution, 1795-9 ; 9. The Significance of the Revolution ; Maps ; Appendix 1: Chronology ; Appendix 2: The Revolutionary Calendar ; A Guide to Further Reading

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Book SynopsisIn July 1917, when the Provisional Government issued a warrant for his arrest, Lenin fled from Petrograd; later that year, the October Revolution swept him to supreme power. In the short intervening period he spent in Finland, he wrote his impassioned, never-completed masterwork The State and Revolution. This powerfully argued book offers both the rationale for the new regime and a wealth of insights into Leninist politics. It was here that Lenin justified his personal interpretation of Marxism, savaged his opponents and set out his trenchant views on class conflict, the lessons of earlier revolutions, the dismantling of the bourgeois state and the replacement of capitalism by the dictatorship of the proletariat. As both historical document and political statement, its importance can hardly be exaggerated.Translated and edited with an introduction by Robert ServiceTable of ContentsPart 1 Class society and the state: the state as the product of the irreconcilability of class contradictions; special bodies of armed men, prisons, etc.; the state as an instrument for the exploitation of the oppressed class; the "withering away" of the state and violent revolution. Part 2 The state and revolution - the experience of 1848-51: the eve of the revolution; the revolution in summary; the presentation of the question by Marx in 1852. Part 3 The state and revolution - the experience of the Paris Commune of 1871 - Marx's analysis: what was heroic about the Communards' attempt?; with what is the smashed state machine to be replaced?; the eradication of the parliamentarianism; organization of the unity of the nation; the destruction of the parasite state. Part 4 Continuation - supplementary clarifications by Engels: the housing question; the polemic with the anarchists; letter to Bebel; critique of the draft of the Erfurt Programme; the 1891 Preface to Marx's "The Civil War in France"; Engels on the overcoming of democracy. Part 5 The economic basis for the withering away of the state: the presentation of the question by Marx; the transition from capitalism to Communisim; the first phase of Communist society; the higher phase of Communist society. Part 6 The vulgarization of Marxism by the opportunists: Plekhanov's polemic with the Anarchists; Kautsky's polemic with the opportunists; Kautsky's polemic with Pannekoek. Part 7 The experience of the Russian Revolutions of 1905 and 1917.

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Book SynopsisThe author is among the few to have witnessed at first hand the devastating reality of life in the failed and desperate state of Somalia. In this book, he takes us to the heart of the struggle, meeting everyone from politicians, pirates, extremists and mercenaries to aid workers, civilians and refugees.Trade ReviewOne of the best narratives of discovery I have read for years. The sense of place is acute, the characters and landscapes vivid ... rivals Ryszard Kapuscinski and Robert Byron at their best. -- Robert Fox * Evening Standard *Fergusson has a talent for shedding light in dark places. While most reporters have opted to stay away, Fergusson has risked his life to cover the ground and, an even greater achievement, succeeded in making the Somali mess understandable and relevant. It is this insight, alongside his harrowing account of life in the grief zone that gives Fergusson's book its power. -- Anthony Sattin * Observer *Essential reading for those who seek to counter the menace. With ingenuity and no little courage he has travelled far and wide, within Somalia and among the Somali diaspora in Britain and America, delving into the soul of a ravaged community. * The Economist *What [Fergusson] has done, with heroic tenacity and no little courage, is to spend much of the last two years wandering from one end of the country to the other, interviewing politicians and presidents, fighters and pirates, foreign advisers and security guards, and above all scores of ordinary Somalis, whose lives have been destroyed by 20 years of carnage and whose tales he eloquently recounts. An elegant writer, with a scholarly understanding of history, he brings to terrible light the catastrophe that is Somalia. -- Caroline Moorehead * The Spectator *Fergusson's book is an honest, illuminating and surprisingly funny account of his travels through a lawless land in which the lure of terrorism all too often proves irresistible. * Mail on Sunday *A perceptive and engaging account. * Guardian *Excellent. -- Mark Doyle * Observer *If you meet James Fergusson on your travels, look out, you are most definitely in the wrong place. The writer has earned something of a reputation as a specialist on the dark side of the troubled world in which we live. From the Balkans to Afghanistan and the modern-day hell that is sub-Saharan Africa, the adventurous journalist and best-selling author has put his life on the line to become a global authority on Al Qaeda, the Taliban, boy soldiers in Somalia - and the worst aspects of human behaviour in the most inhospitable and dangerous regions. -- Jim McBeth * Daily Mail *This book is one of the most detailed and illuminating books I have ever read. Comprehensive, detailed, and filled with information, this is an excellent read. Read this book. * Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) *Coruscating reportage... Fergusson is a great journalist, and such truly brilliant investigative work offers the seeds, the suggestions of remedies for the contagion beneath the reporter’s microscope. -- Roger Hutchinson * Scotsman *Riveting ... Fergusson rounds out this invaluable work by noting the glimmers of hope appearing * Publishers Weekly *[A] fine book... With his usual insouciant courage – for this country is not for the faint-hearted – Fergusson takes us on an invigorating journey through Somali life and history... wide-ranging and fascinating. -- Frank Ledwidge * RUSI journal *Exceptional... Fergusson vividly recounts the grotesque horrors of the endless war in Somalia while leavening his account with the gallows humor of some of the war’s participants. -- Nicolas van de Walle * Foreign Affairs magazine *

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Book SynopsisTen Days That Shook the World is John Reed's eyewitness account of the Russian Revolution. A contemporary journalist writing in the first flush of revolutionary enthusiasm, he gives a gripping record of the events in Petrograd in November 1917, when Lenin and the Bolsheviks finally seized power. Containing verbatim reports both of speeches by leaders and the chance comments of bystanders, set against an idealized backcloth of the proletariat, soldiers, sailors, and peasants uniting to throw off oppression, Reed's account is the product of passionate involvement and remains an unsurpassed classic of reporting.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a radical reassessment of Europe from the late-tenth to the early-13th centuries. Professor Moore argues that the period witnessed the first true revolution in European society, characterized by a transformation in the economy, in family structures, and in the sources of power.Trade Review"This is a remarkable book... it can function as a synthesis of the best studies for upper-division undergraduates or graduate students. It is so well researched and argued that even though it asks the reader to accept yet one more period as revolutionary, it is entirely convincing." History: Reviews of New Books "A volume which is consistently intelligent and stimulating, not least because it draws on the insights of social anthropology and of other periods and places in history than its own ... it is the essence of a good book that it should open the reader's mind and sharpen his arguments. By that token this is assuredly a good book." Ecclesiastical HistoryTable of ContentsList of Maps and Figures. Series Editor's Preface. Preface. Introduction. Part I: The Approach of the Millennium:. 1. Glad confident morning. 2. The Faithful People. 3. The Gifts of the Saints. 4. An Age of Miracles. Part II: The Powerful and the Poor:. 5. The Urban Revolution. 6. The Crisis of the Carolingian Regime. 7. The End of Affluence. 8. The Shaping of an Agrarian Economy. 9. The Little Community. Part III: Sex and the Social Order:. 10. Family, Land and Power. 11. Vying in Good Works. 12. Chastity, Property and Obedience. 13. Incest, Matrimony and Chivalry. 14. Brothers in Christ. 15. Apostacy and Betrayal. Part IV: The Ruling Culture:. 16. The Highest Learning. 17. The Giant' s Shoulders. 18. New monarchy, new men. 19. Courts and Courtiers. 20. A Governing Passion. 21. Doubt, Hesitation and Pain. Part V: Order Restored:. 22. Pious and Inflexible Severity. 23. The Pursuit of Monopoly. 24. The Community of the Faithful. 25. Exporting the Revolution. 26. The Europe of the New Regime. Table od Dates. Notes. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisHow might a 21st-century revolution against class society succeed? From the Paris Commune to the George Floyd Uprising, anticipations of a future communism.

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Book SynopsisAn essay on the nature of human revolt, this book makes a critique of communism, how it had gone wrong behind the Iron Curtain, and the resulting totalitarian regimes. It also questions two events held sacred by the left wing, the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of 1917.

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Book SynopsisUPDATED EDITIONA rousing and full-blooded account of the Spanish Civil War and the rise to prominence of General Franco.No modern conflict has inflamed the passions of both civilians and intellectuals as much as the Spanish Civil War of 193639. Burned into our collective historical consciousness, it not only prefigured the imminent Second World War but also ushered in a new and horrific form of warfare that would come to define the twentieth century. At the same time it echoed the revolutionary aspirations of millions of Europeans and Americans after the painful years of the Great Depression.In this authoritative history, Paul Preston vividly recounts the political ideals and military horrors of the Spanish Civil War including the controversial bombing of Guernica and tracks the emergence of General Franco's brutal but extraordinarily durable fascist dictatorship.Trade Review‘[Preston’s] economical style, together with a telling choice of quotes and mordant use of irony, serve his purpose admirably…it is founded upon a vast knowledge and will not easily be refuted.’ History Today ‘Not just a detailed description of events but a real interpretation of the causes and course of the war. By allowing the actors of the great Spanish drama to speak, he captures the dynamics of the civil war.’ La Stampa ‘Paul Preston’s book throws new, definitive light on the conflict.’ L’Unità

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Book Synopsis***WINNER OF THE CRIME WRITERS'' ASSOCIATION ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION***''Meticulous and gripping - a thriller that disturbs for revelations about a singular act of murder, and the national security state which we call home'' Philippe Sands, author of East West StreetA groundbreaking examination of a terrifying murder and its aftermath by the bestselling author of Hanns and Rudolf and The House by the Lake.On 14 June 2006, police were called to 9 Downshire Hill in Hampstead. The owner, Allan Chappelow, was a writer and notorious recluse who had not been seen for several weeks. Inside the darkened house, officers found piles of rubbish, trees growing through the floor, and the body of Chappelow, battered to death, partially burned and buried under four feet of paper.The man eventually arrested on suspicion of his murder was a Chinese dissident named Wang Yam, who claimed to be the gTrade ReviewMeticulous and gripping – a thriller that disturbs for revelations about a singular act of murder, and the national security state which we call home. -- Philippe Sands, author of 'East West Street'A real-life procedural... which might have important implications for us all. -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *Blood on the Page is an In Cold Blood for our time – a brilliant and unflinching anatomy of a murder that is both brutal true crime and heartbreaking human tragedy. -- Tony ParsonsA fine and fascinating read, bolstered by exemplary research and nuanced insights. Absorbing. -- Tobias Jones * Observer *An absolute gem of a true-crime story ... The author's investigation, and his storytelling, are peerless. A superb book. * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisThe Ancien Régime and the Revolution is a comparison of revolutionary France and the despotic rule it toppled. Alexis de Tocqueville (180559) is an objective observer of both periods providing a merciless critique of the ancien régime, with its venality, oppression and inequality, yet acknowledging the reforms introduced under Louis XVI, and claiming that the post-Revolution state was in many ways as tyrannical as that of the King; its once lofty and egalitarian ideals corrupted and forgotten. Writing in the 1850s, Tocqueville wished to expose the return to despotism he witnessed in his own time under Napoleon III, by illuminating the grand, but ultimately doomed, call to liberty made by the French people in 1789. His eloquent and instructive study raises questions about liberty, nationalism and justice that remain urgent today.

