Bell

Tom

The British CP - A Short History

L&W

1937

This famous first attempt at a history of the Party was quickly criticised and withdrawn.

Attfield

John

1939 - The CP and the War

L&W

1984

The proceedings of a conference; includes contributions from participants, some of whom were key figures at the time.

Kisch

Richard

The Days of the Good Soldiers - Communists in the Armed Forces in WW2

Journeyman Press

1985

Based on many interviews, as official records minimised the importance of political activity in the armed forces; covers the Cairo Parliament, Heliopolis House of Commons and other activities incl. various  mutinies.

Pollitt

H

Selected Articles & Speeches - 2 vols

L&W

1953

4 vols were planned but only 2 appeared - probably because of the difficulty of facing up to the policy changes over the nature of WW2.

Fyrth

Jim

The Signal Was Spain - The Aid Spain Movement in Britain 1936-39

L&W

1986

 

Cornforth

Maurice

Rebels and their Causes

L&W

1978

Contains: "The Historians Group of the C.P." by Hobsbawm and "A L Morton - Portrait of a Marxist Historian" by Cornforth

Bridges

George

The CP & the Struggle for Hegemony

in "Socialist Register"; Merlin

1977

 

Bridges

George

Silver Linings: Some Strategies for the 80's - Papers from CUL 1980

L&W

1981

Contains: "Rocky Road Blues: The C.P. & The Broad Democratic Alliance" by Dave Cook and "Popular Politics & Marxist Theory In Britain: The History Men" by Schwarz & Mercer.

Thompson

Willie

The Good Old Cause - British Communism 1920 - 91

Pluto

1992

The first history of the Party published after its demise ;this is a critical analysis by a historian who was a long standing member.

"Stammers

John"

British Workers in Action, 1800-1945

Bombay

1945

"A British Communist answers the commonly repeated charge - "every Briton is an imperialist" ".

Skelley

Jeff

1926 The General Strike

L&W

1976

Mainly local studies & reminiscences; most contributors in CP. Personal reminiscences incl. P Kerrigan, Bob Davies, Bill Carr, D A Wilson, J Jacobs, H Watson. Sadly, no index.

Rothstein

Andrew

British Communists & the Comintern, 1919-1929

in "Communist Review" (CPB) No.10, Spring

1991

NB says Summer on cover, Spring inside.

Nawrat

Chris

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining? - The CP, the LP & Representational Politics

in "Politics and Power 2", R.K.P.

1980

 

Taylor

Graham

The Marxist Inertia & the Labour Movement

in "Politics and Power 1", R.K.P.

1980

 

Frow

Ruth & Eddie

The CP in Manchester, 1920 - 1926

NW

1979

Includes short biographies of 126 members.

Berry

Joe

Daily Worker Ban

in "Communist Campaign Review" Autumn

1987

 

Rosser

Mary

Daily Worker/Morning Star - The Role of a Revolutionary Paper

in "Communist Campaign Review" Winter

1987

 

Lewis

John et al

The Communist Answer to the Challenge of Our Time

Thames Publications

1947

 

Moore

Bill

All Out - The Story Of the Sheffield Demonstration Against Dole Cuts, Feb 6 1935

Sheffield City Libraries

1983

 

Jackson

T A

The Communists - The Twelve of 1925

in "Trials of British Freedom", L&W

1940

 

Shipley

Peter

Revolutionaries in Modern Britain

Bodley Head

1976

 

Kendall

Walter

The Revolutionary Movement in Britain 1900-21:The Origins of British Communism

Weidenfeld

1969

Important study that concludes the formation of the CP was an error, an artificial imposition on the British labour movement. This is a key debate in the historiography of the CPGB. Forcibly countered by Hinton in  SSLH No.19.

Macfarlane

Leslie

The British CP - Its Origin & Development Until 1929

MacGibbon & Kee

1966

Important study that counters the emphasis of Kendall's controversial "Revolutionary Movement in Britain".

Newton

Kenneth

The Sociology of British Communism

Allen Lane

1969

One of the major texts till the recent period; made use of questionnaires and interviews but no original conclusions.

Pelling

Henry

The British CP

Black

1975

This re-issue of 1958 ed. has new short intro. The first history of the CP: readable,well researched but unremittingly negative esp. on "infiltration" of T.U.s etc.

Wood

Neil

Communism and British Intellectuals

Gollancz

1959

Very critical of left-wing intellectuals for getting involved in the CPGB.

Callaghan

John

The Far Left in British Politics

Blackwell

1987

 

Callaghan

John

Socialism in Britain

Blackwell

1990

 

Pimlott

Ben

Labour and the Left in the 1930's

A&U

1977

Very useful analysis of all left-wing organisations in the 1930s, incl. the CP.

Werskey

Gary

The Visible College - A Collective Biography of British Scientists and Socialists of the 1930's

Allen Lane

1978

Explores in detail the relationship between the scientific and political ideas of the famous group of left wing scientists of the 1930s and 40s.

Martin

Roderick

Communism and the British Trade Unions, 1924-33: A Study of the National Minority Movement

O.U.P.

1969

Important document; subtlely argued.

 

 

Suppression Of "The Daily Worker" & "The Week"

in "Parliamentary Debates" Jan 28, HMSO

1941

 

Northedge

F S

Britain And Soviet Communism

Macmillan

1982

 

McInnes

Neil

The Communist Parties of Western Europe

O.U.P.

1975

 

Durham

Martin

The Early Years of the CP in Birmingham, 1920-24

in  A Wright (ed.) "Worlds of Labour: Essays in Birmingham Labour History", Univ. of Birmingham

1983

 

Morgan

Kevin

Against Fascism and War - Ruptures and Continuities in British Communist Politics, 1935-42

M.U.P.

1989

Described by one academic as "arguably the finest CPGB history".

Buchanan

Tom

The Spanish Civil War and the British Labour Movement

C.U.P.

1991

 

Carr

E H

Mr Gallacher and the CPGB

in "Studies in Revolution", F Cass

1962

 

Chester

L et al

The Zinoviev Letter

Heinemann

1967

 

Challinor

Ray

The Origins of British Bolshevism

Croom Helm

1977

Important, controversial book; sees the SLP as more revolutionary than the CP.

Rolph

C

All Those in Favour - The ETU Trial

Deutsch

1962

 

Croucher

Richard

We Refuse to Starve in Silence - A History of the NUWM 1920-46

L&W

1987

 

Jenkins

Mark

Bevanism - Labour's High Tide

Spokesman

1979

 

White

Stephen

Britain and the Bolshevik Revolution

Holmes & Meier

1979