United Kingdom Books

It is now fashionable among a set within academia to see racism primarily as a problem of identity and culture - and its removal as a strategy of cultural and mere psychological change. Here is a book that argues that the only way to contest racism and its economic and social causation is to struggle consciously against it.

Louis Kushnick's restorative words in Race, Class And Struggle give back the link between these three essential and indivisible concepts, lucidly and unambiguously: In a racist and highly class-stratified society, the struggle of the black community, essentially against the racism that permeates society, is also a struggle against the class system.

These words come from his essay Parameters of British and North American Racism, and crystallise not only Kushnick's uncluttered perspective but also his trajectory on racism from the heart and thinking of two continents.

The author moved from his original New York Jewish family upbringing to that of adopted Mancunian, and his breadth of perception brings studied insight to both American and British race realities.

Kushnick is one of those rare thinkers and teachers who lives, agitates and writes from a truly bi-continental understanding, carrying through his words the insight from all he has experienced.

So much so, he can move from writing, as an insider, of the American civil rights movement to a critical chapter on British anti-discrimination legislation; from racism and anti-racism in Western Europe to the political economy of white racism in America, marshalling his commentaries and strategies with an impressive authority.

This is a profoundly basic book in the truest sense of the adjective. It exposes the ugly historical foundations that continue to bolster the economic and social structures and practice within which we still live.

From his first page, he traces the current plight of the working class throughout the world to black slavery in the Americas on which modern commerce and industry was founded.

From such beginnings was fostered the centrality of racism in the creation and reproduction of hierarchical and unequal class-based societies. For Kushnick, the price of racism was, and still continues to be, human flesh.

His clear and visceral arguments develop over the 27 years of writings from which these essays are culled. Thus he writes not only about the struggle for human rights, but also their erosion and revocation through the cumulative attacks of the American new Right over the past 20 years. He follows this with the sharpest of essays on the racism within the National Health Service.

Kushnick's book does much to re-awaken the debate about the state, and the need to tackle stereotypical racism, in an edifying and rational focus. This is needed urgently. His work with the Institute of Race Relations, and campaigns against racism and fascism, means that he writes from an activist commitment, and we need that too.

All his arguments stem from a belief in the ends of an inclusive and non-racist democracy. We need to keep on telling New Labour that we cherish that objective too. The crushing of racism is integral to our way forward. CHRIS SEARLE.

Review in major academic journal: SAGE RACE RELATIONS ABSTRACTS vol. 23, No. 2 MAY 1998.

We are only now beginning to reckon with the effect which the collapse of the old Eastern Block has had on social thought. Many commentators prefer to address the spread of globalisation - i.e. many countries, one economy, and that the Americans are the pathfinders. Challenging this nostrum is proving to be a thankless task. How does this book relate to these themes? For a start, the author has broken with the received wisdom now current in Britain, that you do not mention Race, Class and Struggle all in one book!

This work is a collection of essays published over a period of twenty years. The importance of this book is that it encourages us to rethink the link between the three in our confrontation with the scourge of racism at the tail end of this century. Kushnick explains, where others frighten. While he provides eloquent testimony to how racism blights societies and communities, he avoids the pessimism of race debates by showing the capacity of communities to transcend racial divide through class alliance. The theory running through this important collection is the hegomonic significance of class relationships in the construction of anti-racism politics. The impact and effects of racism vary from country to country and from continent to continent. It is this variance that makes the task of constructing a comparative study of racism daunting. It is here that Kushnick is at his most masterful. He provides a synthesis of the nature and impact of racism in the US and Western Europe. As a social scientist, he writes with the ease of a person with many skills. His historical account of the origins of racism in the two hemispheres is rigorous - above all he takes the reader through the labyrinth of causes as well as the many struggles that have been waged to counteract the pernicious nature of racism. He notes acutely the attacks on gains that have been made in containing the worst forms of racism and notes the relentless pressure both in the US and Western Europe to retreat from anti-racist measures. He writes that there will always be among the majority population, those who feel indifferent to the plight of those at the sharp end of racial discrimination. However, those who thought colour would offer them a shield against inequities and social injustice, are now forced to confront the real meaning of