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Book Synopsis'The Quiet Before is a fascinating and important exploration of how ideas that change the world incubate and spread.' Steven Pinker'Filled with insightful analysis and colourful storytelling... Rarely does a book give you a new way of looking at social change. This one does.' Walter IsaacsonWhy do some radical ideas make history?We tend to think of revolutions as loud: frustrations and demands shouted in the streets. But the ideas fuelling them have traditionally been conceived in much quieter spaces, in the small, secluded corners where a vanguard can imagine alternate realities. This extraordinary book is a search for those spaces, over centuries and across continents, and a warning that they might soon go extinct.The Quiet Before is a grand panorama, stretching from the seventeenth-century correspondence that jump-started the scientific revolution to the encrypted apps used by epidemiologists fighting the pandemic in the shadow of an inept administration. Beckerman shows that defining social movements - from decolonization to feminism - thrive when they are given the time and space to gestate.Today, we are replacing these productive, private spaces with monolithic platforms. Why did the Arab Spring fall apart and Occupy Wall Street never gain traction? Has Black Lives Matter lived up to its full potential? Beckerman reveals what this new social media ecosystem still needs - from patience to focus - and offers a recipe for growing radical ideas again.Lyrical and profound, The Quiet Before looks to the past to help us imagine a different future.Trade ReviewHow does true social change occur? In this brilliant book filled with insightful analysis and colourful storytelling, Gal Beckerman shows that new ideas need to incubate through thoughtful discussions in order to create sustained movements. Today's social media hothouses, unfortunately, tend to produce flash mobs that flame out. We need to regain intimate forms of communication if we want to nurture real transformation. Rarely does a book give you a new way of looking at social change. This one does. -- Walter Isaacson, author of The Code BreakersNothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come, but how do ideas ever get to the point where their time has come? Ideas have to be conceived, improved, and accepted by people, and we know little about how this happens. The Quiet Before is a fascinating and important exploration of how ideas that change the world incubate and spread. -- Steven Pinker, author of RationalityThe Quiet Before is that rare book: arresting in its premise, supported by historical examples, and relevant to right now. Beckerman takes a close look at the media that led to the 'changed minds' of past revolutions, then challenges us to approach today's media with new eyes. How can we make it serve our urgent human purposes-among these the rethinking of human equality and the possibility of democracy? I loved it. -- Sherry Turkle, author of The Empathy DiariesBoth deep and urgent, Beckerman revisits past revolutions from the perspective of the communication tools that enabled them, providing insight into how we can better navigate the promise and peril of the technologies shaping our current moment. -- Cal Newport, author of Digital MinimalismThe Quiet Before is a remarkable, engrossing account of the subterranean routes by which historical change takes place, from the adoption of universal (male) suffrage to #MeToo, and an examination of the limitations of social media in achieving real social transformation. Gal Beckerman writes with lucidity and grace, folding a formidable amount of research and original reflection into a compulsively readable narrative. This is a riveting and timely book, one that should provoke heated Zoom conversations nationwide. -- Daphne Merkin, author of 22 Minutes of Unconditional Love

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Book Synopsis'The princes are nothing but tyrants who flay the people; they fritter away our blood and sweat on their pomp and whoring and knavery.' These were the words of Thomas Müntzer at the head of the massed ranks of a peasant army in the year 1525. Ranged against him were the might of the princes of the German Nation. How did Müntzer, the son of a coin maker from central Germany, rise in just a few short years to become one of the most feared revolutionaries in early modern Europe?In this brilliant work of historical excavation, Andrew Drummond charts the life and times of the man Martin Luther denounced as a 'Ravening Wolf' and 'False Prophet'. Drummond shows us Müntzer as a human being. Far from the bloodthirsty devil of legend, he was a man of considerable learning and principle, deeply sympathetic to the misery of the peasantry and the poor. In his short life - he was beheaded at thirty-five - Müntzer promised to fundamentally upend German society.Seeking to save Müntzer from the condescension of history, Drummond guides us through the religious and political disputes of the Reformation, placing his life and thought in the context of those turbulent years. The result is a portrait of an often contradictory but always radical figure, one who continues to inspire movements of the poor across the globe.Trade ReviewAt last - a new account for our times of Thomas Müntzer, theologian and revolutionary. Drummond brings Müntzer and his world vividly to life. He shows us just why Müntzer hated Luther, and how he came to take up arms. What did it mean to be a revolutionary in sixteenth-century Germany? - Drummond shows us. You will be gripped and inspired by this exciting story - I couldn't put it down. -- Lyndal Roper, Regius Professor of History at Oxford, and author of Martin Luther: Renegade and ProphetPosterity has endorsed not just Luther's victory but also his determined character assassination of his rival. Andrew Drummond's scholarly but eminently readable, thoughtful, thorough and at times witty biography of Müntzer redresses the balance for English-speaking audiences -- Professor Michael Russell, University of GlasgowAmong the famous figures associated with 16th century Germany, that of religious thinker and social revolutionary Thomas Müntzer deserves to be far better known. Andy Drummond's excellent, brilliantly written and entertaining, new biography delves deep into the archival material to draw out the history of a radical whose life is often obscured by propaganda and myth. As we approach the 500th anniversary of Müntzer's execution, this book is the definitive account of his life. -- Martin Empson, author of 'Kill all the Gentlemen': Class Struggle and Change in the English CountrysideA blisteringly good book about personal enmity, and the difference between revolution and reform. -- Daniel Brooks * Telegraph *Drummond's marvellous romp of a biography - part jolly Simon Winder-like deep dive into 16th-century Germania, part sagacious reflection on the Reformation in the manner of Diarmaid MacCulloch - aims to free Müntzer from his detractors. -- Stuart Jeffries * Spectator *Table of ContentsWettin Family Tree Map Acknowledgements Notes on the Text and Some Helpful Remarks1. A Most Useful Lesson An introduction2. The End of the World Historical and religious background to the German Reformation3. The Devil Sowed His Seed Müntzer's early years4. Murder and Riot and Bloodshed Preacher in Zwickau (1520-1521)5. He Ran Away like an Arch-Villain A visit to Prague (1521)6. Satan Wandered in the Wilderness Erfurt, Nordhausen and Halle (1522-1523)7. Satan Made Himself a Nest in Allstedt A fruitful year of activity in Allstedt (1523-1524)8. His Face Was as Yellow as a Corpse's Rebellion in Allstedt (1524)9. Using God's Name, He Spoke and Acted for the Devil Müntzer's theology 10. The Devil Never Let Him Rest Mühlhausen and Nürnberg (1524)11. His Poisonous Seed In south-west Germany at the time of the peasant uprising (1524-1525)12. The Time Was Come The Thuringian uprising (1525)13. Thomas Would Catch All the Bullets in His Sleeves The Battle of Frankenhausen (May 1525)14. How God Punishes Disobedience The aftermath of defeat at Frankenhausen15. Rebellious Violent Preachers The early Anabaptists16. The Devil in Person HistoriographyConclusion Chronology Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisBurke''s seminal work was written during the early months of the French Revolution, and it predicted with uncanny accuracy many of its worst excesses, including the Reign of Terror. A scathing attack on the revolution''s attitudes to existing institutions, property and religion, it makes a cogent case for upholding inherited rights and established customs, argues for piecemeal reform rather than revolutionary change - and deplores the influence Burke feared the revolution might have in Britain. Reflections on the Revolution in France is now widely regarded as a classic statement of conservative political thought, and is one of the eighteenth century''s great works of political rhetoric.Table of ContentsReflections on the Revolution in France AcknowledgmentsIntroductionBiographial NoteBurke's Prefatory NoteReflections on the Revolution in FranceNotesBibliographical Note

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2018 NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017''The kind of vision the world needs right now...Pankaj Mishra shouldn''t stop thinking'' Christopher de Bellaigue, Financial Times''This is the most astonishing, convincing, and disturbing book I''ve read in years'' Joe Sacco''Urgent, profound and extraordinarily timely'' John BanvilleHow can we explain the origins of the great wave of paranoid hatreds that seem inescapable in our close-knit world - from American ''shooters'' and ISIS to Trump, from a rise in vengeful nationalism across the world to racism and misogyny on social media? In Age of Anger, Pankaj Mishra answers our bewilderment by casting his gaze back to the eighteenth century, before leading us to the present.He shows that as the world became modern those who were unable to fulfil its promises - freedom, stability and prosperity - were increasingly susceptible to demagogues. The many who came late to this new world or were left, or pushed, behind, reacted in horrifyingly similar ways: intense hatred of invented enemies, attempts to re-create an imaginary golden age, and self-empowerment through spectacular violence. It was from among the ranks of the disaffected that the militants of the 19th century arose - angry young men who became cultural nationalists in Germany, messianic revolutionaries in Russia, bellicose chauvinists in Italy, and anarchist terrorists internationally.Today, just as then, the wider embrace of mass politics, technology, and the pursuit of wealth and individualism has cast many more millions adrift in a literally demoralized world, uprooted from tradition but still far from modernity - with the same terrible resultsMaking startling connections and comparisons, Age of Anger is a book of immense urgency and profound argument. It is a history of our present predicament unlike any other.Trade ReviewUrgent, profound and extraordinarily timely -- John BanvilleThis is the most astonishing, convincing, and disturbing book I've read in years * Joe Sacco *Incisive and scary.. a wake-up call -- Nick Fraser * Guardian *Far from reassuring... his vision is unusually broad, accommodating and resistant to categorisation. It is the kind of vision the world needs right now...Pankaj Mishra shouldn't stop thinking. -- Christopher de Bellaigue * Financial Times *This is a framework that pushes aside conventional, familiar divisions of left and right to focus on the profound sense of dislocation and alienation that spawned (and still spawns) movements ranging from fascism to anarchism to nihilism...a short book into which a lot of intellectual history has been packed. -- Laura Miller * Slate *Stimulating... thought-provoking -- Richard Evans * Guardian *A valuable book. Mishra's ideas are bold and initially discomfiting - it's a challenge to look over the head of the latest terrorist and try to dispassionately trace his rage back to Voltaire - but it's undeniably good to stretch intellectual muscles and test your own prejudices. Mishra invites us to hear the ugly, muffled shouts beneath the "drumbeat" of Western civilisation. -- Julie McDowall * Sunday Herald *Mishra reads like a brilliant autodidact, putting to shame the many students who dutifully did the reading for their classes but missed the incandescent fire and penetrating insight in canonical texts... no one has discerned better than Mishra just how far we still are from the top. -- Samuel Moyn * New Republic *Around the world, both East and West, the insurrectionary fury of militants, zealots and populists has overturned the post-Cold-War global consensus. Where does their rage come from, and where will it end? One of the sharpest cultural critics and political analysts releases his landmark "history of the present -- Boyd Tonkin * Newsweek *An original attempt to explain today's paranoid hatreds...Iconoclastic...Mr. Mishra shocks on many levels. * Economist *Along with quotations from Voltaire, Rousseau, and other familiar figures of Western Civ, Age of Anger includes observations from Iranian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and other nations' scholars; their perspectives complement Mishra's deep understanding of global tensions....In probing for the wellspring of today's anger he hits on something real -- Peter Coy * Bloomberg Businessweek *Provocative...We'll need new philosophical frameworks to understand the phenomenon of political anger in a global perspective; what's fascinating about Mishra's novel reading is that it draws on familiar philosophical and literary touchstones while turning them on their head...A brilliant work -- Eric Banks * Bookforum *A disturbing but imperatively urgent analysis -- Bryce Christensen * Booklist *A probing, well-informed investigation of global unrest calling for 'truly transformative thinking' about humanity's future * Kirkus Reviews *Sensitive and illuminating....Makes a powerful case for the influence of a certain group of anti-rational and anti-commercial ideas which have influenced our world.,..Mishra's contribution is to show us how these ideas have become 'viral' and what that means for all of us. -- Jonathan Steinberg * The Spectator *Incisive...Age of Anger, which was completed after the Brexit vote but before Trump's victory, reminds us that the dialectical movement between these two poles - between a desire to be oneself and a desire to belong to something larger than oneself - has been a feature of Western political life since the Enlightenment -- Justin E.H. Smith * Harper’s *Pankaj Mishra's Age of Anger...exemplifies his characteristic eloquence and erudition...Leaders who are struggling to process the present backlash against core aspects of globalization would do well to heed Mishra's plea to "remember the irreducible human being, her or his fears, desires, and resentments." -- Ali Wyne * The National Interest *An impressively probing and timely work...Highly engaging * Publishers Weekly *Scintillating...Age of Anger looks an awful lot like a masterwork. We're only a few weeks into 2017, but one of the books of the year is already here -- Christopher Bray * The Tablet *

