Synopses & Reviews
From William Morris to Oscar Wilde and George Orwell, left-libertarian thought has long been an important but neglected part of British cultural and political history. In this detailed study, David Goodway seeks to recover and revitalize that indigenous anarchist tradition. This book succeeds as both a cultural history of left-libertarian thought in Britain and an application of that history to current politics. The author argues that a recovered anarchist tradition could—and should—be a touchstone for contemporary political radicals. Moving seamlessly from Aldous Huxley and Colin Ward to the war in Iraq, this challenging volume will energize leftist movements throughout the world.
Review
"Anarchist Seeds beneath the Snow is an impressive achievement for its rigorous scholarship across a wide range of sources, for collating this diverse material in a cogent and systematic narrative-cum-argument, and for elucidating it with clarity and flair
It is a book that needed to be written and now deserves to be read." The Journal of William Morris Studies
Review
"Goodway outlines with admirable clarity the many variations in anarchist thought. By extending outwards to left libertarians he takes on even greater diversity." Sheila Rowbotham, Red Pepper
Review
"The history of the British anarchist movement has been little studied or appreciated outside of the movement itself. David Goodway's book, Anarchist Seeds beneath the Snow, should go a long way towards rectifying this blind spot in established labour and political history. His broad ranging erudition combined with a penetrating understanding of the subject matter has produced a fascinating, highly readable history. Its epic sweep explores anarchist ideas in the work of eleven of Britain's native-born writers stretching from William Morris in the 1880s down to Colin Ward at the start of the twenty-first century. Along the way he provides a valuable cultural history of anarchist thought in Britain and places the actions and ideas of these writers in their historical and political context. And what a gathering of writers he has woven into his text!" Joey Cain, edwardcarpenterforum.org
Review
"A splendid survey of 'left-libertarian thought' in this country, it has given me hours of delight and interest. Though it is very learned, it isnt dry. Goodways friends in the awkward squad (especially William Blake) are both stimulating and comforting companions in todays political climate." A. N. Wilson, Daily Telegraph
Review
"This is an important study - the first that drills deeply into Britain's idiosyncratic progression from hard-to-categorize 19th century socialist reformers like William Morris to major anarchist figures like Colin Ward and Stuart Christie." —www.hnn.us
About the Author
David Goodway is a British social and cultural historian who has written principally on anarchism and libertarian socialism for 20 years. He is the editor of For Workers Powers and various other collections.