Name: Enemy within: The rise and fall of the British Communist Party
SKU: bhb25
Price: 350.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock

Enemy within: The rise and fall of the British Communist Party

Secondhand

1 available

R350.00

Want to pay less?

Shipping

R35.00 Standard shipping using one of our trusted couriers applies to most areas in South Africa. Some areas may attract a R30.00 surcharge. This will be calculated at checkout if applicable.
Check my rate

The seller allows collection for this item. Buyers will receive the collection address and time once the order is ready.

The seller has indicated that they will usually have this item ready to ship within 2 business days. Shipping time depends on your delivery address. The most accurate delivery time will be calculated at checkout, but in general, the following shipping times apply:

Standard Delivery

Main centres:	1-3 business days
Regional areas:	3-4 business days
Remote areas:	3-5 business days

Seller

Heritage Trades1124

98.82 % Positive ratings

Buyer protection

How you're covered

Get it now, pay later

Condition

Secondhand

Location

South Africa

Product code

bhb25

Bob Shop ID

649943357

Published by John Murray Publishers Ltd, 1995, hardcover, illustrated, index, 246 pages, closed tear to dustjacket. otherwise condition : very good

The story of the British Communist Party from 1920 onwards. The text covers talk of armed insurrection in the 1920s; Mosley's Fascists in the 1930s and the Spanish Civil War; Stalin; Britain's war effort; the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia; and collapse after 1991.

A good, comprehendible history of the old CPGB. The perspective is critical, but not politically prejudiced and the book is by no means a hatchet job. Beckett's overall thesis is that British Communists were largely dedicated, principled, and effective people that were consistently hobbled by the absurd positions forced on them by the needs of the international movement, and the Soviet Union in particular. Despite this view, which is unlikely to please orthodox communists that much, Enemy Within casts the CPGB in a relatively heroic light, lingering on its finer moments and not over-egging its less glorious ones.
Beckett doesn't bother with minutia, but describes in broad stokes the big issues and debates which preoccupied his subjects in their time. For a lay reader looking for a humane, well structured, and concise history of the CPGB, I would recommend this book highly. It will also be a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in British labour movement more generally. The CP consistently punched above its weight in British labour politics (in sharp contrast to the futility of the various Trotskyist sects) and Enemy Within gives a useful insight to how and why this was.

The author, Francis Beckett, is an author, journalist, broadcaster, playwright, and contemporary historian. A regular contributor to the "Guardian "and "New Statesman", he has written many books, including a previous biography of Clement Attlee.

Report a problem

Enemy within: The rise and fall of the British Communist Party

Product details

Recently viewed

Similar products

Enemy within: The rise and fall of the British Communist Party

Product details

0.0 out of 5

Recently viewed

Similar products