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Book SynopsisA collection examining the trailblazing lives and movements of radical women who have shaped the modern worldTrade Review‘Exhilarating and immensely valuable’ -- Priyamvada Gopal, Professor, University of Cambridge'Captivating ... captures the resolute vision of revolutionary women in anti-colonial, anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggles' -- Shahrzad Mojab, Professor, co-author of 'Revolutionary Learning''Powerful, complex and compassionate ... a meaningful intervention – not only in women’s and revolutionary history, but in world history' -- Dilar Dirik, author of 'The Kurdish Women’s Movement'Table of ContentsIntroduction: She Who Struggles - Marral Shamshiri and Sorcha Thomson 1. Melba Hernández: From Cuba to Vietnam, Under One Roof - Sorcha Thomson 2. Mabel Dove and Aoua Kéita: Feminist and Internationalist Struggles from Ghana to Mali - Yatta Kiazolu and Madina Thiam 3. Mary Mooney: A Story of Irish and African Diaspora Solidarity - Maurice J. Casey 4. TESTIMONY: The Power of Women’s International Solidarity with the Palestinian Revolution - Jehan Helou 5. Shigenobu Fusako: From Japan to Palestine in World Revolution - Jeremy Randall 6. Marziyeh Ahmadi Osku’i: Guerrilla Poetry between Iran, Afghanistan and India - Marral Shamshiri 7. Madame Bình and Madame Nhu: The Vietnamese Woman as Icon of Solidarity in Palestine and Iran - Thy Phu, Evyn Lê Espiritu Gandhi and Donya Ziaee 8. Sakine Cansız: Women’s Liberation and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement - Elif Sarican 9. Lindiwe Mabuza: Culture as a Weapon of Resistance in South Africa - Kebotlhale Motseothata 10. Where Are the Revolutionary Women of West Asia and North Africa? - Kanwal Hameed and Sara Salem 11. Delia Aguilar: Dissident Friendship and Filipino Feminist Thought - Karen Buenavista Hanna 12. Sister Cities: Salvadoran Refugees and US-Salvadoran Solidarity in the Americas - Molly Todd 13. INTERVIEW: Building Socialist Feminism on Southern Ground: The Women Democratic Front on the History and Politics of the Left in Pakistan - Mahvish Ahmad, Marvi Latifi, Ismat Shahjahan and Tooba Syed of the Women Democratic Front in Pakistan

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Book SynopsisUsing Alan Berkman's unfinished prison memoir, FBI records, letters, and hundreds of interviews, Susan Reverby sheds fascinating light on questions of political violence and revolutionary zeal in her account of Berkman's extraordinary transformation from doctor to co-conspirator for justice.

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Book SynopsisA vivid first-hand account of a SOE agent's missions in Nazi occupied France.

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Book Synopsis‘A well-written and thought-provoking account of the current crisis of globalization. Not everyone will agree with Eyal’s interpretation, but few will remain indifferent.’ – Yuval Noah Harari, author of SapiensRevolt is an eloquent and provocative challenge to the prevailing wisdom about the rise of nationalism and populism today. With a vibrant and informed voice, Nadav Eyal illustrates how modern globalization is unsustainable. He contends that the collapse of the current world order is not so much about the imbalance between technological advances and social progress, or the breakdown of liberal democracy, as it is about a passion to upend and destroy power structures that have become hollow, corrupt, or simply unresponsive to urgent needs. Eyal illuminates the forces both benign and malignant that have so rapidly transformed our economic, political, and cultural realities, shedding light not only on the globalized revolution that has come to define our time but also on the counterrevolution waged by those who globalization has marginalized and exploited.With a mixture of journalistic narrative, penetrating vignettes, and original analysis, Revolt shows that within the mainstream the left and right have much in common. Teasing out the connections among distressed Pennsylvania coal miners, anarchists in communes on the outskirts of Athens, neo-Nazis in Germany, and Syrian refugee families whom he accompanied from the shores of Greece to their destination in Germany, Eyal shows how their stories feed our current state of unrest. More than just an analysis of the present, though, Revolt also takes a hard look at lessons from the past, from the Opium Wars in China to colonialist Haiti to the Marshall Plan. With these historical ties, Eyal shows that the roots of revolt have always been deep and strong. The current uprisings are no passing phenomenon – revolt is the new status quo.Trade ReviewWe need to redefine the terms of our interdependence - to minimize the dangers, spread the benefits more broadly, and build a global community capable of confronting our collective challenges together. -- President Bill ClintonA well-written and thought-provoking account of the current crisis of globalization. Not everyone will agree with Eyal's interpretation, but few will remain indifferent. -- Yuval Noah Harari