globalisation in a one-world economy. This is why the class dimension is essential in the thoughtful way in which Kushnick has developed this refreshing analysis. He makes it clear that the most successful achievements in the anti-racist policies came through collective action across the racial divide. Atomisation of struggles weaken rather than strengthen the holistic approach to the worthy effort to rid society of racial injustice, prejudice and social exclusion. Racism defigures society and getting rid of it does not constitute a favour to the socially excluded. This is why the discussion in this book is also anchored around the way opponents of racial injustice and prejudice combine their energies in achieving social transformation in the field of discrimination. For all of these reasons this will prove to be one of the most important books on race because of the way in which events in the US are mirrored in Western Europe This book should be a primer in any undergraduate and post-graduate programme.

SAGE RACE RELATIONS ABSTRACTS vol. 23, No. 2 MAY 1998.

James Tooley and Andrew Coulson (see below) continue the tradition of E.G. West in asking the big question about education. What's with this idea of government schooling anyway?

In Reclaiming Education Tooley constructs an imaginary focus group to ask an even bigger question. If we started again from scratch how would we think about education and schooling? Well, we certainly wouldn't pack kids off for 12 years of monopoly government schooling.

While we are asking questions, how come that there are plenty of failed government schools but no failed Wal-Marts? Could it be that food markets have a brand to protect and so deploy training, quality control, and research and development to make sure that every store in the chain delivers the same retail food experience?

So why wouldn't the same principle apply to child education? Actually it already does. Out in the developing world there are private companies--NIIT in India, Pitagoras in Brazil, TECSUP in Peru, and Educor in South Africa--delivering low-cost branded education, and they are rapidly expanding. They are ruthless about controlling quality, getting feedback from their students, and exploiting market opportunities.

Read all about it. Then dare to imagine a chain of Edu-Marts in the United States delivering low-coast quality education in the inner city.

Tooley will change the way you think about education.

Most education policy discussions revolve around the merits of this or that reform to our existing public schools, failing to even consider alternative education systems. These discussions are rendered moot by the far more profound analysis presented in Reclaiming Education. With this work, James Tooley addresses a question that few other scholars have had the vision or the expertise to ask: What sort of education system will _best_ serve the public? The cogency of his answer and the soundness of the evidence and arguments on which it is based make Reclaiming Education one of the finest and most important books on education policy ever written...

The lives and deaths of Shelley and Byron ought to interest the world--not just the readers of English--for their poetry covered every topic: the rise and fall of empires, nation-building and nation-breaking, and the vanity of the men who would lead them in victory or defeat. And Edward John Trelawny shows us each poet as a human being. The production of fine writing should not be a mystery; beautiful language comes most eloquently from a troubled heart and a mind committed to seeking knowledge. Trelawny reminds us that Byron's and Shelley's lives were focused on connecting to people through their work; Tre begins each chapter with lines from the work of Byron or Shelley.

The Introduction to this edition of Trelawny's book is written by Anne Barton, a professor at Trinity College, Cambridge University, from which Byron himself graduated about 200 years ago. I disagree with her that Tre's writing is "focused for the most part upon himself" as though he were self-centered, though Barton does say he had "hidden depths" (xx). Based on the form and structure and content of Records of Shelley, Byron, and the Author (and Tre's subsequent life), it seems that Trelawny was aware of the nuances of human character and was more than adequate to the task of knowing complex people. The details he provides in key places are so specific that they could not have been lies or fabrications; Byron's claim that Trelawny could not tell the truth was simply evidence of Byron's pleasure in teasing banter. "Byron's idle talk during the exhumation of [Edward Elliker] William's remains," Trelawny writes, "did not proceed from want of feeling, but from his anxiety to conceal what he felt from others" (146). Byron also concealed his feelings at the cremation of Shelley's remains. It's clear throughout the book that Tre is a sharp observer--of himself and others. And Tre was sensitive to what Mary Godwin Shelley and Williams' wife, Jane, felt about the drowning of their husbands in the Bay of Spezia. Mary Shelley wrote to Tre that she experienced a "blank moral death" (176). Tre shows that the breakup of the Pisan Circle--because of Shelley's drowning--was clearly a personal tragedy with far-reaching consequences.

