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Book reviews
Book reviews
Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes - book review
Lindsey German welcomes Tariq Ali’s dismantling of the myth of the imperialist warmonger Churchill in
Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes
Arise: Power, Strategy and Union Resurgence - book review
Jane Holgate’s
Arise
raises important questions about trade-union organising strategy, but rank-and-file activity and political context are key, argues Graham Kirkwood
Sedated: How Modern Capitalism Created Our Mental Health Crisis - book review
In
Sedated
, James Davies makes a powerful case that the marketisation of mental health ignores the social causes of distress, harming us while serving capitalism, finds Lucette Davies
Capitalism and Slavery - book review
Over seventy years since publication, the first British edition of Eric Williams’ classic
Capitalism and Slavery
remains vital, despite establishment critics, argues John Westmoreland
The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution - book review
The Brutish Museums
presents a powerful case for restitution of looted objects, and hostile responses to it highlight enduring attachments to imperialism, argues Dominic Alexander
Russia and the Media: The Makings of a New Cold War - book review
Russia and the Media
makes a convincing case that a Cold War mentality in the Western media supports further militarisation and forestalls solutions, finds Michael Bailey
Policing the Pandemic: How Public Health Becomes Public Order - book review
Policing the Pandemi
c raises important issues about institutional racism, but the police cannot be treated separately from the system they serve, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
We’re Here Because You Were There: Immigration and the End of Empire - book review
Patel’s
We’re Here Because You Were There
is an important analysis of the racist logic of imperialist politics behind changing immigration policy, finds Jamal Elaheebocus
The American Way: Stories of Invasion - book review
Richard Allday enjoys an excellent collection of stories set in countries invaded by the US, by authors from each nation, in
The American Way
Sexual Revolution: Modern Fascism and the Feminist Fightback - book review
Laurie Penny’s
Sexual Revolution
offers an eclectic argument full of inconsistencies, while omitting any understanding of how class underpins oppression, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity - book review
The Dawn of Everything
seeks a new narrative of prehistory, but for all its interest, the analysis is deeply flawed, argues Dominic Alexander
The Rebirth of Italian Communism, 1943–44: Dissidents in German-Occupied Rome - book review
David Broder’s
The Rebirth of Italian Communism
reveals the important story of the dissident Italian communist resistance in Nazi-occupied Rome, finds Chris Bambery
Ulysses at 100: the politics of James Joyce
On the centenary of the publication of
Ulysses
, John McInally looks at the politics of James Joyce and the society around him that set the background for the iconic novel
Paulo Freire, a Philosophical Biography - book review
Paulo Freire, a Philosophical Biography
has some important insights for teachers but also for activists organising social movements, finds Orlando Hill
The Austrian Revolution - book review
The history of the 1918 Austrian revolution by the social-democratic leader of the time, Otto Bauer, despite itself shows why the revolution was lost, argues Chris Bambery
China 1949: Year of Revolution - book review
As
China 1949
shows, the CCP victory of that year enabled the country’s rise to global power status, but it was not a workers’ revolution, argues Sean Ledwith
Revolutionary Peacemaking: Writings for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence - book review
Daniel Jakopovich’s
Revolutionary Peacemaking
is a fine collection of writings exploring how we can achieve a society of peace and social justice, finds Ellena Plumb-Javed
Under the Socialist Banner: Resolutions of the Second International 1889-1912 - book review
The resolutions of the Second International are a revealing way of uncovering the contradictions in the pre-1914 workers’ movement, finds Chris Bambery
Twelve Books for Twelve Days of Christmas
Preparing for the season of goodwill, Philosophy Football's Mark Perryman selects books to tide us over into the New Year, and beyond
Counterfire's books of the year
A selection of books to read over the holidays
The Darker Angels of our Nature: Refuting the Pinker Theory of History and Violence - book review
Historians in
Darker Angels of our Nature
deliver a devastating debunking to Steven Pinker’s liberal imperialist theory of violence in history, finds Dominic Alexander
The Forty-Year War in Afghanistan: A Chronicle Foretold - book review
Tariq Ali’s new account of Afghanistan’s recent history demonstrates unequivocally that the anti-war movement was correct, finds Terina Hine
Ten Marxist classics for Xmas
Lindsey German's Marxist holiday reading list
Nothing to Lose but Our Chains: Work and Resistance in Twenty-First-Century Britain - book review
Nothing to Lose but Our Chains
is a historically informed and wide-ranging discussion of work and resistance in the present day, finds Lindsey German
The Last Witches of England. A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition - book review
A study of the last witchcraft executions in England is very revealing about the roots of witch-panics in conflicts fuelled by capitalism and the state, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Making of the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985: A Memoir - book review
A memoir by a senior civil servant on the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement opens a window on how the establishment rules, finds Chris Bambery
Philosophers with No Clothes: A Review of The War Against Marxism
Tony McKenna’s new book is an important defence of Marxism, against thinkers who have confused and obscured its revolutionary core, argues Chris Nineham
Can Heterodox Economics Make a Difference? Conversations with Key Thinkers - book review
Can Heterodox Economics Make a Difference?
