Book Review: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Robert Burns 1759-1786

A Celebration of the Life and Work of Robert Burns 1759-1786 An Independent Revolutionary Radical By James D. Young; Printed and published by Clydeside Press; £3.95 What does Robert Burns mean to me? Edinburgh People’s Festival Published by WP Books; £3.00 It is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and we have…

It was the worst of times, it was the best of us!

In this article Rod MacGregor looks at how the Danish people took effective action to protect their Jewish population from Nazi extermination October 1, 10 p.m., 1943 Copenhagen. Nazi occupation forces knock on the doors of the Danish Jewish population. In Denmark, the “final solution” to the “Jewish problem” is under way. The following morning,…

Edinburgh People’s Festival: Inspirational and Educational

Colin Fox speaks to Allan Armstrong about the vision and mission of the Edinburgh People’s Festival What made you revive the Edinburgh Peoples Festival after almost 50 years? We didn’t start off with the intention of reviving the Edinburgh Peoples Festival (EPF). At Hamish Henderson’s funeral in 2002, a group of us, including Bill Scott,…

From Davitt to Connolly – Internationalism From Below

The challenge to the UK state and British Empire from 1879-95 Contents of forthcoming book Introduction The growing conflict between liberal and conservative unionism in the period of New Imperialism Michael Davitt and the launching of the Irish Revolution in 1879 Davitt adopts an ‘internationalism from below’ strategy to spread the revolution The struggle against…

A few thoughts on literary matters

by John Manson John Manson is a Sutherland-born, Dumfriesshire-based poet, reviewer and translator. He has published a number of poetry collections including East Sutherland and Other Poems. He has also translated Victor Serges, Carnets (1944), available at Victorserge After reading Allan Armstrong’s Beyond Broadswords and Bayonets (E&L 5/6) he wrote making the following helpful comments.…

Caught Between the Covenant and the Clans

A Reply to Allan Armstrong The full, illustrated pamphlet is available from the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement Allan Armstrong is to be commended for his excellent contribution to Scottish radical/revolutionary history, Between Broadsword and Bayonets, Emancipation & Liberation, Issue 5/6. In this piece Allan seeks to expose the left nationalist and left unionist traditions within…

‘Unionism’, Progress and the Socialist Tradition in Scottish History

Neil Davidson, author of Discovering the Scottish Revolution, replies to some of the discussion and debate his book has provoked. I have been invited by the editors of Emancipation And Liberation to participate in the discussion about Discovering The Scottish Revolution here and in the pages of Scottish Socialist Voice and Frontline[1]Joe Hartney, Scots Far…

Beyond Broadswords and Bayonets

Challenging left nationalism and left unionism in the SSP 1. Socialist Approaches to History in Scotland i) Book publication produces political storm ii) Scottish marxists and Scottish history – the long silence iii) The Scottish Left begins to rouse from its unionist sleep iv) The symbiotic relationship between British left unionism and Scottish left nationalism…