KSL’s quick roundup of recent anarchist books on 19th century history, First World War syndicalism and enigmatic figure Peter The Painter.

The Red Flag of Anarchy: A History of Socialism & Anarchism in Sheffield 1874-1900 

by Andy Lee
ISBN: 978-1-999714-40-6
PP: 176
AK Press
2017

A wonderful account of Sheffield’s radical history (and of digging it out: go to research in Amsterdam and they want your anti-poll tax T-shirt for the collection!)  David Nicoll features, as you’d expect. Hear him lament his inability to learn Yorkshire: ‘And when I try to talk the language of the country, when I say, “reet owd lad. How’s owd lass”, they laugh at me as if I was a Frenchman trying to talk English and say “Get out you blooming Cockney”’ [p157]. If nineteenth century anarchists seem so far away with their bicycle outings and singing revolutionary songs, does this not ring a bell? ‘We then proceeded to the station and liberally posted it with little notices, such as “Anarchy no Master”, “Revolution not Reform”, “Read Commonweal”.’ [p141, in 1893]. Get a copy!

The Enigma of Hugh Holmes Gore: Bristol’s Nineteenth Century Christian Socialist Solicitor 

by Mike Richardson
ISBN: 978-1-911522-01-0
PP: 164
AK Press/Bristol Radical History Group
2016

Mike Richardson’s full biography of this complex figure solves his disappearance (quite a feat, both the disappearance and the solving). It also looks at his defence work for the Walsall Anarchists.

Anarchists, Syndicalists, and the First World War 

by Vadim V. Damier
ISBN: 978-1-926878-17-1
PP: 52
Black Cat Press
2017

Translated by Malcolm Archibald and out now from Black Cat Press.

A Towering Flame : The Life & Times of ‘Peter the Painter’ 

by Philip Ruff
ISBN: 978-9-934546-56-3
384 pages (ebook)
Dienas Grāmata [2]
2018

Out now in English (from Dienas Grāmata who published the Latvian edition).

This article was first published in the March issue of the Kate Sharpley Library Bulletin