Anti-Fascism in Britain

NIGEL COPSEY is a lecturer in history at the University of Teeside. Prior to this he completed a doctoral thesis on the extreme right in contemporary France and Britain. He has published several essays on right-wing extremism, including a contribution to The Failure of British Fascism (edited by M.Cronin).

'This excellent and well-written book fills a much-needed gap, being the first full-length academic study of an important phenomenon in recent British political history. By emphasising the two traditions of anti-fascism in British society Nigel Copsey has shown the significance of his subject; not only could the direct action favoured by militant anti-fascists bring far more supporters onto the streets than their fascist opponents but 'passive' anti-fascism became a defining aspect of British national culture after the second world war. While the state authorities held the ring between fascists and anti-fascists, public order was maintained with care taken to minimise the loss of civil liberties, even if this meant giving fascists continued licence to criticise immigrant groups and British Jews, provided they were not too abusive.' - Richard C. Thurlow, Department of History, University of Sheffield 'There is a great deal to interest and stimulate students of fascism and the Left in this book.' - Martin Pugh, Times Literary Supplement

• Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Origins and Development of Anti-fascism 1923-1935 Opposition to British Fascism 1936-1945 'Never Again': Anti-fascism 1946-1966 'The National Front is a Nazi Front!': Opposition to the National Front 1967-1979 Fighting Fascism in the Eighties and Nineties Conclusion Index