gives us a wide range of economic views but the ‘key thinkers’ aren’t listening to each other, finds Orlando Hill
Free Speech and the Suppression of Dissent during World War I - book review
A history of repression during World War I shows the importance of defending civil rights, but free speech always needs to be seen in its political context, argues Dominic Alexander
Falling Down: The Conservative Party and the Decline of Tory Britain - book review
Falling Down
shows that despite its historical dominance, the Tory Party faces long-term decline and clashing interests inside its ranks, finds Chris Bambery
Dissenting POWs: From Vietnam’s Hoa Lo Prison to America Today - book review
Dissenting POWs
charts the record of US prisoners in Vietnam who opposed that imperialist war, in a vital contribution to the anti-war movement in the present, argues John Clarke
1933: Warnings From History - book review
1933: Warnings From History
republishes an important contemporary analysis of how the powerful German working-class movement was defeated by Nazism, finds Chris Bambery
The Robbery of Nature. Capitalism and the Ecological Rift - book review
The Robbery of Nature
raises important questions about means and strategy for solving the ecological crisis, and the role of work in society, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Recovery positions: A Labour Party Conference reading guide
As Labour Conference gathers in Brighton, Mark Perryman reviews books that seek to describe what the party’s recovery might look like
Chartist Revolution - book review
Chartist Revolution
, an important history of the world’s first working-class political movement, shows its relevance to later revolutionary struggles, finds Dominic Alexander
Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties - book review
Set the Night on Fire
is a monumental history of radical movements in 1960s Los Angeles, which holds lessons for global resistance movements today, finds Sean Ledwith
Stigma: The Machinery of Inequality - book review
Sociology and its limits: an ambitious new study of stigma falls short on a number of counts, argues Susan Ram
The World Turned Upside Down - book review
The World Turned Upside Down
, a speculative fiction novel, is a compelling story of global exploitation and resistance driven by a complex protagonist, finds Hannah Cross
Forty Lost Years - book review
Chris Bambery welcomes an English translation of
Forty Lost Years
, a classic Catalan novel of revolution and civil war in Catalonia of the 1930s
Socialist Register 2021. Beyond Digital Capitalism. New Ways of Living - book review
Contributors to
Socialist Register 2021
, on digital capitalism, show that the system hasn’t changed its essential nature, and scepticism is needed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Venezuela, the Present as Struggle: Voices from the Bolivarian Revolution - book review
Venezuela, the Present as Struggle
opens up important debates about the way forward in the struggle for socialism in Venezuela and elsewhere, finds Orlando Hill
Value and Crisis: Essays on Marxian Economics in Japan - book review
Makoto Itoh’s
Value and Crisis
provides a valuable exposition of a school of Japanese interpretation of Marxist economics, finds Phil Armstrong
Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe - book review
Judith Herrin’s
Ravenna
, on the late capital of the Western Roman Empire, gives a fascinating account of the transition to medieval Christendom, finds Chris Bambery
Decolonising Israel, Liberating Palestine - book review
Halper’s
Decolonising Israel, Liberating Palestine
shows Israel as a settler-colonial state, but achieving a single democratic state requires international solidarity, argues Sybil Cock
Capitalism’s Benign Conscience or a Witting Guardian of Power?