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Book SynopsisIn one of the world's most intractable and under-reported rebellions, the Naxalites have been engaged in a decades-long battle with the Indian state. Presented in the media as a deadly terrorist group, the movement is made up of Marxist ideologues and lower-caste and tribal combatants who seek to overthrow a system that has abused them. In 2010, anthropologist Alpa Shah embarked on a seven-night trek with some of these communist guerrillas, walking 250 kilometres through the dense, hilly forests of eastern India. Speaking to leaders and living for years with villagers in guerrilla strongholds, Shah seeks to understand how and why some of India's poor have shunned the world's largest democracy and taken up arms to fight for a fairer society--and asks whether they might be undermining their own aims. Nightmarch is a compelling reflection on dispossession and conflict at the heart of contemporary India. SHORT-LISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING, 2019 SHORT-LISTED FOR THE NEW INDIA FOUNDATION BOOK PRIZE, 2019 WINNER OF THE 2020 ASSOCIATION FOR POLITICAL AND LEGAL ANTHROPOLOGY BOOK PRIZE A 2018 New Statesman Book of the YearTrade Review‘One of the most nuanced, informed accounts yet of this strange and awful conflict . . . one of the few accounts we possess that gives [the Naxalites] a voice.’'I’ve enormously enjoyed and admired Alpa Shah’s careful, rich, sympathetic account of the Maoist insurgency in India . . . a brave and necessary work'.'This remarkable account offers unprecedented insight into the Naxalite movement .... skilfully sketching characters such as Gyanji, the intellectual elder, Kohli, the tribal teenager 'adopted' by the guerrillas, and Vikas, the corrrupt commander ... What emerges is a portrait of India's diminishing democracy, under the yoke of its ultra-Hindu nationalist government.' -- Le Monde Diplomatique'Powerful, emotional and painstakingly detailed analysis . . . a rare insight. . . the book is engrossing and its characters will haunt you.' * The Hindu *'A subtle and moving portrait . . . Shah combines powerful first-hand description – as gripping as any novel – with analysis which understands the rebel’s motivations and backgrounds without ever falling into simplistic political binaries.’‘Powerful, reflective and deeply engaged scholarship . . . rarely does a work of social science transport one so fully into the lives and worlds of those whose stories are being recounted. Alpa Shah succeeds in doing just that and more by combining ethnographic profundity with almost cinematic vividness . . . the work is a perfect illustration of the unique contribution anthropologists can bring in comprehending the world we live in.’'An astonishing journey. A rare, granular portrait.' -- The Indian Express‘[Alpa Shah] treats the groups she is living with as equal social and political beings … The result is a powerful synthesis, warm but never uncritical, a distillation of her own scholarship and the experiences of her subjects, that immerses the reader in a lifeworld.’ -- New Left Review'A thoughtful and balanced account.' -- La Stampa'Simultaneously a major contribution to scholarship and at the same time written to entice a wider readership to care about the poor and their insurgent politics.' -- Journal of Peasant Studies‘A beautifully crafted and highly engaging narrative that draws the reader into the secretive world of one of today’s forgotten revolutions . . . [an] ethnographically rich and vivid rendering.’'An eloquent and compassionate account of revolutionaries whose voices are rarely heard. Shah skilfully analyses the individual motivations for the Naxalites' radical commitment, their failures, and the deep history of exploitation and neglect that has provoked their struggle for liberation.' -- David Lan, theatre producer and author of 'Guns and Rain'‘[A] vibrant piece of anthropological work . . . written in a way that provides food for thought and, at the same time, moves hearts, this book is an example of the unique contribution anthropologists can bring to understanding the world we live in.’'Shah’s brilliant, careful research and writing is not meant to be an apologia for her subject. It’s quite the opposite. . . . a book that dwells on the electrifyingly complex battle between ideas and experience.''As a committed independent observer and researcher, [Shah's] experience has endowed her with a genuine understanding of the Naxalite revolutionaries.''A story that could not be more important, told with the perfect balance of clear-eyed realism, thoughtful criticism, and deep and abiding love. ... Nightmarch reveals what anthropology can do in the hands of a master willing to take genuine risks in the name of human freedom.' -- David Graeber, author of 'Bullshit Jobs' and 'Debt: The First 5000 Years''One of the most gripping, engaging and accessible books I've encountered on the Naxalites. Shah fearlessly bears witness to the upheavals caused by India's rising inequalities, while also asking many urgent, difficult questions.' -- Meena Kandasamy, author of 'When I Hit You''Compassionate, courageous and uncommonly observant. This is an extraordinary work of rigorous, reflective and deeply engaged scholarship, full of unexpected insights. At the same time, it manages to be haunting, lyrical, occasionally harrowing, even racy--more compelling than some of the best fiction writing.' -- Harsh Mander, human rights worker and author of 'Fatal Accidents of Birth', 'Looking Away' and 'Ash in the Belly''It is hard to imagine a work of social science as a page-turner that you cannot put down. But this intrepid author has produced that rare find: ... a beautifully written and absorbing book that disturbs, moves and educates the reader all at once.' -- Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University‘A brilliant work of social anthropology that feels like watching Pontevecoro’s masterpiece, The Battle of Algiers, seamlessly illuminating the wider conditions that lead to insurgency with moving personal stories of those on the ground.’ -- Steve Chandra Savale, guitarist/composer/producer, Asian Dub Foundation'In this intimate and insightful book, Shah elucidates why Adivasis become Naxalites and are also able to alternate between being Naxalites and not being Naxalites; brings out several contradictions in the Naxalite movement; breaks stereotypes about the Adivasis; discusses issues of class, community, privilege, sexual behaviour, and the status of women; and asks one vital question: Is the Naxalite movement doing good for the Adivasis?' -- Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, author of 'The Adivasi Will Not Dance''Brave, brilliant and beautifully written, Nightmarch is an anthropological tour de force. Shah portrays the Naxalites' revolutionary dedication with love, respect and analytical acumen, while laying bare the tragic contradictions of their armed struggle.' -- Philippe Bourgois, author of 'In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio' and 'Righteous Dopefiend''Nightmarch is outstanding, combining ethnographic depth with almost cinematic vividness. From an extraordinary inside perspective, Shah reveals a complex interplay among the Naxalites of political ideals, cultural values, personal attachments, and the lure of money.' -- Sherry B. Ortner, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, UCLA'Riveting, finely textured, and acutely perceptive, Nightmarch captures both the Naxalite insurgency's contradictions and its human promise against the background of the crippling indignities and exclusions of Indian society. It is a model of what ethnography can offer.' -- James C. Scott, author of 'Against the Grain''Profoundly insightful and compassionate, but also critical. ... An admirable example of serious social science writing, this book exhibits the potential of ethnographic research with a comparative angle -- grounded and accessible, yet still theoretically rich.' -- Surinder S. Jodhka, Professor of Sociology, Jawaharlal Nehru University'Bold and courageous, humane and sensitive, Nightmarch is an excellent illustration of how to take ethnography beyond the confines of the academic world.' -- Virginius Xaxa, author of 'State, Society and Tribes: Issues in Post-Colonial India'‘Woven into a fascinating account of her walk through the Maoist heartland, Shah tells a scorching story of dispossession, displacement, exploitation, intense inequality and state violence in India.’

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Book Synopsis'A wonderful, inspiring story told with scholarship, passion and wit' – Miriam Margolyes'A must-read' – Independent on SundayWith an introduction by Dr Helen Pankhurst.An illuminating and riveting exploration of the women's movement in Britain, and the extraordinary women behind it.From the passing of the Marriage and Divorce Act in 1857 to all women attaining the vote in 1928, the struggle for suffrage in the United Kingdom was to be fought using the weapons of intellect, searing rhetoric, and violence in the streets. Ordinary women rose up to defy the roles prescribed by their society to become heroes in the battle for equality.Using anecdotes and accounts by both famous and hitherto lesser-known suffragettes and suffragists, March, Women, March explores how the voices of women came to be heard throughout the land in the pursuit of equal voting rights for all women. Lucinda Hawksley brings the main protagonists of the women's movement to life, sharing diary extracts and letters that show the true voices of these women, while their portrayals in literature and art – as well as the media reports of the day – show just how much of an impact these trailblazers made.'An accessible and engaging guide to the original women's movement' – Daily TelegraphTrade Review'A wonderful, inspiring story told with scholarship, passion and wit' -- Miriam Margolyes'A must-read' * Independent on Sunday *'An accessible and engaging guide to the original women's movement' * Daily Telegraph *Table of Contents1857-70 • The 1870s • The 1880s • The 1890s • 1900-14 • The Women's Movement and the War • The Aftermath of the War • 1928 - Universal Suffrage.

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Book SynopsisThe Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 introduced new military technologies, transformed the organization of armies, and upset the continental balance of power, promulgating new regimented ideas of nationhood and conflict resolution more widely. However, the mass armies that became a new standard required mass mobilization and the arming of working people, who exercised a new power through both a German social democracy and popular insurgent French movements. As in the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Paris Commune of 1871 grew directly from the discontent among radicalized soldiers and civilians pressed into armed service on behalf of institutions they learned to mistrust. If this militarized class conflict, the brutality of the Commune's subsequent repression not only butchered the tens of thousands of Parisians but slaughtered an old utopian faith that appeals to reason and morality could resolve social tensions. War among nations became linked to revolution and revolution to armed struggle.Trade ReviewMark Lause's investigation of the link between mass conscription, war and revolution is timely. Many of the classic revolutions and vast movements of social reforms on which the 21st century Left can base its reflection involve soldiers and ex-soldiers: the Paris Commune of course, but also the Russian, German and Chinese revolutions, the rise of social states around 1945 in Britain, France and even the US (around the GI Bill). Mark Lause is well placed to conduct this investigation with his specialization on the US Civil War, the first emergence of Left movements and labor in the mid-nineteenth century, and the lively interactions between the US and European, notably French, Left at the time of Lincoln, Marx and Clemenceau. * John Barzman *This is military history at its broadest and best. Lause captures events and technologies of destruction to be sure but also the regimented labor of war, the soldier's experience of larger worlds and new comrades, the coming to know of politics as a life and death matter, and the invitation to interrogate national ideals. These transformations set the stage for the for both the Paris Commune and the brutality of its repression. -- David Roediger teaches history at the University of Kansas. He is the author most recently of The Sinking Middle ClassMark Lause's investigation of the link between mass conscription, war and revolution is timely. Many of the classic revolutions and vast movements of social reforms on which the 21st century Left can base its reflection involve soldiers and ex-soldiers: the Paris Commune of course, but also the Russian, German and Chinese revolutions, the rise of social states around 1945 in Britain, France and even the US (around the GI Bill). Mark Lause is well placed to conduct this investigation with his specialization on the US Civil War, the first emergence of Left movements and labor in the mid-nineteenth century, and the lively interactions between the US and European, notably French, Left at the time of Lincoln, Marx and Clemenceau. -- John Barzman, Université Le Havre NormandieIn July 1870 France declared war on the confederation of German states headed by Prussia, only to be forced to capitulate six months later, after a series of traumatic and humiliating military defeats; in the meantime, the French Empire had collapsed and was been replaced by a Republic. This first modern European conflict has long suffered from a relative lack of interest among historians. In this respect, Mark Lause's Soldiers of the Revolution is a welcome addition to this field or research. Mark Lause's book is not just another well-researched and well written narrative of the Franco-Prussian War and its most immediate consequence, the Paris Commune (and other provincial uprisings). It brings into sharp focus the consequences of modern war and the emergence of more centralized nation-states that came to supersede the romantic vision of a universal republic that had been so popular in 1848 and the 'Spring of Peoples'. Because it is a thought-provoking examination of the relationship between war and revolution, it also develops an interestingly new approach on the Paris Commune, by showing that revolution offers an alternative when state power effectively begins to dissolve. Conversely, it also demonstrates that nation-building does not necessarily go hand in hand with a republican form of government. Lause convincingly argues that a new world emerged from the events of 1870-71, and that the Paris Commune contributed to the internationalization of the anticapitalist movement. His book deserves to be read carefully by all those who take an interest in the dynamics that have shaped the society we are presently living in. -- Michel Cordillot, Professor emeritus Université Paris 8, editor of La Commune de Paris 1871, les acteurs, l’événement, les lieux (Paris, 2021)

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated account of one of the most pivotal events in modern history – the Russian revolution of 1917. In the early years of the twentieth century, Imperial Russia was an ethnically diverse empire, stretching from Ukraine and Belarus in the west to the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk in the Far East. At the head of this profoundly dysfunctional polity was Tsar Nicholas II, whose Romanov successors had ruled Russia since the start of the seventeenth century with a lethal mixture of domestic cruelty, expansionist energy and reactionary incompetence – interspersed with occasional reformist spasms. By early 1917, Russia was unreformable, and the tsar's authority irreparably damaged. In March of that year, Nicholas II abdicated and the tsarist system was overthrown. The provisional government installed in its stead to organise democratic elections lasted just eight chaotic months before being ousted by Lenin's Bolsheviks in the October Revolution. Writing with crisp immediacy, Sebestyen narrates an unprecedented era of political and social convulsion. The Russian Revolution changed the course of history, and, more than a century later, their backwash continues to be deeply felt across the world.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR VICTOR SEBESTYEN: 'Can first-rate history read like a thriller? With Lenin the Dictator the journalist Victor Sebestyen has pulled off this rarest of feats' New York Times. 'Sebestyen's attention to historical detail is flawless' Observer. 'Richly readable... Enthralling but appalling' Mail on Sunday. 'A magisterial but totally gripping and fresh account of the noble, violent, and doomed Hungarian revolution' Simon Sebag Montefiore. 'This is an exceptionally involving and horrifying book... Heaven knows [Sebestyen] can tell a story' * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisIn 2011, a series of anti-government uprisings shook the Middle East and North Africa in what would become known as the Arab Spring. Few could predict that these convulsions, initially hailed in the West as a triumph of democracy, would give way to brutal civil war, the terrors of the Islamic State, and a global refugee crisis. But, as New York Times bestselling author Scott Anderson shows, the seeds of catastrophe had been sown long before.In this gripping account, Anderson examines the myriad complex causes of the region’s profound unraveling, tracing the ideological conflicts of the present to their origins in the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003 and beyond. From this investigation emerges a rare view into a land in upheaval through the eyes of six individuals—the matriarch of a dissident Egyptian family; a Libyan Air Force cadet with divided loyalties; a Kurdish physician from a prominent warrior clan; a Syrian university student caught in civil war; an Iraqi activist for women’s rights; and an Iraqi day laborer-turned-ISIS fighter. A probing and insightful work of reportage, Fractured Lands offers a penetrating portrait of the contemporary Arab world and brings the stunning realities of an unprecedented geopolitical tragedy into crystalline focus.Trade ReviewFascinating . . . Masterly -- Sir Max Hastings, Sunday Times on Lawrence in ArabiaTremendous . . . A masterpiece -- Jan Morris, Daily Telegraph on Lawrence in ArabiaMagisterial -- Amir Taheri, The Times on Lawrence in ArabiaFascinating . . . Illuminating -- New York Times on Lawrence in ArabiaGripping . . . brilliant -- William Dalrymple, New Statesman on Lawrence in ArabiaEngrossing, thoughtful and intrictate -- Alex von Tunzelmann, New York Times Book Review on Lawrence in ArabiaCompelling -- Washington Post on Lawrence in ArabiaThrilling -- Boston Globe on Lawrence in Arabia