This is a book for all seasons--but better appreciated while strolling on a beach in some far-flung corner of a poetic universe.

If you're interested in the life of Edward John Trelawny, you'll have to look elsewhere. Suffice it to say that Tre' (as his friends knew him) was a privateer, a scoundrel, a lover of poetry, a freedom-fighter and a loyal friend of the most prolific literary talents of the romantic period. "Records of Shelley, Byron and the Author" is an account, not of Trelawny's extraordinary life & adventures, but of the two men that helped make that life so extraordinary. In his own words, he tells of the secret lives of Byron and the Shelley's, their romp through sunny Italy and the tragic death of Percy in the coast of Spezzia. The tale continues as Tre' follows Byron to the bloody civil war in Greece, where Byron too dies. To his credit, though, it is never "Trelawny's tale", but "Byron and Shelley's tale" as told by Trelawny. This deep, insightful book shows the poets as only a close friend could. Yet throughout, one can not help but love Trelawny himself: the man who supported the impoverished Mary Shelley to her dying day... the man who bought a slave for $10,000 only to set him free... the man who reached into the embers of Shelley's pyre, withdrawing his heart. If you love the poetry of Byron and Shelley & have even a passing interest in the men behind the legends, then Trelawny's memoirs are a must-read.

Wow, who knew the electoral process could be so interesting! This book should be required reading for anyone interested in British no Western European politics. For without this type of review we cannot plan for the future. Kudos Dr. Field.

The author has obviously well-crafted this book out of his extensive knowledge of the field. Perhaps best of all is the manner of the books presentation and flow . . . it is almost as if one were sitting in a comfy chair by the fire with the author, brandy in hand, discussing politics. An excellent read.

Want a stand-alone textbook on regulatory economics for both technicians and non? Keep "Regulatory Reform" always with you, especially for a quick review of key regulatory topics. Ideal for undergraduate students.

Cheers ...

Gio

An extremely well-written introduction into monopoly regulation both in theory and in practice. Armstrong et al. explain the relevant concepts without making use of mathematical models.

Ron Ramdin is the leading historian in the history of Black and Asian British. He left Trinidad and came to England in the 1960s. Since then he has devoted his life to study in the British Musuem and British Library. Several of his books are now used as course texts in universities. Reimaging Britain is the pinnacle of his achievement. It evaluates where Black and Asian Britons have come from - and points the way ahead.

Ron Ramdin is the leading historian in the history of Black and Asian British. He left Trinidad and came to England in the 1960s. Since then he has devoted his life to study in the British Musuem and British Library. Several of his books are now used as course texts in universities. Reimaging Britain is the pinnacle of his achievement. It evaluates where Black and Asian Britons have come from - and points the way ahead.

A fine resource on the savage and versatile warriors that fought a ferocious, three-hundred year war on the Anglo-Scottish borders. Here the traditional Celtic way of war, cattle raids, terrorism, and daring chases and escapes, were still practiced until the 18th Century. This was no war for the freedom of Scotland, however. To put it bluntly (and a bit cynically) this is the story of a bunch of gangster-type families, variously of Highlander, Lowlander, or English origin, who were engaged in a never-ending cycle of murder, rape, theft, and blackmail.

For all their savagery, the Border Reivers have to be admired for their skill and hardiness. The Reiver was simply a professional armed thief, trained in the use of spear, sword, and pistol, and a very accomplished rider. He might be a knight, peasant, or escaped convict, just as he may be of Gaelic or English heritage. In the 17th Century these men were considered the finest light cavalry in the world, and the stories of their bloody battles, daring raids, and heroic rescues of their comrades have become the stuff of legend.

As is always the case, Mr. McBride's artwork alone would make this book worth every cent. The facial expressions of many of his subjects stand out in particular in this title; note the powerful expressions of wild glee and savage hate in Plate 'B', depicting the hard-fought Battle of Flodden in 1513.

Also of special note in the text and plates alike are some of the best depictions of pre-18th Century Scottish Highlanders I have found. These men, of course, did not fit in well with the Scottish stereotype, wearing English-style tights and helmets in place of the kilts and tartan plaids and jackets. In other ways, they are shown matching the 'Braveheart' stereotype rather well with a rugged appearance, long hair, and a huge claymore.