Capitalism’s Conscience
gives a range of critiques of
The Guardian
and its liberal world view, outlining and explaining why it so often betrays the left, finds Michael Bailey
Fight the Fire: Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs - book review
Jonathan Neale’s
Fight the Fire
shows that solving climate change requires a movement based in the working class to succeed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Workers’ Inquiry and Global Class Struggle: Strategies, Tactics, Objectives - book review
John Clarke welcomes an inspiring and fascinating collection of studies of global workers’ struggles but argues that the ‘workers’ inquiry’ approach is not a substitute for wider political work
The Last Man: A British Genocide in Tasmania - book review
Tom Lawson’s
The Last Man: A British Genocide in Tasmania
is a crucial demonstration that British imperialist claims to humanitarianism were entirely hollow, finds Dominic Alexander
The Ratline and The Good Germans - book review
Lindsey German reviews two case studies of the Nazi period, which, from above and from below, reveal the class nature of the regime and the resistance to it
32 Counties: The Failure of Partition and the Case for a United Ireland - book review
In
32 Counties
, Kieran Allen shows that Irish unity is back on the agenda, if an anti-sectarian socialist politics can transform south and north, finds Chris Bambery
The Railway: An Adventure in Construction - book review
The post-war experiences of the young E.P. Thompson working on a railway in Tito’s Yugoslavia cannot be taken at face value, finds Dragan Plavšić
Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations - book review
Prashad’s
Washington Bullets
details the global economic and military interventions of the US, showing why anti-imperialist movements are vital, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
People's Power: Reclaiming the Energy Commons - book review
Dawson’s
People’s Power
argues for localised renewable infrastructure, but central, collective and democratic planning is what is needed, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Culture under capitalism: Why art is alienated – The Dialectics of Art review
Art is not a reflection of society but is shaped by social production and cannot escape the alienation of capitalist conditions, argues Chris Nineham
Ten Books for May Days
To celebrate International Workers' Day, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman has found ten books for all our May days
Tell the Bosses We’re Coming: A New Action Plan for Workers in the 21st Century - book review
Richman’s
Tell the Bosses We’re Coming
provides a valuable discussion of the challenges facing trade unions and offers a range of solutions to be debated, finds John Westmoreland
The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology - book review
Bellamy Foster’s
Return of Nature
shows that ecological science and socialism have developed together from Marx and Engels’ writings, finds Dominic Alexander
The Caduca - book review
Richard Allday defends science fiction, and enjoys Elaine Graham-Leigh’s
The Caduca
, a novel for the disregarded
Alliance of Adversaries: The Congress of the Toilers of the Far East - book review
The 1922 Comintern Congress of the workers of the Far East underlines the importance of anti-imperialism and the politics of liberation to the revolution, argues Chris Bambery
Books to spring into Spring with
As what's seemed like a never-ending lockdown approaches some sort of close, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman has been reading up on the sport we’ve lost and what sport might become
Berkeley: The Student Revolt - book review
Hal Draper’s classic account of the 1960s Berkeley student free-speech movement reveals enduring patterns that remain important for all activists, argues Joshua Newman
Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music - book review
Gerald Horne’s
Jazz and Justice
is an illuminating history of the material conditions of African-American Jazz musicians in its classic decades, finds Martin Hall
Lenin 150 (Samizdat) - book review
Lenin 150 (Samizdat)
is a welcome collection of articles and pieces on Lenin by authors from around the world which asserts the importance of his political legacy, finds Chris Bambery
The Communist Movement at a Crossroads: Plenums of the Communist International’s Executive Committee, 1922-1923 - book review
The newly available records of the Comintern Executive Committee from 1922-23 show the importance of the organisation before its later Stalinisation, argues Chris Bambery
The Women's Liberation Movement and the Politics of Class in Britain - book review
A study of the Women’s Liberation Movement in Britain of the 1970s shows how essential it is to grasp the relationship of class and oppression, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself - book review
Richard D. Wolff in
The Sickness i
s
the System
exposes the flaws and failures in the capitalist economic system, and argues for workplace democracy, finds Phil Armstrong
The Adventures of the Communist Manifesto - book review
Hal Draper’s edition of the
Communist Manifesto
with commentary strips away layers of falsifications and misconceptions to reveal afresh Marx’s meaning, finds Dominic Alexander
Monopsony Capitalism: Power and Production in the Twilight of the Sweatshop Age - book review
Monopsony Capitalism
brings competition into the centre of industrial organisation theory and shows how labour is an agent in the power struggle, finds Orlando Hill
The University and Social Justice: Struggles Across the Globe - book review
Student movements all over the world, covered in
The University and Social Justice
, show the potential student protest has to challenge the current order, finds Graham Kirkwood
The Spark That Lit the Revolution: Lenin in London and the Politics that Changed the World - book review
Robert Henderson’s book on Lenin’s time in London allows for a detailed focus on Lenin in the context of his political debates, organisation and research, finds Alex Snowdon
Cuban Healthcare: The Ongoing Revolution - book review
Cuban Healthcare
provides a stimulating overview of the possibilities of a healthcare system free of the profit motive, but lacks some critical distance, argues Caitlin Southern
Dead Epidemiologists. On the origins of COVID-19 - book review
Rob Wallace in
Dead Epidemiologists
shows that the Covid pandemic is not random, but a product of recent change in industrialised agribusiness, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century - book review
Horne’s history of early colonialism in the Americas reveals how structures of racism were constructed to support the development of capitalism, finds Jamal Elaheebocus
Engels 200 – His Contribution to Political Economy - book review
The central importance of the revolutionary Friedrich Engels to Marxism, as an individual thinker as well as collaborator, is forcefully argued in Roberts’
Engels 200
, finds John Clarke
Counterfire's books of 2020
It's been a turbulent year, but there hasn't been a shortage of books to read, so we asked some leading activists what they've been reading in 2020
How to read a way out of the crisis
The Coronavirus Crisis navigated by Mark Perryman’s reading guide to cause, effect and afters
How To Read Donald Duck: Imperialist Ideology in the Disney Comic - book review
The first-UK specific edition of the classic deconstruction of the imperialism and racism that underpinned Disney’s comics remains eye-opening, finds Dominic Alexander
Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change - book review
Willis in
Too Hot to Handle?
