People's History – serie

On October 1, 2017, the Spanish police assault on Catalans voting in a peaceful referendum shot Catalonia’s struggle for independence onto the world’s front pages. Today, those two million-plus voters have neither forgiven nor forgotten: the struggle continues. Catalonia's national consciousness has deep roots. A People's History of Catalonia tells this small country’s history, from below, in all its richness and complexity. Catalonia’s struggles for freedom have, for centuries, been violently resisted; and its language and rights, suppressed. Since the nineteenth century, the fight for national sovereignty has often intertwined with working-class mobilisation for social justice. Barcelona became known as the Rose of Fire. In 1936 Catalonia saw one of history’s most profound workers’ revolutions. From the peasant revolts of the 15th century and the siege of Barcelona in 1714, through the explosive workers’ movement led by anarchists, the defeat in the Spanish Civil War, to the anti-Franco resistance in the grim years that followed, the author tells a compelling story whose ending has yet to be written.

From the monarchical terror of the Middle Ages to the mangled Europe of the twenty-first century, A People's History of Modern Europe tells the history of the continent through the deeds of those whom mainstream history tries to forget. Europe provided the perfect conditions for a great number of political revolutions from below. The German peasant wars of Thomas Müntzer, the bourgeois revolutions of the eighteenth century, the rise of the industrial worker in England, the turbulent journey of the Russian Soviets, the role of the European working class throughout the Cold War, student protests in 1968 and through to the present day, when we continue to fight to forge an alternative to the barbaric economic system. By focusing on the role of women, trade unions and students, this history sweeps away the tired platitudes of the privileged upon which our current understanding is based, providing an opportunity to see our history differently.

In October 1918, war-weary German sailors mutinied when the Imperial Naval Command ordered their engagement in one final, fruitless battle with the British Royal Navy. This revolt, in the dying embers of the First World War, quickly erupted into a full scale revolution that toppled the monarchy and inaugurated a period of radical popular democracy. The establishment of the Weimar Republic in 1919 ended the revolution, relegating all but its most prominent leaders to a historical footnote. In A People's History of the German Revolution, William A. Pelz cuts against the grain of mainstream accounts that tend to present the revolution as more of a 'collapse', or just a chaotic interregnum that preceded the country's natural progression into a republic.Going beyond the familiar names of Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg or Clara Zetkins, Pelz explores the revolution from the bottom up, focusing on the active role that women, rank-and-file activists, and ordinary workers played in its events. Rejecting the depiction of agency as exclusively in the hands of international actors like Woodrow Wilson or in those of German elites, he makes the compelling case that, for a brief period, the actions of the common people shaped a truly revolutionary society.

In October 1918, war-weary German sailors mutinied when the Imperial Naval Command ordered their engagement in one final, fruitless battle with the British Royal Navy. This revolt, in the dying embers of the First World War, quickly erupted into a full scale revolution that toppled the monarchy and inaugurated a period of radical popular democracy. The establishment of the Weimar Republic in 1919 ended the revolution, relegating all but its most prominent leaders to a historical footnote. In A People's History of the German Revolution, William A. Pelz cuts against the grain of mainstream accounts that tend to present the revolution as more of a 'collapse', or just a chaotic interregnum that preceded the country's natural progression into a republic.Going beyond the familiar names of Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg or Clara Zetkins, Pelz explores the revolution from the bottom up, focusing on the active role that women, rank-and-file activists, and ordinary workers played in its events. Rejecting the depiction of agency as exclusively in the hands of international actors like Woodrow Wilson or in those of German elites, he makes the compelling case that, for a brief period, the actions of the common people shaped a truly revolutionary society.

This is the first comprehensive history of pre-Civil War American radicalism, mapping the journeys of the land reformers, Jacksonian radicals and militant abolitionists on the long road to the failed slave revolt of Harpers Ferry in 1859.This book contains new and fascinating insights into the cast of characters who created a homegrown American socialist movement through the nineteenth century - from Thomas Paine's revolution to Robert Owen's utopianism, from James Macune Smith, the black founder of organised socialism in the US, to Susan B. Anthony, the often overlooked women’s rights activist. It also considers the persistent pre-capitalist model of the Native American.Long Road to Harpers Ferry captures the spirit of the times, showing how class solidarity and consciousness became more important to a generation of workers than notions of American citizenship. This is a story that's been hidden from official histories, which must be remembered if we are to harness the latent power of socialism in the United States today.

