Freedom News

Radical lit roundup

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

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