rightly says that more democracy is needed to deal with climate change, but this needs to go beyond neoliberal limits, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Eugene V. Debs: A Graphic Biography - book review
The story of the American trade-union militant turned socialist leader, Eugene Debs, remains important and is stirringly told in a new graphic biography, finds Sean Ledwith
Bit Tyrants: The Political Economy of Silicon Valley - book review
Rob Larson’s witty and informative
Bit Tyrants
provides a welcome analysis of corporate tech giants, and a mass strategy for confronting them, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe - book review
Diana Darke’s magnificent study of the eastern origins of western Europe’s architectural heritage reveals a history suppressed by imperialist prejudice, finds Dominic Alexander
The Living Flame: The Revolutionary Passion of Rosa Luxemburg - book review
The Living Flame: The Revolutionary Passion of Rosa Luxemburg
shows the importance of keeping Luxemburg’s ideas of revolutionary democracy alive, finds Orlando Hill
This Is What America Looks Like - book review
Ilhan Omar has always been a fighter, and not just in the rhetorical sense. Kate O’Neil reviews the autobiography of the progressive Somali-American representative
There would have been no Corbynism without Corbyn: a review of This Land
While This Land offers an insight into Corbyn's leadership, Owen Jones draws the wrong lessons to be learned, argues Shabbir Lakha
First They Took Rome: How the Populist Right Conquered Italy - book review
David Broder’s account of how Italy was captured by the racist right shows the general danger of social-democratic parties collapsing into neoliberalism, argues Chris Bambery
Shakespeare in a Divided America - book review
Shapiro’s writing on Shakespeare remains fascinating and insightful, but
Julius Caesar
in the age of Trump reveals the weaknesses of a liberal perspective, argues Dominic Alexander
The London Dream: Migration and the Mythology of the City - book review
Chris McMillan knows the London Dream all too well, and his book shows how the city exploits labour whatever the form of capitalism it has hosted, finds Morgan Daniels
Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away with War Crimes - book review
Keenie Meenie
exposes, with thorough research, the activities of a booming, highly lucrative outsourced industry, and its intimate ties with the British State, finds Susan Ram
20 Dictators Currently Supported by the U.S. - book review
David Swanson,
20 Dictators
provides robust evidence that the claims for US foreign policy are contradicted by its behaviour, argue Phil Armstrong and Catherine Armstrong
Ernie O'Malley's On Another Man's Wound: books that made me a socialist
An anti-imperialist personal account chosen by Chris Bambery
Liberalism At Large: The World According to the Economist - book review
Zevin’s history of the
Economist
magazine opens up a rich angle from which to observe the nature and development of liberalism across 180 years, finds Dominic Alexander
Black history you can’t be without: Nine books on the struggle
A reading list of nine essential books on black history and the struggle against racism
Socialist Register 2020: Beyond Market Dystopia - book review
The wide range of essays in
Socialist Register 2020
provide important reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of recent left movements, finds Sean Ledwith
Limits: Why Malthus Was Wrong and Why Environmentalists Should Care - book review
Giorgos Kallis criticises Malthus’ ideas and their modern influence, but sustainability requires structural change to move beyond capitalism, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Invisible Leviathan: Marx’s Law of Value in the Twilight of Capitalism - book review
Marx’s labour theory of value and the analysis of the falling rate of profit receive a robust defence in Murray Smith’s
Invisible Leviathan
, finds Dominic Alexander
The Monster Enters: Covid-19, Avian Flu and the Plagues of Capitalism - book review
Mike Davis’
The Monster Enters
updates his earlier book on capitalism and pandemic disease to reflect on the current failure of the neoliberal state, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Unknowers: How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World - book review
The Unknowers
is a fascinating exploration of the many ways in which our societies are built on strategic lack of knowledge, writes Joshua Newman
The Lie of Global Prosperity - book review
Donnelly’s
The Lie of Global Prosperity
shows how global institutions use bad data to promote the idea that poverty has declined due to neoliberal globalisation, finds Orlando Hill
Marxist Literary Criticism Today - book review
Barbara Foley’s introduction reflects the strengths but also some of the weaknesses of contemporary Marxist writing on literature, finds Dragan Plavšić
Reading the Labour Party: book recommendations by and for socialists
How can we explain what has happened in the Labour Party? We asked eight Counterfire authors to tell us about the books that have helped them to understand what the Labour Party is and how socialists should engage with it