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Honorable Mention for the Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize, ASEEES""Winner of the Deutscher Memorial Prize, Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn trust""The book’s strength lies . . . in its excavation of important episodes of the early years. . . . What I took from Passage to Revolution — and I agree with the idea — is that young Stalin was an angry optimist. . . . His hefty, demanding tome emphasizes the effects of changing circumstances that pivoted both Stalin and Russia into a vortex of revolution and civil war."---Robert Service, Washington Post"Joseph Stalin has been the subject of many biographical studies. . . . Ronald Grigor Suny's ‘Stalin: Passage to Revolution’ is a worthy contribution to this continuing enterprise. . . . In highly readable prose Mr. Suny . . . tells the story of the young Stalin's rise."---Joshua Rubenstein, Wall Street Journal"A Georgianist as well as a Russianist, equally comfortable with social, cultural and political history, Suny outclasses previous biographers of the young Stalin . . . It is a monumental work of history and its treatment and evocation of the young Stalin will never be bettered."---Geoffrey Roberts, Literary Review"A comprehensive, deeply researched study of one of the world’s most brutal dictators as he took the paths that would lead him to power."---Starred Review, Kirkus"This impressively researched biography provides remarkable and reliable details on the first part of Stalin’s life, along with the many fissures among the Left Communists. An important accomplishment. " * Library Journal, starred review *"Suny, using an abundance of newly available archival material, though there was no secret diary or introspective documents, provides an extraordinary telling, a detailed account, well written and engrossing, of the obscure and multiple layers of experience in Stalin's early life: church school, seminary, outlaw, exile, prison, attraction to Marxism."---Michael Curtis, American Thinker"He [Suny] is a lucid writer and a perspicacious scholar."---Stephen Lovell, Times Literary Supplement"The overriding merit of this book is that it takes Stalin seriously. It explains his life and development without feeling the need to impose a value judgement on the reader on every page."---Andrew Murray, Morning Star"Ronald Grigor Suny has written a massive, extensively researched biography of Josef Stalin’s early years—from his childhood days in Gori, Georgia, to the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917."---Francis P. Sempa, New York Journal of Books"Ronald Grigor Suny has created a detailed and unbiased biography of the first half of Joseph Stalin’s life. . . . one of the best on its subject."---Maria Timofeeva, International Journal of Military History and Historiography IJMH"This is Suny’s magnum opus, the product of decades of scholarly research."---Duncan Bowie, Chartist

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Book SynopsisThe first full-length book of the unique and extraordinary political situation in Rojava, SyriaTrade Review'Written by long-time activists of the Kurdish freedom movement, this book is the first authentic insight into the complex dimensions of Rojava's radical revolution' -- Dilar Dirik, author and activist of the Kurdish Women's Movement'The Kurdish revolution of Democratic Autonomy is of enormous importance for the future of the world. It points a possible way forward out of the tragedy of the Middle East, and more than that: a possible way forward out of the catastrophe that is capitalism. This book is of great help... A careful and detailed account that is filled with personal narrative, it is both easily accessible and very informative' -- John Holloway, Professor of Sociology, Autonomous University of Puebla, author of Crack Capitalism (Pluto, 2010)'A deeply insightful contribution to understanding the Kurdish movement's achievements in Rojava' -- ROAR'Gives a profound insight' -- Firat News Agency'A comprehensive and readable guide to the complex situation. This hugely exciting and important book has wider lessons for feminists, ecosocialists and others who want to create an anti-capitalist alternative' -- Green Left Weekly'Provides excellent background information about this important but little understood struggle' -- The MonthlyTable of ContentsList of Figures Translator’s Note Foreword by David Graeber Introduction Prologue: On the Road to Til Koçer 1. Background 2. Rojava’s Diverse Cultures 3. Democratic Confederalism 4. The Liberation 5. A Womens' Revolution 6. Democratic Autonomy in Rojava 7. Civil Society Associations 8. Defense: The Theory of the Rose 9. The New Justice System 10. The Democratization of Education 11. Health Care 12. The Social Economy 13. Ecological Challenges 14. Neighbors 15. Prospects Afterword: The Philosophy of Democratic Autonomy by Asya Abdullah Glossary About the Authors Index

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Book SynopsisReveals a little-known history of 1917: the Ukrainian anarcho-communist MakhnovistsTrade Review'Utilising numerous sources, some only recently available, Colin Darch produces an admirably lucid account of complex events, supported by penetrating analysis' -- Gary Littlejohn, author of 'A Sociology of the Soviet Union' (1984)'A timely and welcome contribution. Detailed and balanced, Darch's narrative succumbs to neither a romanticisation nor demonisation of Makhno. Readers will encounter a multifaceted Makhno attempting to navigate his movement through the furies of revolution and civil war' -- Sean Patterson, author of 'Makhno and Memory: Anarchist and Mennonite Narratives of Ukraine’s Civil War, 1917-1921''Before Rojava, before Spain, there was Ukraine. Darch's brilliant study recovers the intertwined stories of the anarchist Nestor Makhno, factory worker and son of freed serfs, and the revolution that swept Ukraine. This highly recommended study of an epic time shows another revolution was possible’ -- Lucien van der Walt, Professor of Economic & Industrial Sociology, Rhodes UniversityTable of ContentsList of Maps List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements The Deep Roots of Rural Discontent: Guliaipole, 1905–17 The Turning Point: Organising Resistance to the German Invasion, 1918 Brigade Commander and Partisan: Makhno’s Campaigns against Denikin, January–May 1919 Betrayal in the Heat of Battle? The Red–Black Alliance Falls Apart, May–September 1919 The Long March West and the Battle at Peregonovka Red versus White, Red versus Green: The Bolsheviks Assert Control The Last Act: Alliance at Starobel’sk, Wrangel’s Defeat, and Betrayal at Perekop The Bitter Politics of the Long Exile: Romania, Poland, Germany, and France, 1921–34 Why Anarchism? Why Ukraine? Contextualising Makhnovshchina Epilogue: The Reframing of Makhno for the Twenty-First Century Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring reminder of the great strength of twentieth century Communism in the Global South.Trade Review'This is the real story of the Russian Revolution and no one tells it more powerfully, poetically, and honestly than Vijay Prashad' -- Robin D. G. Kelley, author of 'Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination''An original and much needed analysis of an important but neglected aspect of the legacy of the Russian Revolution. Prashad insightfully explains how Lenin's development of Marxist theory has inspired revolutionary practice in the Third World. Essential reading' -- Mary Davis, Marx Memorial Library'An almost perfect mix of history and analysis in this slender book ... packs a revolutionary punch' -- Ron Jacobs, CounterPunchTable of ContentsPreface 1. Eastern Graves 2. Red October 3. Follow the Path of the Russians! 4. The Lungs of Russia! 5. Peasant Soviets 6. Soviet Asia 7. Enemy of Imperialism 8. Eastern Marxism 9. To See the Dawn 10. Colonial Fascism 11. Polycentric Communism 12. Memories of Communism