Another warrior of note that is well-depicted in this book is the Irish kern, the servant and fellow-warrior of the noble gallowglasses. The kerns, with their bizarre hairdos and vicious-looking halberds, were a source of fear and revulsion amongst the contemporary Englishmen.

Overall, this book is a great introduction to the wars and feuds on the Anglo-Scottish borders from the late 13th Century to the mid 17th Century. It is well-written and richly endowed with colorful and accurate artwork, and is a must for an enthusiast of late medieval Scottish or English warfare.

I convene a Scottish Clan Tent at various Highland Games, and this is always prominantly displayed on my table.
It gives a quick, but thorough history on the Scottish Border Reivers for those of use who don't have time to read the Steel Bonnets. The illustrations alone are worth the price of the book.

The author takes us on a delightful trip through the consumer age with its roots in the Victorian era, when mass production first began. Since then, fashionable clothes, cosmetics, books, music and other good things have become available to the general public. The higher standard of living also went hand in hand with increased literacy and greater freedom for women.

This engaging book explores the 20th century decade by decade, looking at aspects of daily life like food, shopping, fashion, entertainment, travel, toys and games through the packaging material, advertising and products themselves. Important events like the World Wars, the coronations, the first man on the moon and the impact of radio and TV are also covered.

Opie's wonderful collection of original items includes comic books, records, newspapers, posters, magazines and various types of souvenir. These objects and images relive history as people remember it, bringing to life again the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of the 20th century.

The book contains an introduction under the headings The Robert Opie Collection, Understanding Our Past, Memories and Our Consumer Society. This is followed by separate chapters on The Victorians and The Edwardians. From there, the chapters follow the decades from The 1910's to The 1990's. The book concludes with an index.

Remember When will appeal to all readers with a fondness for the past, from historians to graphic designers, music, movie and art lovers to those just into nostalgia for the sake of it.

I first set eyes on this gem of a book at my neighbours beach house whilst we were relaxing with a glass of red, and was entranced from the moment I picked it up. I am an avid collector of memorabilia and found this book to be excellent. I can identify with many of the items that were shown as being popular throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's. I regret that so much of what I had has long ago perished in rubbish dumps, and some of the items are so rare and collectable now. I found thememorablia from the 60's and earlier the most exciting, and loved reading about and looking at items that I hunt for in antique shops and markets! This nostalgic book is very hard, if not impossible, to put down once you start flicking through the pages, and is an absolutely essential purchase for anyone that has an interest in or is a collector of memorabilia. I cannot wait to order my copy!

Well I admit I found Pope very hard when i first had to read some of his verses on my course! And he seemed so hard and cruel and judgmental, not someone you would like as a friend. But this book has opened my eyes and now i can love him like the rest of humanity. This is a very understanding book and helps with the poems very strongly and well.

This book is a learned, compassionate and fascinating study
of how Pope's sense of embodiment makes its way into his
writing and his philosophy of civic "enlightenment." Part of
the 'new wave' of sharp 18th century scholars who appeared
on the scene over the last fifteen years, Deutsch, among others,
has helped to turn the field into a growing intellectual concern.
This book is foundational to anyone working on Augustan literature
and the "age of reason."

This is one of those books that didn't get much review coverage when it came out but has come to be recognized since as the classic on its subject. That subject is how the English novel got thrown into creative ferment by the French Revolution and how that ferment produced the novel as we still know it. It's one of the only books about the late eighteenth century novel that isn't drearily plodding and worthy -- the prose is a joy, full of quirky flair and fizz that will remind you why you ever found fiction sexy. Rousseau, Austen, Scott, Hazlitt, Hogg, Hays, Wollstonecraft, Byron -- this is one of the mosty distinctive and persuasive books available about any of them. The section on Hazlitt's confessional Liber Amoris is the only good thing I know on the subject & puts Tom Paulin's embarrassed dismissal in his big biography to shame. This is a cult work of intellectual history, and deserves to be.

A welcomed and surprising analysis, placed in historical context and revealing meanings and subtexts that had never previously occurred to this reader in a lifetime of reading the classics. Absolutely grand.