Rebel Minds: Class War, Mass Suffering, and the Urgent Need for Socialism - book review
A Marxist critique of psychiatry puts mental-health issues in the context of the social crises created by capitalism, and argues for socialist solutions, finds Adrian Cooley
(B)ordering Britain: Law, Race and Empire - book review
(B)ordering Britain presents a powerful case that immigration law is rooted in the racism of Empire, and that migrant solidarity must be anti-imperialist, finds Alyssa Cassata
The Dilemmas of Lenin
In the week of the 150th anniversary of Lenin's birth, we repost Lindsey German's review of Tariq Ali's The Dilemmas of Lenin
Lockdown reading on revolution: some novels set in times of great upheaval
Lindsey German's pick of novels set in revolutionary times
Why You Should Be A Trade Unionist - book review
Len McCluskey’s short
Why You Should Be A Trade Unionist
gives us a powerful run through the arguments for working-class organisation, finds John Westmoreland
Value Chains: The New Economic Imperialism - book review
Capitalism remains interlocked with imperialism, and Suwandi’s
Value Chains
demonstrates a core aspect of international mechanisms of exploitation, argues Dominic Alexander
A World to Win: The Life and Works of Karl Marx - book review
Sven-Eric Liedman’s study contains some important defence of Marx’s work, but gives way to hesitation, detracting from the coherence of Marx’s method, argues Chris Nineham
EP Thompson’s The Making of the English Working Class: books that made me a socialist
A classic work of social history chosen by Dominic Alexander
A People Betrayed - book review
Paul Preston’s
A People Betrayed
is a searing and thorough account of how the Spanish state developed with corruption endemic to its functioning, finds Chris Bambery
Shamrocks and Oil Slicks - book review
Wilcox’s
Shamrocks and Oil Slicks
recounts the inspiring resistance in county Mayo against their government and Shell Oil’s collusion to force oil development, finds Ellen Graubart
Laugh through the lockdown
Five of the best novels to keep you laughing while you sharpen your critical faculties from John Rees
No Limits. The Disabled People's Movement: A Radical History - book review
A history of the disabled people’s movement highlights its historical successes, as well as showing how and why a new fightback is needed, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
Comrade - book review
In
Comrade
, Jodi Dean champions comradeship as a political relationship, against the passivity encouraged by much of identity politics, argues Martin Hall
The Fall and Rise of the British Left - book review
Andrew Murray shows that Corbynism’s roots in social movements and rebellion against neoliberalism will mean its enduring significance, argues Chris Bambery
Ten books to shake 2020
Want to turn the world upside down in 2020? Philosophy Football’s
Mark Perryman
has found ten books to help us on the way
In the Red Corner: the Marxism of José Carlos Mariátegui - book review
Mike Gonzalez,
In The Red Corner
, recovers José Carlos Mariátegui’s Marxist understanding of Latin America in the context of the development of capitalism, finds Orlando Hill
America’s Covert War in East Africa: Surveillance, Rendition, Assassination - book review
America’s Covert War in East Africa
reveals the terrible violence of US military operations in Africa, and the complicity of the UK in this dangerous policy, finds Sean Ledwith
England’s Other Countrymen: Black Tudor Society - book review
A history of the black people of Tudor England shows large numbers and varied circumstances before systematic racism developed, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
How America Became Capitalist - book review
James Parisot’s
How America Became Capitalist
uncovers the contested and contradictory history of capitalist development in the United States, finds Dominic Alexander
Gadget Consciousness - book review
In
Gadget Consciousness
, Joss Hands unpacks some of the ways social media helps and hinders collective consciousness and activism, finds Peter Stäuber
‘All Sorts of Woman’: review of Selina Todd’s Tastes of Honey and the National Theatre’s A Taste of Honey
Selina Todd’s biography of Shelagh Delaney contains an urgent political message and a new performance of Delaney’s most famous play shows us how radical she was, finds Katherine Connelly
Black British History: New Perspectives - book review
Black British History
reveals neglected and hidden histories of the African diaspora in Britain from the Romans to the twentieth century, finds Paul Fredericks
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - book review
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
raises important questions about the authoritarian use of digital technologies, but the solution needs to be radical, argues Reece Goscinski
How to read an election
Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman provides a handy reading guide for the 12
th
December General Election
The Coming Revolution: Capitalism in the 21st Century - book review
The Coming Revolution is an impressive guide for Marxists looking for a way to approach contemporary capitalism, argues Josh Newman
