Steve Bell reviews a defence of US use of sanctions and other economic measures against states that ignores the dire consequences for civilians
Book review
54 posts
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Suez crisis. This book is a timely reminder of the background this desperate attempt to maintain imperialist domination of the Middle East.
Settler colonialism in Kenya through the words of Norman Leys, whose ideas were widely adopted by and integrated into the works of W.E.B du Bois and C.L.R. James
Bob Newland reviews a book on a little known CIA financed coup that toppled the Communist government of the Indian State of Kerala in 1959
Steve Bell reviews a book on how Algeria's nationalist forces worked with the labour movement in Britain and France in which our predecessor MCF played a notable role.
On France’s role in Africa in the late 20th and early 21st along with the background to the new wave of anti-French and anti-colonial feeling, this is a must read, writes Bob Newland
A book that invites us to retire the stale debate between “developmental state good” and “neoliberal state bad” writes Tom Kenny
On British support for communist-led resistance movements to Japanese occupation and how the seeds of the post-WW2 war ‘Emergency’ were sown. Book review by Bob Newland
Peter Hain's latest novel, set in the final years of South African apartheid, has lessons for activists involved in today’s struggles
A substantial chapter on the Movement for Colonial Freedom makes interesting reading for Liberation members and supporters, writes Guillermo Thomas
Bob Newland reviews the memoirs of H.E. ‘comrade’ Kingsley Mamabolo, recently appointed South African Ambassador to the UK
Young shows that the US model of democracy has failed and says that there is a pressing need for models that better address the needs of the people of the Global South, writes John Green
A lucid, urgent and thoroughly researched reckoning with the forgotten history of the American labour movement’s complicity in US Cold War imperialism, writes Tom Kenny
This book deals with a vitally important political and sociological subject which has not been covered in much depth by previous researchers, writes John Green
Although not explicit, the author's defence of empire underlays the narrative of this diplomatic history of relations between the two powers, writes Steve Bell
With contemporaneous dispatches from 2011 through to 2023, Charles Glass brings his vast knowledge of the Middle East and Syria to this volume, writes Steve Bishop
This book takes a refreshing look at relations between southern Africa and North Korea, freed from the blinkers of Cold War preconceptions, writes, writes John Green.
History of the revolution as it happened, seen through the lens of a perceptive, compassionate but also committed journalist of impeccable integrity, writes John Green.
An extremely valuable contribution to colonial and post-colonial research and to the history of African liberation struggles, writes John Green
A biography that brings to our attention a monumental figure in the fight to reclaim Africa, its wealth and its history for its people, writes Bob Newland
Kevin Ochieng Okoth argues for a reassessment of the aspirations symbolised by the Third World movement unleashed at the Bandung Conference, writes John Green
Kerry Brown traces centuries of dominance, decline, and diplomatic missteps, revealing how nostalgia and misplaced grandeur shape UK policy towards China. Review by Tom Kenny
This book belongs on every militant’s shelf. Although excellent on Palestine, Yemen, East Africa, India, Latin America and Hawaii it does lack any coherent analysis of the Ukranian war. however
Investigates a crime which robbed the people of South Africa and the world of a brilliant and principled leader and shares many little-known details of this final phase of the struggle against apartheid.
Maya Wind’s detailed and incisive study charts the role of Israeli universities in systematically denying Palestinian freedom, writes Steve Bishop
A valuable read for those with general interest in the subject or for students and study groups as well, writes Bob Newland
Prof Jean-Pierre Filiu has provided a history of Gaza, its place in the struggle for Palestinian independence and the establishment of a Palestinian state, which is unlikely to be rivalled, argues Steve Bishop
Flawed on how US and European empires developed, this work nevertheless offers a fascinating insight into imperial thinking across the world in the 19th century.
Not an inevitable outcome of ancient ethnic hatreds, but a consequence of colonialism, imperialism, and neoliberalism, writes Thomas Kenny
NATO is a front to justify US military intervention, two US activists effectively evidence in this excellent primer on the 75 year old military alliance, writes Steve Bishop
Compelling insight into the debate around restitution, illuminating the collective trauma and loss of cultural heritage that colonial theft engendered. By Steve Bishop
Challenges effectively any opponents of reparations and provides extensive material for those who wish to support them. Book review by Bob Newland
An important insight into the way in which the US state has sought to influence the cultural agenda, shape the political landscape and sanitise the way the world views the US, argues Steve Bishop
Hain highlights the fragile qualities of South African democracy and the many ongoing threats to it against a backdrop of former colonial powers and those wishing to gain new power and influence competing at the expense of the people of South Africa and those of Africa as a whole.