Synopses & Reviews
A truly radical response to conservative heritage tours and banal day trips,
Rebel Footprints brings to life the history of social movements in Englandand#8217;s capital. David Rosenberg transports readers from well-known landmarks to history-making hidden corners, while telling the story of protest and struggle in London from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; From the suffragettes to the socialists, from the chartists to the trade unionists: Rosenberg invites us to step into the footprints of a diverse cast of dedicated fighters for social justice. Individual chapters highlight particular struggles and their participants, from famous faces to lesser-known luminaries. Rosenberg sets Londonand#8217;s radical campaigners against the backdrop of the cityand#8217;s multi-faceted development. Self-directed walks pair with narratives that seamlessly blend history, politics, and geography, while specially commissioned maps and illustrations immerse the reader in the story of the city.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Whether youand#8217;re visiting London for the first time, or born and raised there, Rosenberg invites you to see London as you never have beforeand#151;the radical center of the English-speaking world.
Review
"The history of London we have been waiting for, told with elegance and precision." Ken Loach
Review
andquot;Informative and well-judged. . . . There is so much that is inspirational in this book, whether the struggles of Jewish tailors in Spitalfields, bakers across the city (who were obliged to work 16-hour shifts in poorly ventilated basements), or the battles against fascism in Cable Street. . . . It would be best to see such places soon, before someone builds a ghastly new office block over them.andquot;
Review
andquot;By offering us a guide to our radical past, Rosenberg reminds us of the strong tradition of dissent that has shaped our history and made us who we are.andquot;
Review
andquot;You havenand#39;t walked the streets of London unless youand#39;ve understood the secret historyand#160;of revolt, rebellion and poverty hidden all around you in its bricks and alleyways. Rosenberg takes you there as no other writer has done.andquot;
Review
andquot;This brilliant book brings Londonandrsquo;s long tradition of radicalism and rebellion to life. Using walks to show how dissent led to democracy, it is a fitting testimonial to the collective struggles of Londoners of every colour and creed. At a time when our capital is increasingly dominated by the interests of the global super rich, this is a timely reminder that many of the rights we now take for granted were won by ordinary working-class people. I for one will be dusting down my walking shoes and taking to the streets to find out more.andquot;
Synopsis
The global city of revolutionaries and radicals in exile,in a new history-from-below.
Synopsis
Hub of empire, world port and seat of government, London has a political history that is nevertheless entwined with the lives of its people, a multitude often dismissed throughout the centuries as a mob. This gripping new counter-history reveals how London's poor and its immigrant population have shaped its history and identity over the ages: from apprentices closing the city gates on Charles I in the 1640s to modern fights against fascism and racism in Cable Street and Notting Hill. A People's History of London takes us into an unofficial, half-hidden and often undocumented world, a city rarely glimpsed: of pamphleteers, agitators, exiles, demonstrations and riots; the city of Wat Tyler, Marx and Engels, Garibaldi and Gandhi; and the countless pubs, theaters, coffee-houses and meeting-places in which radical ideas have been nurtured and revolutions planned.
Synopsis
The forgotten history of London: the world capital of revolution.
Synopsis
In the eyes of Britain’s heritage industry, London is the traditional home of empire, monarchy and power, an urban wonderland for the privileged, where the vast majority of Londoners feature only to applaud in the background.
Yet, for nearly 2000 years, the city has been a breeding ground for radical ideas, home to thinkers, heretics and rebels from John Wycliffe to Karl Marx. It has been the site of sometimes violent clashes that changed the course of history: the Levellers’ doomed struggle for liberty in the aftermath of the Civil War; the silk weavers, match girls and dockers who crusaded for workers’ rights; and the Battle of Cable Street, where East Enders took on Oswald Mosley’s Black Shirts.
A People’s History of London journeys to a city of pamphleteers, agitators, exiles and revolutionaries, where millions of people have struggled in obscurity to secure a better future.
About the Author
Lindsey German is a socialist writer and activist who has lived in London all her life. She is convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, stood as candidate for Mayor of London and has written books on women’s liberation, class, and war.
John Rees is a writer, broadcaster and activist. His books include The Algebra of Revolution and Imperialism and Resistance. He is the writer and presenter of the Timeline TV series, a member of the editorial board of the online magazine Counterfire, and co-founder of the Stop the War Coalition.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1. Rebellious City: London from the 1830s to the 1930s
2. Trailblazers for Democracy
3. Rising from the East
4. Coming in from the Cold: Immigrant Agitators and Radicals in the East End
5. No Gods No Masters: Radical Bloomsbury
6. Stirrings from the South: the Battersea 4
7. Speaking Truth to Power in Suffragette City
8. Not Afraid of the Prison Walls: Rebel Women and Men of Poplar
9. Peopleand#8217;s Power in Bermondsey
10. No Pasaran!
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index