Histories

Tom Brass formerly lectured in the SPS Faculty at Cambridge University and directed studies for Queens’ College. He carried out fieldwork research in Latin America and India during the 1970s and 1980s, is the second-longest serving editor of The Journal of Peasant Studies (1990-2008), and has published extensively on agrarian issues and rural labour relations, including Critiques: In Defence of Development (2025).

• Acknowledgements List of Figures and Tables XIII Introduction Faithful to Here? Ignoring History Oxford Debating Nerds Frightened Conformity Ominous Trends ThemesPart 1: Histories: Ancient, Modern1 Recovering the Subject(s)? Self and Others on Parade Introduction: Why Write? Politics? Capitalism? Marxism? Unknown Unknowns? Privileging the Image An Element of Creativity? Pax Romana? Conclusion 2 Marxist Mosaic or Non-Marxist Kaleidoscope? Introduction: Repositioning the Subject Onwards and Upwards? Consistency? Marxism, Methodology? Production Relations? Sedulously Aloof? What Marxism Is or Isn’t Debt, Coercion as Free Wage-Labour? New Ways of Thinking? Who is the Enemy? Conclusion 3 Is Marx at Home in Ancient Rome, or Is the Eternal City the Locus of an Eternal Capitalism? Introduction: Deconstructing Rome (in a Day)? A Huge Container Decline and Fall? Sleepy British Positivists The Imaginary World of Decoration A Good Measure of Cold Water Remediable by New Discoveries? Ancient History Rewritten? Sins of the (Academic) Ancestors? Conclusion: Back to Basics 4 Ancient Rome and the Modern West: Death or Resurrection? Introduction: Woe Is Me Decline, Development, Modernisation Core, Periphery, Migration Open Doors, Disgruntled Corners Who Is Empowered, and Why? Crisis and Ruralisation Class Struggle or Negotiation? Populism and Its Contradictions ConclusionPart 2: Histories: Personal, Political5 The (Not-So-Hidden) Politics of Populism Introduction A Border Crossed Rednecks, Policières Populism, or the Identity That Dares Not Speak Its Name Perils of Misunderstanding Populism What Marxism Does … Conclusion 6 Drink, Work and Class in Rural Peru (Being There, Doing That) Introduction La Convención, Peru Drinking Costs and Patterns Drinking Ideology and Politics Drinking and Gender Drinking and Work – I Drinking and Work – II Drinking and Class Conclusion 7 On Anthropological Fieldwork (and Other Things) Introduction: Other Times, Other Places General Theoretical Sauce The Feel of Fieldwork An Unmediated Voice? Beginnings Endings Conclusion 8 Fragments of a Life, or Drawing a Line Introduction: Till All Our Strivings Cease Sleep and Forget Part of the Crowd A Life Not Led The Ground Moves Perhaps It’s Some Political Thing Strong Opinions, Strongly Held Conclusion Appendix I: Correspondence with John Cairncross, 1940s Appendix II: Cartoons Conclusion Bibliography Author Index Subject Index