The Debt System - book review
The Debt System
argues that international debt is a system of exploitation of poorer countries, which should be regarded as illegitimate, finds Phil Armstrong
Understanding Marxism - book review
Richard Wolff in Understanding Marxism concisely introduces Marx’s essential arguments on exploitation in capitalism, and workers’ democracy, finds Graham Kirkwood
Corbynism from Below – book review
Corbynism from Below
is a wide-ranging collection of thoughtful essays on this historic opportunity for the left to transform society, finds Kevin Ovenden
Navigating the Zeitgeist: A Story of the Cold War, the New Left, Irish Republicanism, and International Communism - book review
The story of an active life during momentous times from the Cold War to the 1980s turns out to be more personal than resonating with the political, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen
A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee - book review
An American socialist’s memoir of his life in East Germany overturns many standard assumptions about the contrasts of West and East, finds Dominic Alexander
Class, Party, Revolution: A Socialist Register Reader - book review
A collection of classic
Socialist Register
articles raise vital questions about Marx, Lenin, Gramsci and revolutionary organisation, argues Alex Snowdon
Stalingrad - book review
Vasily Grossman’s novel
Stalingrad
offers vivid insight into the heroic fight of Russian people at the decisive turning point of World War II, finds Lindsey German
The Biofuels Deception: Going Hungry on the Green Carbon Diet - book review
Biofuels turn out not to be a sustainable replacement for fossil-fuels, but just another way for agribusiness to maintain profits, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup - book review
In
The Long Honduran Night
,
Dana Frank gives a personal and detailed account of the resistance of Honduran people and the involvement of the US, finds Orlando Hill
Peterloo: Witnesses to a Massacre - book review
This graphic history of Peterloo is a poignant piece of people’s history told through stunning artwork and the voices of those who were there, finds Adam Tomes
Antifa: the anti-fascist handbook - book review
The long history of anti-fascist mobilisation, outlined in Bray’s
Antifa
, underlines the importance of broad alliances for mass mobilisations, argues Richard Pratt
Can the Working Class Change the World? - book review
If the working class is to change the world, it needs serious strategies to find unity and overcome divisions, not woolly moralism, argues Richard Allday
The Coming of the American Behemoth - book review
Roberto’s
The Coming of the American Behemoth
argues that fascist-like processes arose from the essential workings of monopoly capitalism in 1930s America, finds Martin Hall
Lindsey German's August reading recommendations
With summer here, Lindsey German recommends some books to get stuck into
The Mobilization and Demobilization of Middle-Class Revolt - book review
An analysis of hegemony and consciousness among the economically distressed middle class of Argentina provides lessons for activists everywhere, finds Orlando Hill
A Walk Through Paris - book review
Éric Hazan’s
A Walk Through Paris
takes the reader on an engaging and evocative journey through the city’s radical and literary history, finds Katherine Connelly
Mythologies of State and Monopoly Power - book review
Michael E. Tigar seeks to demythologise the law so we can resist it and change it, finds Dragan Plavšić
A Suffragette in America: Reflections on Prisoners, Pickets and Political Change - book review
Katherine Connelly’s edition of previously unpublished writing by Sylvia Pankhurst shows her deepening socialist politics, finds Lindsey German
Heineken In Africa: A Multinational Unleashed - book review
Olivier van Beemen’s meticulous exposure of Heineken’s activities in Africa show the damage done by neo-colonial capitalism, argues Ellen Graubart
Manual for Survival. A Chernobyl Guide to the Future - book review
An important new book rigorously examines the impact of nuclear accidents. The evidence underlines just how destructive nuclear is, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Spring into sport
As one sport’s contest approaches its climax another has barely begun - Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman reviews Spring books for those who measure their years out in seasons not months
Municipal Dreams - book review
Council housing was about building homes not financial assets, and we should be proud of that, finds William Alderson
World in Crisis: A Global Analysis of Marx’s Law of Profitability - book review
Marx’s law of profitability is shown in
World in Crisis
to explain today’s long depression, but ending capitalism requires a political strategy, argues Dominic Alexander
Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism - book review
Leary’s
Keywords
insightfully updates a classic critique of the use of language by power, to understand the vocabulary of neoliberal capitalism, finds Oliver Eagleton
The actress who gives a toss: A Working Diary - book review