This is the first comprehensive history of pre-Civil War American radicalism, mapping the journeys of the land reformers, Jacksonian radicals and militant abolitionists on the long road to the failed slave revolt of Harpers Ferry in 1859.This book contains new and fascinating insights into the cast of characters who created a homegrown American socialist movement through the nineteenth century - from Thomas Paine's revolution to Robert Owen's utopianism, from James Macune Smith, the black founder of organised socialism in the US, to Susan B. Anthony, the often overlooked women’s rights activist. It also considers the persistent pre-capitalist model of the Native American.Long Road to Harpers Ferry captures the spirit of the times, showing how class solidarity and consciousness became more important to a generation of workers than notions of American citizenship. This is a story that's been hidden from official histories, which must be remembered if we are to harness the latent power of socialism in the United States today.

On the 25th April 1974, a coup destroyed the ranks of Portugal's fascist Estado Novo government as the Portuguese people flooded the streets of Lisbon, placing red carnations in the barrels of guns and demanding a `land for those who work in it'.This became the Carnation Revolution - an international coalition of working class and social movements, which also incited struggles for independence in Portugal's African colonies, the rebellion of the young military captains in the national armed forces and the uprising of Portugal's long-oppressed working classes. It was through the organising power of these diverse movements that a popular-front government was instituted and Portugal withdrew from its overseas colonies.Cutting against the grain of mainstream accounts, Raquel Cardeira Varela explores the role of trade unions, artists and women in the revolution, providing a rich account of the challenges faced and the victories gained through revolutionary means.

On the 25th April 1974, a coup destroyed the ranks of Portugal’s fascist Estado Novo government as the Portuguese people flooded the streets of Lisbon, placing red carnations in the barrels of guns and demanding a ‘land for those who work in it’.This became the Carnation Revolution - an international coalition of working class and social movements, which also incited struggles for independence in Portugal’s African colonies, the rebellion of the young military captains in the national armed forces and the uprising of Portugal’s long-oppressed working classes. It was through the organising power of these diverse movements that a popular-front government was instituted and Portugal withdrew from its overseas colonies.Cutting against the grain of mainstream accounts, Raquel Cardeira Varela explores the role of trade unions, artists and women in the revolution, providing a rich account of the challenges faced and the victories gained through revolutionary means.

***Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2020******Financial Times, Best Sports Books of 2020***Pristine lawns, tennis whites, strawberries and cream, tennis is synonymous with the upper echelons of society, but scratch beneath the surface and you'll quickly discover a different history, one of untold struggles on and off the courts.From the birth of modern tennis in Victorian Britain to the present day, we bear witness to struggles around sexuality, gender, race and class that have transformed the nature of tennis and sport itself. A People's History of Tennis is populated by diverse voices, recounting the sport's gay origins, 'Workers' Wimbledon', battles for gender equality and more.Going beyond centre court, this book reveals the hidden history of the game, providing a rich account of the challenges faced and victories won.

This concise people's history of Europe tells the story of the last hundred years of a very old continent and the ordinary people that shaped the events that defined it from World War I to today.From the Russian Revolution, through May '68 and the Prague Spring, to the present day, we hear from workers, trade unionists, conscientious objectors and activists and learn of revolutions, labour movements, immigration struggles and anti-colonial conflicts. Cutting against the grain of mainstream histories, this is a history of Europe told from below.Containing new and fascinating insights, Raquel Varela paints a different picture of the European story; one where ordinary Europeans are active agents of their own history.

