The Revolutionary Movement in Britain 1900-21: The Origins of British Communism

Kendall's classic work has been widely appreciated for its rich contextualisation of the events and forensic examination of both the national and international factors influencing the nativity of the British Communist Party. It imaginatively recuperates and critically evaluates the politics of the party's predecessors, notably the British Socialist Party and the Socialist Labour Party, the radical upsurge of 1910-14, the wartime shop-stewards movement, the resonance of the Russian Revolution, and the role of the Comintern in moulding the form that British Communism took. Vivid portraits of the human actors -- H M Hyndman, John Maclean, Arthur MacManus and Theodore Rothstein -- illuminate the text. First published in 1969, The Revolutionary Movement in Britain has stood the test of time. It remains indispensable reading for everyone interested in understanding socialist history. John McIlroy has provided a detailed Introduction to this republication.