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Book SynopsisA passionate journey through the history of feminism by the founder of ‘Pan Y Rosas’Trade Review'At a time when women's economic, political and reproductive rights are under attack worldwide, Andrea D'Atri's exhilarating historical survey of the world's great socialist feminist movements brings us the knowledge we need to fight back!' -- Wendy Z. Goldman, Paul Mellon Distinguished Professor of History, Carnegie Mellon UniversityTable of ContentsPreface to the English Edition Acknowledgments Biography Introduction Gender and Class on International Women’s Day Oppression and Exploitation Gender Unites Us, Class Divides Us Capitalism and Patriarchy: A Well-Matched Marriage Women’s Struggle and Class Struggle 1. Grain Riots and Civil Rights Bread, Cannons, and Revolution Female Citizens Demand Equality Liberty, Fraternity, and Inequality of Class and Gender 2. Bourgeois Women and Proletarian Women Steam Engines, Looms, and Women Women Workers Organize to Fight A Government of the Working People of Paris The Women Incendiaries and the Ladies with Parasols 3. Between Philanthropy and Revolution Voting Rights or Charity? Reform or Revolution? A Woman Living Between Two Eras On the Need to Welcome Foreign Women Petition to Reinstate Divorce The Workers’ Union The Tour de France 4. Imperialism, War, and Gender Debates in the Second International Women at War Women and Nations Freedom During Wartime, Oppression During Peacetime? 5. Women in the First Workers’ State in History The Spark that Could Light the Flame Bread, Peace, Freedom, and Women’s Rights Harrowing Contradictions The Philosophy of a Priest, the Powers of a Gendarme Comrade Kollontai Oppositional Women 6. From Vietnam to Paris, Bras to the Bonfire Economic Boom and Baby Boom Liberty, Equality, Sorority Radical and Socialist Feminists Against Patriarchy 7. Difference of Women, Differences Between Women The Imperialist Offensive Sweeps Everything Away Autonomous and Institutionalized Feminists in Latin America Revaluing the Feminine Integrated or Marginalized Intersection of Differences 8. Postmodernity, Postmarxism, Postfeminism The 1990s: NGO-ization and Gender Technocracy Performativity, Parody, and Radical Democracy Consumerism, Individualism, and Skepticism By Way of Conclusion Appendix Bread and Roses: International Manifesto (2020) Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA detailed ethnographic account of the revolutionary Kurdish women's movementTrade Review'Dilar Dirik is one the foremost writers, scholars and participants in the Kurdish women's movement. Her revolutionary work against all forms of state and social oppression and exploitation is unsparing in its truth-telling and expansive in its political orientation - a true people's historian from below' -- Harsha Walia, author of 'Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism' (Haymarket, 2021)'Compelling [...] As a social history from below, it goes beyond the hype and reveals the radical roots of this movement' -- Dr Yara Hawari, writer, academic and political analyst'Read to 'feelthink' and to embrace the memories of the historical struggle of the Kurdish sisters against the fascist and capitalist patriarchy. From the mountains, academia and daily life in resistance, their legacy walks towards liberation, healing and dignity' -- Lorena Kab'nal, Mayan Ancestral Healer, Territorial Community Feminist and Community Social Psychologist'What should a women's revolution look like? With clarity, Dilar Dirik lays bare the thoughts and experiments of the inspiring Kurdish women who for decades having been setting example to anyone fighting for a more equal world. This is an important book for everyone interested in revolution, gender equality, anti-fascist and anti-capitalist struggle' -- Alpa Shah, Professor of Anthropology at London School of Economics and award-winning authorTable of ContentsFigures Abbreviations and acronyms Locations in Kurdish Map Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: The Kurdistan women’s revolution – A social history from below PART I: HISTORY 1. Mapping the Kurdistan of women 2. The Kurdistan Revolutionaries 3. Berxwedan jiyan e! – The Diyarbakır prison resistance 4. Vejîn! – The first bullet 5. Edî bes e! – The dirty war 6. Towards women’s autonomy 7. International conspiracy and internal crisis 8. The battle for the PKK’s soul 9. Enter Democratic Confederalism PART II: THEORY 10. ‘Struggling woman’: Ideology and identity 11. Building ‘democratic modernity’ 12. Jineolojî: ‘A science of woman and life’ PART III: PRACTICE 13. Stateless society 14. Öcalan: Leader, prisoner, comrade 15. Revolutionizing love 16. Mothers 17. Self-defence 18. Martyrs 19. Prisoners 20. Education 21. Media 22. Ecology 23. Mexmûr: From displacement to self-determination 24. Bakur: Women against politicide 25. Başûr: ‘Freedom is more than the absence of dictatorship’ 26. Rojava: A women’s revolution 27. Resistance or feminicide: Women against Daesh 28. Şengal: From feminicide to women’s autonomy 29. Kobanê did not fall 30. Life after Daesh: Women’s solidarity in Manbij 31. War and peace PART IV: EMPOWERMENT OR REVOLUTION? 32. Two rivers, two freedom agendas? Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAt a low point for the left, one of the world's leading Marxist philosophers demonstrates the grounds for revolutionary hopeTrade Review'With a sure touch, Holloway gathers in this volume what he has sown in a life of militancy' -- Antonio Negri, author of 'The End of Sovereignty''John Holloway has a great talent for working through complex, erudite, intellectually satisfying arguments in wonderfully readable prose. His uncompromising critique of capitalist control and his affirmation of 'the rabble' in this book serve as antidotes to some of the poisons we are subjected to in contemporary society' -- Michael Hardt, author of 'The Subversive 70s''A wonderful call to fight and destroy the monstrous capitalist Hydra' -- Michael Löwy, Marxist sociologist and philosopher'We are at the point zero of a history where everything must disappear or be reborn. For the first time, a movement is growing without leaders or external organisation, with the freedom to become really human. John Holloway is one of those who discern in this poetry of overflowing an uprising of life' -- Raoul Vaneigem, author of 'The Revolution of Everyday Life''The world is driving towards a catastrophe. Against the current trend, John Holloway argues that even in hopeless times hope should not be abandoned. To some that may seem too optimistic, but Holloway's reflections are important, and must be engaged with' -- Joachim Hirsch, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt'This is Holloway at his subversive best' -- Werner Bonefeld, lecturer in Politics at the University of York'In this finale to his remarkable trilogy, Holloway's work reaches a crescendo as he captures and chokes that darkest of forces, the veritable Hydra of money' -- Anitra Nelson, author of 'Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy'Table of ContentsPreface: Stop that train Part I Rage-Hope-Richness Today, any day. Start again. Not from fear but from hope. Not from containment but from overflowing. Better, start from antagonism, from struggle. Start from anguish, from Janus. Start from Not Enough! Start from the hydra that we must slay. Part II We must re-learn hope It is time to re-learn hope. To learn hope is to learn to think hope: a docta spes. Hope pushes beyond identity. Our hope starts from the scream, not from absence. The Scream takes us in a negative direction, to overflow. Beyond negative thought: Thinking In-Against-and-Beyond. Part III Historicity Hope-against is rooted in historicity. Historicity does not mean historical materialism. There is a Grand Narrative: the train taking us towards Destruction. It is a narrative to be broken. Part IV The Subject Hope is not for victims, nor for heroes. Richness is the revolutionary subject. Listen to the latent Richness. Listen again: there is a deeper level of latency. Turn it all upside down, feel sorry for the capitalists. Part V The Object: Money Hope is a movement of the subject against an object: a breaking against a binding. The links in the chain of destruction are difficult to break. The weakness of the binding lies not in the links between the forms but in their internal antagonisms. Unbinding the binding: Revolutionising revolution. Richness against the commodity: the world faces two ways. Part VI Think hope, think crisis A theory of hope requires an understanding of the weakness or crisis of its object, the hoped-against. Crisis is inherent in capital. From crisis to restructuring, or not: this is the salto mortale of capital. Part VII Crisis postponed Hope confronts the Hydra of Money. Money rules. Money is the serial killer destroying us all. Capital today is increasingly fictitious. Money is ill. We are the subjects of the crisis of money. Putting off disaster is the central principle of political economy. The abandonment of the gold standard opens the way to mob rule. The war created the golden age of capital. Its crisis broke the link between gold and money. The Volcker shock: the last attempt to impose sound money. Black Monday: Debt takes off. The breach between money and value continues to grow: a series of heart attacks. The fragility of capital explodes in the financial crisis of 2007/2008. Heart attack number 2? The storm is on the horizon: Fire Next Time. The storm breaks: the Coronacrisis. The Great Fragility deepens. Part VIII A Book in search of a Conclusion. Hope in search of a Happy Ending The Container cannot contain. We are Rabble-Richness-Resistance-Rebellion. From Rage to Dignified Rage, Rabia to Digna Rabia. Emancipate richnesses! Not enough. Thanks Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAfrican activists and scholars remember a tumultuous period of radical political historyTrade Review'This collection covers over a dozen french and english speaking countries from all parts of Africa [enabling] readers to grasp the true revolutionary moment of the african anti-colonial and anti-neocolonial political and social movements. A majority of the authors are african academics with activist credentials [who] present genuine new information gained from original historical research. Twenty-first century radicals should find new inspiration for action in this untold history.' -- Jean Copans, african anthropologist and sociologist'From the Tubu nomads of northern Chad to peasants, workers and students throughout the African continent, we see how the leaders of these social strata can use old and new ideas to mobilize emancipatory struggles for change. The editors of this volume are to be congratulated for making it possible. We hope to read more studies of great revolutionary movements leaders like Amilcar Cabral, Chris Hani, Ibrahima Abatcha, Thomas Sankara, Ruben Um Nyobe, and Pierre Mulele.' -- Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Professor of African and Global Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill'An incredible book ... Activists whose voices have long been silenced, many of them Africans with first-hand knowledge of political struggle, here recall their demands and their actions to confront oppression, and how they organised workers, students, and other collectivities of the repressed. Thought-provoking and powerful.' -- Janet Bujra, 'Review of African Political Economy''A remarkable volume on the vicissitudes of the revolutionary left in post-independence Africa. The volume bravely attempts to tell an untold story which continues to unfold in the more repressive milieu of neo-liberalism in the midst of the beating of new 'cold war' drums. A pioneer work which hopefully will inspire a couple more to complete what is essentially a 'work in progress'.' -- Issa Shivji, Professor Emeritus at the University of Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaTable of ContentsIntroduction: Remembering a Forgotten History 1. Political Struggle in Senegal in the 1960s and 1970s: The Artistic and Literary Front by Ibrahima Wane 2. The Revolutionary Left in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Mali by Issa Ndiaye 3. The history of the Upper Volta revolutionary left: From ideological struggles within the student movement to the creation of the PCRV and the ULC by Moussa Diallo 4. Student and 'post' student activism in Niger through 1970s-1980s by Tatiana Smirnova 5. The Labour Movement, Marxism, Northern Leftist, Feminist Socialism and Student Rebels in Nigeria: 1963-1978 by Baba Aye and Adam Mayer 6. The Movement for Justice in Africa and Democratization in Liberia by George Klay Kieh, Jr. 7. The Frolinat and the Saharan Footprint On an African Revolution. The Case of the Chadian North by Tilman Musch, Moussa Bicharra Ahmed and Djiddi Allahi Mahamat 8. Brazzaville: Crossroads of the Revolutionary Left in Central Africa in the 1960s & 1970s by Héloïse Kiriakou & Matt Swagler 9. May 1972 in Madagascar: a student movement causing the fall of the 'Father of independence' by Irène Rabenoro 10. Southern Sudanese radical projects, c.1963-1983 by Nicki Kindersley 11. Pan-African Marxism and the Ugandan People’s Congress, c.1960-c.1964 by Adrian Browne 12. Challenging African Socialism through Marxism-Leninism: The University Students African Revolutionary Front in Tanzania by Patrick Noberg 13. Questions from the Dar es Salaam Debates by Zeya del Nabolsy 14. The Road to Durban: Workers' struggles, student movements, and the resurgence of resistance politics in Namibia and South Africa by Heike Becker 15. Dimitri Tsafendas: An African Revolutionary by Harris Dousemetzis Conclusion: A tribute to two 'great witnesses' invited to the Dakar conference in 2019 by Moctar Fofana Niang and Eugénie Rokhaya Aw

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Book SynopsisBrian Hanley is a lecturer in Irish history at Queen's University, Belfast, and the author of A Guide to Irish Military Heritage and The IRA 1926-1936. Scott Millar is a journalist with the Irish Examiner.Trade ReviewA riveting tale * Tribune *Excellent * Sunday Business Post *An indispensable handbook * Irish Independent *Hugely impressive * Irish Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisAn important account of the historical roots of the Tiananmen Square incident, Wang Fan-Isaac autobiography documents events in China from 1919 to 1949. Including previously unpublished material in English, this book details past events in China by someone who was there, on the inside.Table of Contents1. My First Contact with New Ideas 2. Two Years of University Life 3. From Wuhan to Moscow 4. Chinese Students in Moscow 5. My Second Year in Moscow 6. Working under Chou En-lai 7. Unification of the Four Groups 8. Prision Life 9. The Founding of Struggle and the Darkest Days of my Life 10. Ch'en Tu-hsiu, the Chinese Trotskyists, and the War of Resistance 11. The Pacific War and a New Split in the Organization 12. From War Revolution 13. Thinking in Solitude