On October 1, 2017, the Spanish police assault on Catalans voting in a peaceful referendum shot Catalonia’s struggle for independence onto the world’s front pages. Today, those two million-plus voters have neither forgiven nor forgotten: the struggle continues. Catalonia's national consciousness has deep roots. A People's History of Catalonia tells this small country’s history, from below, in all its richness and complexity. Catalonia’s struggles for freedom have, for centuries, been violently resisted; and its language and rights, suppressed. Since the nineteenth century, the fight for national sovereignty has often intertwined with working-class mobilisation for social justice. Barcelona became known as the Rose of Fire. In 1936 Catalonia saw one of history’s most profound workers’ revolutions. From the peasant revolts of the 15th century and the siege of Barcelona in 1714, through the explosive workers’ movement led by anarchists, the defeat in the Spanish Civil War, to the anti-Franco resistance in the grim years that followed, the author tells a compelling story whose ending has yet to be written.

'A fascinating journey through the game's history [as] a vehicle of change' Shaka Hislop'Correia takes us around the world to examine how football has produced the kind of political energy that can change minds and even topple governments' Dave Zirin'An essential read for football fans everywhere' Juliet JacquesFootball is so much more than the billionaire owners and eye-watering signing fees that dominate the headlines. Look beyond the Premiership and the World Cup, the sublime brilliance of Messi and Mbappé, and you'll find a story unparalleled in the world of sport.From England, France and Germany to Palestine, South Africa and Brazil, A People's History of Football reveals how the 'beautiful game' has been a powerful instrument of emancipation for workers, feminists, anti-colonialist activists, young people and protesters around the world.Countering the clichés about football fans, Mickaël Correia dives into football countercultures born after the Second World War, from English hooligans to the ultras who played a central role in the 'Arab Spring'. And with chapters on anti-fascism, the women's game, and the rise in community-owned clubs, Correia reminds us that football can be a powerful social and political force - as generous as it is subversive.

It has been decades since Freud fell out of favour, not only in mainstream psychiatry but also in radical thought, where both he and Lacan were accused of sexist and class biases. A People's History of Psychoanalysis refuses to accept this growing depoliticization of a formerly revolutionary field.Florent Gabarron-Garcia shatters the comfortable narrative of psychoanalysts as armchair theorists placidly interpreting family complexes sheltered in their consulting rooms. Recalling Freud's radical moments (such as his promotion of free clinics in Weimar Germany), or lesser-known figures including the Marxist Feminist psychoanalyst Marie Langer, his new history delves into how revolutionary ferment has cross-fertilized the exploration of the unconscious.A People's History of Psychoanalysis is for those who wish to resist the conformist, therapist-centered, and repressive management of madness under contemporary capitalism.

A People's History of Portugal reconstructs the last two hundred years of class struggle in Portugal. Raquel Varela and Roberto della Santa examine the material conditions of its people – examining the real causes of the revolutionary waves and counter-revolutionary backlash.Starting in the early nineteenth century, the theme of colonialism and its antithesis runs through the narrative, as working-class life was closely entwined with Portuguese colonial exploitation. Despite relatively slow industrial development, Portuguese people spearheaded a surprisingly vigorous radical culture of dissent, eventually sparking a social and political revolution in 1974.More recently, Portugal’s inclusion in the European Union has put its people in a neoliberal stranglehold that stifles democracy to this day. Are the working people of Portugal able to carry the memory of the revolutionary past into its future? This is a history of, and for, the people.

Football has always been so much more than the billionaire buyers and seven-figure signing fees. With the women's game now more popular than ever, one thing is clear: when it comes to football, only half the story is usually told. Would the Lionesses ever have roared without the Munitionettes? If you look beyond the men in suits at FIFA and the corporate World Cup, you'll find a history unparalleled in the world of sport.From England, France and Germany to Palestine, South Africa and Brazil, A People's History of Football reveals how the 'beautiful game' has been a powerful instrument of emancipation for workers, feminists, anti-colonialist activists, young people and protesters around the world.This entertaining history from below is beautifully rendered by award-winning illustrator Lelio Bonaccorso, bringing players from history to life in vivid colour. From the game's unruly feudal origins right up to the present day, immerse yourself in the stories of professionals and amateurs alike, and feel the powerful force of a game that is as generous as it is subversive.