Julie Hesmondhalgh’s diary of a tumultuous year of politics, creativity, theatre, film and activism is funny, moving and inspiring, finds Penny Hicks
Peak inequality: Britain's ticking time bomb - review
Danny Dorling’s
Peak Inequality
provides powerful evidence of the damage that rising inequality has had across housing, education, health and demography, finds Sean Ledwith
Old Gods, New Enigmas: Marx’s Lost Theory - book review
Mike Davis punctures many myths about Marx and shows how important the history of working-class struggle remains for today, finds Dominic Alexander
Nostalgia for the future: Luigi Nono - book review
This excellent edition of Luigi Nono’s writings offers an invaluable insight into the unity of thought of one of the twentieth century’s greatest musical minds, writes Richard Pratt
For a left populism - book review
Mouffe’s elaboration of a left populist strategy contains some useful insights but ultimately rests on the centrist ideology that it appears to criticise, argues Josh Newman
Contemporary Trotskyism - book review
A valuable study of the Trotskyist tradition in Britain misses the importance of strategy in revolutionary organisation, argues Alex Snowdon
Miseducating for the Global Economy - book review
Miseducating for the Global Economy
exposes the neoliberal push to package education for the sake of corporate rather than social interests, finds Phil Armstrong
Counterfire's books of the year - part two
The second instalment of the books that have inspired leading activists on the left over the last twelve months
You're Not Here - book review
Tariq Mehmood’s new novel is uncompromising but hopeful in its portrait of the impact of the war in Afghanistan on a northern city in Britain, finds Sarbjit Johal
The Left Case Against the EU - book review
Costas Lapavitsas makes a convincing argument why the Left should oppose the EU, writes Martin Hall
Counterfire's books of the year - part one
We asked a few leading campaigners and performers from the left what books have inspired them over the last twelve months
Gaza: An Inquest into its Martyrdom - book review
Gaza: An Inquest into its Martyrdom
is a passionate and painstaking attempt to counter Israeli deception over the Palestinian struggle, finds Oliver Eagleton
England’s Discontents: Political Cultures and National Identities - book review
Mike Wayne’s
England’s Discontents
provides a valuable analysis of how Britain is ruled and the ideology and culture of its elite, argues Chris Bambery
Deport, Deprive, Extradite: 21st Century State Extremism - book review
Deport, Deprive, Extradite exposes the systematic racism lurking behind our supposedly liberal system of civil rights, finds Sean Ledwith
How to Read A History Book - book review
A history of History needs to understand the political origins of institutions of historical learning, not just the present malaise, argues Dominic Alexander
Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump - book review
Mistaken Identity reveals identity politics as the strategy of defeat, but solidarities are built through engagement in existing movements, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Speaking of Universities - book review
Stefan Collini offers a robust critique of the neoliberal academy, but we need an oppositional university as an alternative, argues Oliver Eagleton
An African in Imperial London - book review
Danell Jones’ biography of an African man living in Edwardian London reveals a remarkable life amid the racism and imperialism of the time, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen
The Battle for Paradise - book review
Naomi Klein gives a stirring account of the struggle against disaster capitalism in Puerto Rico after 2017’s Hurricane Maria, finds Ellen Graubart
Minding the depth and breadth - a Labour conference reading list
As Labour gathers for its annual conference Mark Perryman welcomes the variety of thinking a range of authors, new and old, are offering the Left at this vital time
October Song - book review
Paul le Blanc’s history of the Russian Revolution shows that the tragic outcome was not inevitable, and there is much to learn from it, argues Lindsey German
A Party with Socialists in It - book review
A history of the left in the Labour Party highlights the need for a strong extra-parliamentary movement, argues Chris Nineham
Dead-End Lives: Drugs and Violence in the City Shadows - book review
A study of poverty and drug addiction in the slums outside Madrid reveals the callous and destructive nature of the neoliberal city, argues Chris Bambery
A New Hope for Mexico - book review
AMLO, the new Mexican president, represents a break from neoliberalism, despite the political limitations of his programme, argues Orlando Hill
Justice Denied: Friends, Foes and the Miners' Strike - book review
The Miners’ Strike was a major class defeat, but as the essays in
Justice Denied
show, it is also a beacon for the collective values that persist, argues Sofie Mason
Tales of Two Londons - book review
This collection of writings on London has some striking moments, but is lacking class politics, despite its stated theme, finds Tom Lock Griffiths
