If things continue as they have this month, the website and blog will surpass the 50,000-hit mark for the second time in the website’s history. Two things account for this. Firstly, there has been an increase in the number of articles. This has been achieved with the aid of the World Socialist Website’s new chatbot, Socialism AI. It not only provides a guide to writing but also serves as a valuable archive resource. Secondly, the US war and genocide against Iran has once again sparked a significant interest in a Marxist analysis.
Three new pages have been added to the website this week. Perhaps the most significant has been the WRP Page. The first article was on Gerry Healy’s books and archive, an ongoing investigation, and more will be written about it.[1] I purchased two books from the SWP belonging to Healy.
These will either be put in my personal archive, currently under construction at Bishopsgate Institute, or, if more books appear, donated to a suitable home for research purposes.
Work on the Raphael Samuel book has stalled a little, with only two draft chapters completed. This week, I will start writing a third as the research for it has mostly been done. The other project is a rewrite of my 2003 Oliver Cromwell dissertation.
Another project will be to research the historian Tim Mason. His archive currently resides at the Bishopsgate Institute. I want to say that I have followed his work, but his importance was brought to my attention by the Marxist David North. When North recommends or mentions a historian, it is well worth looking at their work. In the next few weeks, I will be attending several meetings and events.
Meetings and Events
Charity After Empire: British Humanitarianism, Decolonisation and Development
When: 24 March 2026, 18:00 — 20:00 Birkbeck
Football Writing Festival: Arsenal Special Saturday 28 March 2026 11:30
British Library
A. L. Morton, British Communism, and the New Left By
Raphael Samuel History Centre, Birkbeck, University of London
Thursday, Apr 9, 2026, from 4:30 pm to 6 pm
Remembering the General Strike, 100 years on
29 April 2026
A hybrid event bringing together historians and researchers to reflect on the significance of the 1926 General Strike and its impact on British political and labour history. Panellists: Jonathan Schneer, Jon Cruddas, Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, Paul Nowak. James Moher will chair.
Location: Hybrid event – Online and Room 349, Third Floor, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. More information
Remembering the General Strike of 1926
21 May 2026 | 4 pm – 6 pm
Visit the archives related to the General Strike 1926 in the LSE Library collection and hear from the former Librarian of the Trades Union Congress, Chris Coates.
Chris will discuss the factors leading up to the Strike, its effectiveness, and its impact on working people.
Location: LSE Library, London WC2A 2HD
The Legend of Rasputin, London Library- Anthony Beevor, 30 April 2026, 18:00 – 20:00
Books
Sisters in Yellow Novel by Mieko Kawakami
89 Amy Lawrence
Tarantula Edurdo Halfon
Repetition Vigdis Hjorth
Borderless Jennifer De Leon
The Blood Never Dried John Newsinger
JFK John Hughes-Wilson
Where is Britain Going, Leon Trotsky
Social Policy in the Third Reich: Tim Mason
[1] keith-perspective.blogspot.com/2026/03/on-gerry-healys-books.html
A Trumpet of Sedition 