The Russian Revolution may well be the most misunderstood event in modern history. In this fast-paced introduction, Neil Faulkner debunks the myths that continue to shroud it, showing how a mass movement of millions, organised in democratic assemblies, mobilised for militant action and destroyed a regime of landlords, profiteers and warmongers.Faulkner rejects caricatures of Lenin and the Bolsheviks as authoritarian conspirators, 'democratic-centralists' or the progenitors of Stalinist dictatorship; though short-lived, the Revolution of October 1917 was an explosion of democracy and creativity. Crushed by bloody counter-revolution, its socialist vision was ultimately displaced by a monstrous form of bureaucratic state-capitalism.Laced with first-hand testimony, this history rescues the democratic essence of the revolution from its detractors and deniers, offering a perfect primer for the modern reader.Published in partnership with the Left Book Club.

It's Time The Tale Were Told - A People's History of The Smiths is the story of one of the UK's most influential indie bands in the words of over 500 fans. From memories of their earliest club shows through to the last ever gig at London's Brixton Academy, this is a portrait of The Smiths as painted by the fans. With personal photographs, memorabilia, anecdotes and first-hand accounts of more than 100 gigs, readers will get a front row view of the indie music legends. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr, The Smiths' 1985 album Meat Is Murder topped the UK album charts and their other three studio albums reached No 2. The band broke up in 1987 and have resisted invitations to reunite.

Iain Matthews –A People’s History is an oral history of one of Britain’s leadingsinger-songwriters. One of the founding members of folk-rock pioneers FairportConvention, Iain left the band in 1969 to further a career in music that nowspans almost 60 years. He created thechart-topping act Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970, who had a number onesingle with a cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’, and in the 50-plus yearssince is widely acknowledged as one of the torchbearers responsible forbringing American folk and country music to British audiences.

Sandy Denny- A People’s History tells the story of the woman heralded by her peers as Britain’s greatest ever female singer. Sandy Denny is the only vocalist apart from Robert Plant to appear on a Led Zeppelin album. But her duet on ‘The Battle Of Evermore’ is just one of many achievements by the woman who was twice voted ‘Best British Female Singer’ (in 1970 & 1971) by readers of Melody Maker magazine. Sandy brought an air of magic to the stage every time she sang, whether as a member of Fairport Convention, with her band Fotheringay or as a solo singer. This book captures memories of those performances and pays tribute to her beautiful voice, to her endearing personality and to her exceptional songwriting talent. Sandy’s song ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’ has been covered by more than 100 artists, and her music is still being discovered and interpreted by artists in the almost half a century since her untimely death in 1978 at a tragically young age. Compiled by Sandy’s daughter, Georgia Rose Lucas, and fully approved by the estate of Sandy Denny, this book contains a wealth of memories and memorabilia. Contributors include: Richard Thompson, Rufus Wainwright, Mary Black, Barbara Dickson, Joe Boyd, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Linda Thompson, Joan as Policewoman, Richard Digance, Iain Matthews, Christine Collister, Gordon Giltrap, Aine Furey, Chris Blackwell & Julianne Regan.

Welcome Back MyFriends - A People's History of Emerson, Lake & Palmer is an oral historyof one of the giants of the British progressive rock world. As ELP, KeithEmerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer had five Top Ten UK albums, including a No.1 with 1971's Tarkus, and a UK No.2 single with 1977's 'Fanfare for The CommonMan'. With an estimated 48 million album sales worldwide, including nineRIAA-certified gold albums in the USA, ELP remain one of the biggest bands ofthe 1970s. Famed for the flamboyant stage antics of Emerson on the Hammondorgan and Moog synthesiser, and mixing elements of classical and jazz musicwith symphonic rock, over 100 different ELP concerts are remembered through thememories of more than 400 fans in this fully authorised history of the band.

Gary Numan – A People’s History is the story of one of the true pioneers of electronic music as told by over 500 fans. With three No 1 UK albums and the chart-topping singles ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ (with Tubeway Army) and ‘Cars’ (as a solo artist), Gary Numan was one of the biggest pop stars of the early 1980s, bringing the sound of synthesisers to the fore, and is rightly celebrated as a music legend, with a legion of devoted fans. Fully authorised by Gary, this 498-page book charts his career from its very beginnings through to the present day with stories from fans, friends and colleagues. Packed with memories and over 250 photographs, and with a foreword by Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, this is a book that no Numanoid will want to be without.