Solidarity with Bookmarks shows a united left can take on the far right
The huge show of solidarity with Bookmarks bookshop on Saturday shows that the left can unite to defeat the far right argues Isabel Carr
The Cynical Educator - book review
Today’s education system may be making professionals into Cynics, but the answer is collective struggle, not ancient philosophy, argues Dominic Alexander
Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States - book review
Against the Grain
explodes traditional views of the origin of civilisation, but lacks an analysis of the formation of class, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory - book review
David Graeber’s new book raises many questions about the function and worth of work, but doesn’t entirely explain why useless work persists, finds Clare Solomon
Europe's Fault Lines: Racism and the Rise of the Right - book review
In
Europe’s Fault Lines
, Liz Fekete exposes the links between neoliberal centrism, EU economic policy, and the rise of the far and fascist right, finds Martin Hall
The James Connolly Reader - book review
A collection of the writings of James Connolly, the Irish socialist revolutionary, contains still relevant insights about imperialism and national liberation, argues Kevin Crane
Trotsky on Lenin - book review
A welcome new edition of neglected writing by Trotsky makes accessible revealing insights into Lenin and Russian society, finds Dominic Alexander
Tear Gas: From the Battlefields of World War I to the Streets of Today - book review
Tear Gas
shows that, historically, the use of tear gas escalates violence against protest, but movements can overcome such repressive force, argues Tom Whittaker
Culture as Politics: Selected Writings of Christopher Caudwell - book extract
David Margolies gives an introduction to a new edition of writings by Christopher Caudwell
Adrift: A Secret Life of London's Waterways - book review
The fight against rapacious developers is at the heart of a new account of life on London’s canals, says John Rees
The Struggle for Development - book review
The Struggle for Development
valuably debunks the statistics of neoliberal development, but an analysis of imperialism is needed too, argues Dominic Alexander
Mapping My Way Home - book review
Stephanie Urdang’s memoir reveals her courageous personal involvement in the struggles against apartheid and for national liberation in southern Africa, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen
Rethinking Democracy: Socialist Register 2018 - review
Socialism and democracy belong together, and recent popular movements of the left make possible a fight for authentic democracy, argues Sean Ledwith
The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story - book review
The Last Earth
tells the moving stories of eight Palestinian women’s and men’s experiences of persecution and the refugee camps, finds Ellen Graubart
What Is Islamophobia? - book review
The contributions in What is Islamophobia? show it as a form of racism driven in the first instance by the state and the war on terror, finds Shabbir Lakha
The Political Economy of the Kurds of Turkey - book review
Veli Yadirgi argues that there is a clear relationship between the intentional de-development of mostly Kurdish regions of Turkey and the Kurdish question, finds Adam Tomes
Republic of Islamophobia - book review
Republic of Islamophobia
effectively analyses the nature and rise of the vindictive Islamophobia that has come to grip French politics and society, finds Susan Ram
Brazil: Neoliberalism versus Democracy - book review
The root of the constitutional coup in Brazil lay in Lula and Rousseff’s attempt to marry inclusive democracy with the exclusionary logic of neoliberalism, finds Orlando Hill
Revolt on the Clyde - book review
William Gallacher’s account of the early-twentieth-century socialist movement in Glasgow shows how we can challenge our rulers today, argues Richard Allday
A weak and unpopular establishment is losing control - video
Chris Nineham is interviewed about his book 'How the Establishment Lost Control'
A Redder Shade of Green - book review
Ian Angus’ essays range across many issues at the intersection of politics and environmental science, illuminating the meaning of ecosocialism, finds Kevin Crane
The Addis Ababa Massacre - book review
The Addis Ababa Massacre
reveals a major atrocity committed by Fascist Italy, in which the imperialist calculations of Britain and others are implicated, finds Martin Hall
Marx the ecologist
Some criticise Marx as anti-environmental, but understanding his ecology is essential to grasping his critique of capitalism, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh
The Corbyn Effect - book review
The Corbyn Effect
, a diverse collection of arguments on left politics, is politically uneven but offers many insights into the upheavals in the Labour Party argues Alex Snowdon
1917: The Russian Revolution, Reactions and Impact - book review
1917, a Socialist History Society collection of essays, pays powerful testimony to the power of socialist revolution to change the world, finds Judy Cox
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