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisCompelling account of a legendary Palestinian resistance fighter: from refugee camp to international infamyTrade ReviewA nuanced historical biography based on thorough historical research together with extensive interviews with Leila Khaled and those close to her'A fine portrayal of a compelling and mysterious figure from a tumultuous period in Palestinian history, mixing biography and historical critique to deliver a valuable insight into Leila Khaled's character as well as her extraordinary appeal as a revolutionary icon' -- Nicholas Blincoe, co-editor of Peace Under Fire: Israel/Palestine and the International Solidarity MovementA readable and accessibly written book, packing an impressive amount of material into less than 150 pages, and is a rare resource for those who want to know more about the life of this fascinating and complex Palestinian icon.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Haifa, Lebanon, Kuwait 2. Leila The Fighter 3. Black September 4. Marriage And Death 5. Revolutionary Women 6. Moving To Jordan And Returning To Palestine 7. Leila Khaled In The Future, Palestine In The Future References Index

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Book SynopsisA modern take on a revolutionary icon, by an acclaimed scholar of communist historyTrade Review'A welcome gift: guidance from a generous, experienced, and wise comrade when we need it most. Highlighting Lenin's flexibility and cultivation of collective leadership, Le Blanc brings out the practical activism, principled politics, and revolutionary patience crucial to organizing the oppressed on a rapidly over-heating planet.' -- Jodi Dean, author of 'Comrade: An Essay on Political Belonging''Crackling with intellectual life … Paul confronts opposing views, brings in evocative quotations from dead witnesses and living scholars, and wrestles with the most difficult interpretive questions. Don’t read this book to learn ‘the truth about Lenin’, read it to enter into Lenin’s world and to face the choices that he too faced.' -- Lars T. Lih, author of 'Lenin Rediscovered''This fresh and nuanced examination … is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Lenin's historical role and his relevance to today's movements for transformative change.' -- Ian Angus, author of 'The War Against the Commons: Dispossession and Resistance in the Making of Capitalism''A wonderful sketch of Lenin’s life and times, illustrating both Lenin’s complex personality and his remarkable insights ... With an excellent timeline, biographic sketches of the main characters, and a thorough bibliography ... this book is perhaps the best introduction to Lenin available in English.' -- Michael D. Yates, Director of Monthly Review Press and author of 'Can the Working Class Change the World?''Well-researched and dutifully contextualized, Le Blanc paints a striking portrait of Lenin as an unwavering champion of democracy.' -- Cliff Connolly, 'Cosmonaut''Fantastic, very interesting and important for our times.' -- Tamás Krausz, author of 'Reconstructing Lenin: An Intellectual Biography''Brilliant … a tireless catalogue on the past and future of Lenin, Leninism, and revolution, offering indispensable insights into what is to be done amid the cascading catastrophes of today and tomorrow.' -- Ankica Čakardić, author of 'Like a Clap of Thunder: Three Essays on Rosa Luxemburg''Historian and activist Paul Le Blanc considers what the author of 'What is to be Done' has to say to today's radicals. What emerges are valuable contributions to the struggle against the ongoing catastrophes of war, poverty and climate chaos.' -- Alex de Jong, co-director of International Institute for Research and Education, Amsterdam'In lucid, jargon-free prose, Paul Le Blanc forces us to question what we thought we knew about the great revolutionary. Unpicking tenacious myths in a reasoned and discriminating tone, 'Lenin' is un-hagiographic and sometimes even impious. The result is a Lenin ripe for rediscovery, whose ideas are less distant than we might think.' -- Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan'An incisive, engaging overview of Lenin and his revolutionary ideas.' -- Eric Blanc, author of 'Revolutionary Social Democracy: Working-Class Politics Across the Russian Empire, 1882-1917''From feminists to environmental activists, from trade unionists to those active in the movement for Black Lives, or justice for Trans, there's something here for all who believe that forging revolution and transformation of society will be necessary to … win liberation for all humanity.' -- Linda Loew, longtime socialist, feminist and union activist'Produced, with great skill – a compressed and very readable account of Lenin's life and ideas which is honest, attractive, and non-hagiographical.' -- Mike Taber, editor, 'Under the Socialist Banner: Resolutions of the Second International, 1889-1912''With great power of synthesis, the book addresses and clarifies fundamental issues of the Leninist struggle and is indispensable reading for the international left.' -- Flo Menezes, Brazilian composer, musical scholar, and revolutionary militantTable of ContentsPrologue: What’s the Point? 1. Who was Lenin? 2. Theory, Organization, Action (1901-1905) 3. The Revolutionary Explosion of 1905 4. Comrades and Coherence (1905-1914) 5. Engaging with Catastrophe (1914-1917) 6. The 1917 Revolution 7. Revolutionary Internationalism (1882-1922) 8. Besieged Fortress (1918-1922) 9. Unexplored Mountain (1922-1923) 10. Commit Yourself and Then See… Chronology of Lenin’s Life Biographical Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisWhy were some, but not all the Arab mass social protests of 2011 accompanied by relatively quick and nonviolent outcomes in the direction of regime change, democracy, and social transformation? Why was a democratic transition limited to Tunisia, and why did region-wide democratization not occur? After the Arab Uprisings offers an explanatory framework to answer these central questions, based on four key themes: state and regime type, civil society, gender relations and women''s mobilizations, and external influence. Applying these to seven cases: Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, Valentine M. Moghadam and Shamiran Mako highlight the salience of domestic and external factors and forces, uniquely presenting women''s legal status, social positions, and organizational capacity, along with the presence or absence of external intervention, as key elements in explaining the divergent outcomes of the Arab Spring uprisings, and extending the analysis to the present dayTrade Review'In their sweeping comparative analysis of the divergent outcomes of the Arab Spring, Mako and Moghadam not only highlight the importance of women's activism; they prove it was a fundamental determinant of those outcomes. This is a novel and powerful analysis that will be essential for understanding MENA since 2010.' Jack A. Goldstone, George Mason University'A brilliant multi-level and cross-national study of why the Arab Spring resulted in dramatically different outcomes for the Arab countries involved. Fine-grained top down and granular bottom up analyses of the causes of violent versus nonviolent responses to legitimate protests. Critical insights into lessons for democratic possibilities /or authoritarian regime pathways in a vital and contested region of the world. Must read for students of history and the Middle East.' Suad Joseph, University of California, Davis'Mako and Moghadam present an expansive and thought-provoking analysis of the Arab uprisings and their aftermath that, unlike many studies, pays careful attention to factors that others skim over or else entirely ignore. In addition to the role of diverse civil society organization and the role of women, they center the role of external actors in shaping the direction and outcome of the individual uprisings. This theoretically and empirically rich analysis will be a must read not only for scholars of the Middle East, but for the fields of social movements, democratization, and contentious politics as well.' Jillian Schwedler, City University of New York'a bracing assessment of revolution, repression, and war … The book stands to inform a broad range of academics and nonspecialists seeking to understand how the Arab world has changed - sometimes for better, often for worse - and where the region is headed.' Jason M. Brownlee, The Middle East JournalTable of Contents1. Introduction and Overview; 2. Pathways to Democratization: The Arab Spring in Comparative Perspective; 3. States and Political Institutions; 4. Civil Society; 5. Gender and Women's Mobilizations; 6. International Connections and Interventions; 7. Findings and Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisEquatorial Guinea is a tiny country roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Humid, jungle covered, and rife with unpleasant diseases, natives call it Devil Island. Its president in 2004, Obiang Nguema, had been accused of cannibalism, belief in witchcraft, mass murder, billiondollar corruption, and general rule by terror. With so little to recommend it, why in March 2004 was Equatorial Guinea the target of a group of salty British, South African and Zimbabwean mercenaries, travelling on an American-registered ex-National Guard plane specially adapted for military purposes, that was originally flown to Africa by American pilots? The real motive lay deep below the ocean floor: oil. In The Dogs of War , Frederick Forsyth effectively described an attempt by mercenaries to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea , in 1972. And the chain of events surrounding the night of March 7, 2004, is a rare case of life imitating art,or, at least, life imitating a 1970s thriller,in almost uncanny detail. With a cast of characters worthy of a remake of Wild Geese and a plot as mazy as it was unlikely, The Wonga Coup is a tale of venality, overarching vanity and greed whose example speaks to the problems of the entire African continent.

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Book SynopsisIn 1983 Gerry Kennedy set off on a tour through Russia, China, Japan and the USA to visit others involved in the global anti-war movement. Only dimly aware of his Victorian ancestors: George Boole, forefather of the digital revolution and James Hinton, eccentric philosopher and advocate of polygamy, he had directly followed in the footsteps of two dynasties of radical thinkers and doers.Their notable achievements, in which the women were particularly prominent, involved many spheres. Boole's wife, Mary Everest, niece of George Everest, surveyor of the eponymous mountain, was an early advocate of hands-on education. Of the five talented Boole daughters, Ethel Voynich, wife of the discoverer of the enigmatic, still unexplained Voynich Manuscript, campaigned with Russian anarchists to overthrow the Tsar. Her 1897 novel The Gadfly, filmed later with music by Shostakovich, sold in millions behind the Iron Curtain. She was rumoured to have had an affair with the notorious 'Ace of Spies', Sidney Reilly. One of Ethel's sisters married Charles Howard Hinton: a leading exponent of the esoteric realm of the fourth dimension and inventor of the gunpowder baseball-pitcher.Of their descendants, Carmelita Hinton also pioneered progressive education in the USA at her school in Putney, Vermont. Her children dedicated their lives to Mao's China. Appalled by the dropping on Japan of the atomic bomb that she had helped design, Joan Hinton defected to China and actively engaged in the Cultural Revolution. William Hinton wrote the influential documentary Fanshen based on his experience in 1948 of revolutionary change in a Shanxi village. Other members of the clan became renowned in their fields of physics, entomology and botany. Their combined legacy of independent and constructive thinking is perhaps typified by the invention of the Jungle Gym: the climbing-frame now used by children the world over. In The Booles and the Hintons the author embarks on a quest to reveal the stories behind their remarkable lives.Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgements viiiForeword ixWho's Who xii 1 GRAVY OVER A TABLECLOTH 1The author's own background in West London. 'Discovery' of the Booles, brief outline of the Boole/Hinton major characters.2 THE UGLY DUCKLING 12The Voynich Manuscript in brief: its history and research to date.3 BRINGING STARRY WISDOM DOWN 29The author's visit to Lincoln. George Boole's life and background.4 THE MISSUS 59Mary Everest Boole: her life with George Boole and her own views on life and education.5 TADPOLES INTO FROGS 83The five Boole daughters' early lives.6 THE WIZARD 89James Hinton: his life and philosophy.7 TRAPDOORS AND VELVETEEN 104Tsarist Russia in the late nineteenth century. Russian anarchists: Kropotkin and Stepniak. Charlotte Wilson and Wyldes Farm.Radical politics in England in the 1880s.8 CITIZENS' DIPLOMACY 119The author's peace politics, Moscow dissidents and journey on the Trans-Siberian railway, 1983. Ethel Boole's stay in St Petersburg, 1887-89.9 ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN 141James Hinton's comeuppance. Olive Schreiner and Havelock Ellis. Caroline Haddon. The Men and Women's Club.10 THE RIFF-RAFF OF RASCALDOM 153The Society of Friends of Russian Freedom. Russian anarchists and related novels of the period. London arrival of Wilfrid Voynich.11 COMMUNING WITH SPACE 170Charles Howard Hinton and the fourth dimension. His and Mary Ellen Boole's exile to Japan and the USA in 1887. Hinton'swritings and influence in Europe. Peter Ouspensky in Russia.12 THE CITADEL 197The author's visit to Warsaw. Proletariat: early Polish socialists. History of Wilfrid's escape from Siberia.13 DEAD AS MUTTON? 213Ethel Voynich's novel The Gadfly. Wilfrid Voynich establishes his book trade. Jack Raymond, another novel by Ethel.14 THE ENGLISH AUNTS 227The five Boole sisters: Mary Ellen, Margaret, Alice, Lucy and Ethel's later lives. Ethel and Ivor Gurney.15 BRINGING HOME THE BACON 247The Voynich Manuscript again. Ethel and Wilfrid in the USA.16 THE BIGGLES OF COMMUNISM 259Ethel in New York; her last novel. Ethel 're-discovered'. Scandal with the spy, Sidney Reilly.17 OLIVE AND OVOD 277The author's return to Russia via Lithuania searching for The Gadfly in Moscow and St Petersburg.18 A CQR LIFE 302The life of Cambridge scientist, Sir Geoffrey Taylor, grandson of George Boole.19 THE HINTON GENUS 314Hinton descendants in Mexico in the mining industry and their plant collecting. The life of Howard Everest Hinton, entomologist.20 UNCOLLAPSIBLE HINTONS 337The Byrdcliffe arts community, Woodstock USA. Carmelita Hinton and the setting up of Putney School, Vermont USA.21 THE GADGET 356The Manhattan Project and Joan Hinton. Hiroshima.22 PEKING JOAN 374Joan Hinton and Sid Engst in Mongolia, Si'an and Beijing during the Cultural Revolution.23 FANSHEN 398The life of Bill Hinton and the rural revolution in China. Author's visit to Long Bow village.24 THE VERMONTER 417The author returns to the USA to visit Putney School.Afterword 422Notes 427Illustration Credits 453Index 456

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Book Synopsis'One of the most important and compelling books I've ever read...If you want to understand why we are in this crisis, listen to the voices all too often airbrushed from the political conversation' Owen JonesNow We Have Your Attention makes sense of what is happening in British politics by taking a radically different perspective: the people's.From a warehouse in Manchester to a pub in Essex, from the outskirts of Glasgow to a racecourse in Durham, Jack Shenker uncovers the root causes of our current crisis and the future direction of British politics through the lives of ordinary individuals. Taking us deep into communities hollowed out by austerity and decades of economic disadvantage, among a generation crippled by precarious work and unaffordable housing, he shows where the chaos at Westminster ultimately springs from - and how disillusionment with it is fuelling a passionate engagement with politics of a completely different kind: local, personal, effective and utterly fearless.Joining a 'McStrike' protest on a roundabout in Cambridge and a gathering of the London Renters' Union in the aftermath of Grenfell, meeting hard-right bloggers in Newcastle and climate change protesters in Brighton, Shenker draws on exceptional access to campaign groups, activist movements and grassroots gatherings throughout the country - including unique access to Momentum, who have re-radicalised the Labour party from the outside in - to introduce us to the citizens and leaders of tomorrow: people who are changing things for themselves.Inspiring and terrifying in equal measure, Now We Have Your Attention uncovers a revolutionary transformation in attitudes and behaviour, and a future that will shape us all.Trade ReviewOne of the most important and compelling books I've ever read, by one of Britain's most gifted writers. If you want to understand why we are in this crisis, listen to the voices all too often airbrushed from the political conversation" OWEN JONESAn exploration of a nation in distress, touching on many of the key fractures that have opened in British society [and] the energy and vision of activists seeking to build something different … skilfully compiled through the first-hand stories of the protagonists … told with great sensitivity and empathy … deeply moving … [George Packer’s] The Unwinding is the closest comparison. Shenker is an excellent guide and an elegant writer … urgent' WILLIAM DAVIES, Guardian -- William Davies * Guardian *For Jack Shenker, understanding the Brexit vote and the transformation of party politics means looking for answers where others have failed to tread... The author’s passion – and the defiance of his subjects – is infectious. You have to applaud him for finding the untold stories behind the rolling omnishambles that is British politics in 2019 -- Dan Hancox * Observer *A beautifully written piece of cultural analysis … does an excellent job of providing deep historical context … Shenker has a powerful ability to tell stories that are resonant and arresting … Hope is what makes Now We Have Your Attention distinctive. Shenker finds many groups that … are doing what only social movements can do: dramatically widen … the range of ideas deemed acceptable in public discourse and policy debate -- Joan C. Williams * Times Literary Supplement *Jack Shenker’s elegantly written book not only describes how the calamity of Britain today was long in the making, it outlines a future about which one can reasonably feel hope" PANKAJ MISHRA -- Pankaj MishraWith scrupulous probing and sensitive interpretation, this penetrating inquiry lays bare the malaise of deindustrialization and austerity in Britain... The picture that unfolds is shocking, but also inspiring, with rays of hope that a better future may be within reach -- Noam ChomskyCompelling… [Now We Have Your Attention is] a significant democratic intervention -- Jon Cruddas * Prospect *Its central feature is its attentiveness – to people and to places often overlooked. In a work that chronicles inspiring acts of resistance, the care that defines Shenker’s prose feels like its own quiet act of solidarity… The new politics of the people, as the book’s subtitle puts it, may not yet have any definite form: it is emergent rather than dominant, contested, vulnerable. But it is the best hope we’ve got. And in Jack Shenker’s book, it has a document equal to its ambitions and to its fortitude -- Tim Schneider * Red Pepper *

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Book SynopsisThis collection is the first of three volumes of the Complete Works devoted to the central theme of Rosa Luxemburg's life and work-revolution. Spanning the years 1897 to the end of 1905, they contain speeches, articles, and essays on the strikes, protests, and political debates that culminated in the 1905 Russian Revolution-one of the most important social upheavals of modern times. Luxemburg's near-daily articles and reports during 1905 on the ongoing revolution (which comprises the bulk of this volume) shed new light on such issues as the relation of spontaneity and organization, the role of national minorities in social revolution, and the inseparability ofthe struggle for socialism from revolutionary democracy. We become witness to Luxemburg's effort to respond to the impulses, challenges, and ideas arising from a living revolutionary process, which in turn becomes the source of much of her subsequent political theory-such as her writings on the mass strike, her strident internationalism, and her insistence that revolutionary struggle never take its eyes off of the need to transform the human personality.Virtually all of these writings appear in English for the first time (translated from both German and Polish) and many have only recently been identified as having been written by Luxemburg.Trade ReviewThe moment has clearly come for a return to Rosa Luxemburg. -- Jacqueline Rose * London Review of Books *Praise for The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg:Combining revolutionary fire, sharp polemics, biting irony, sparkling humour, broad historical vision, as well as profound humanity, intimate friendship and burning love, full of poetical images borrowed from Goethe, Mörike, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer and other Romantics, these letters are an amazing testimony of the charm and fascination of her personality. -- Michael Löwy * Critique *One of the most emotionally intelligent socialists in modern history, a radical of luminous dimension whose intellect is informed by sensibility, and whose largeness of spirit places her in the company of the truly impressive. -- Vivian Gornick * Nation *One cannot read the writings of Rosa Luxemburg, even at this distance, without an acute yet mournful awareness of what Perry Anderson once termed 'the history of possibility.' -- Christopher Hitchens * Atlantic *Luxemburg's criticism of Marxism as dogma and her stress on consciousness exerted an influence on the women's liberation movement which emerged in the late '60s and early '70s. -- Sheila Rowbotham * Guardian *Rosa goes on being our source of fresh water in thirsty times. -- Eduardo GaleanoIntrepid, incorruptible, passionate and gentle. Imagine as you read between the lines of what she wrote, the expression of her eyes. She loved workers and birds. She danced with a limp. Everything about her fascinates and rings true. One of the immortals. -- John Berger

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Book SynopsisWhy is the Middle East a crisis factory, and how can it be fixed? What does the future look like for its 500 million people? And what role should the West play? Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash tell the story of the modern Middle East as a series of broken promises. They chart the entrenchment of tyranny, terrorism and foreign intervention, showing how these systems of oppression simultaneously feed off and battle each other. Exploring demographic, economic and social trends, the authors paint a picture of the region’s prospects that is alarming yet hopeful. Finally, they present ambitious and thoughtful ideas that reject both aggressive military intervention and cynical deals with dictators. This book, written by two children of the region, is about the failures of history, and the reasons for hope. The Middle East Crisis Factory offers a bold vision for those seeking peace and democracy in the Middle East.Trade Review‘[The Middle East Crisis Factory] is not a statement of despair, but one of defiance from the generation of the 2011 uprisings [and] offers many insights.’ -- Middle East Eye'Part guide, part manifesto, [The Middle East Crisis Factory] is a succinct, accessible, and even-handed introduction to the Middle East that emphasises how the problems of the region have global repercussions.' -- Business Post

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Book SynopsisIn the Spring of 2017, activist, journalist and hip-hop artist Marcel Cartier was given exclusive access to the structures set up in the predominately Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Over the course of more than a month, Cartier travelled across the terrain known as Rojava, experiencing the radical grassroots revolution that is sweeping the region. He spoke with commanders of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), visited women’s organisations, saw the cooperatives and communes in action that have transformed the concept of democracy, and found his understanding of revolution challenged and reinvigorated. Unique in its access, emotion and humanity, Serkeftin: A Narrative of the Rojava Revolution, is a beautiful account of a contradictory and complex process that is fundamentally changing society in the midst of the 21st century’s most brutal civil war. Meaning `victory’, the Kurdish word `serkeftin’ captures the spirit of optimism in the catastrophe that has engulfed this beautiful country since 2011 and has simultaneously brought the possibility of freedom ever closer.

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