Description
ABOUT THE BOOK
John Maclean was a Scottish school teacher, and revolutionary who helped to plant the seeds of Marxism in Scotland. This book is the story not just of the man, but of everything that was happening around him: from the rent strikes on the Clyde; to the Hands off Russia protests about Allied intervention against the Bolsheviks; to the twists and turns in the formation of the Communist Party of Great Britain and to the rekindling of the movement for Scottish independence.
ENDORSEMENT
Excellently written, and unafraid to confront the issues of his contested political legacy, this is the most thorough account of Maclean’s life and work I have read.
—Ian R Mitchell, historian and author of Walking through Glasgow’s industrial past.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Donald Robertson was born in Kinlochleven. He co-founded the Australian music and arts magazine Roadrunner, was the first editor of Countdown magazine, and is the author of books about rock music. He lives in Sydney and blogs at roadrunnertwice.com.au.
CONTENTS
I: THE RED CLYDE
1 Making socialists; 2 Second city of the Empire; 3 Lord Kitchener wants you ;4 Munitions of war; 5 ‘We are not paying increased rent’; 6 ‘A scandalous act of tyranny and a gross injustice’; 7 Fighting the Prussians of Partick; 8 ‘A person who holds advanced political views’; 9 A question of school discipline; 10 A great victory for the rent strikers; 11 Peter Petroff; 12 Conscription; 13 Lloyd George comes to Glasgow; 14 Suppression of Forward and the Vanguard; 15 Defence of the Realm; 16 The Scottish Labour College; 17 Dilution on the Clyde.
II POLITICAL PRISONER
18 German gold, and German alarm clocks; 19 The Worker trial; 20 Peterhead; 21 European superstar; 22 I shall be released; 23 A quiet life; 24 Give peace a chance; 25 Arthur Henderson goes to Russia; 26 Stockholm; 27 Russia turns red; 28 Consolidating Bolshevik power; 29 The release of Chicherin and Petroff; 30 The return of the shop stewards’ movement; 31 Brest-Litovsk: the armistice; 32 Man power; 33 Soviet consul; 34 Brest-Litovsk: the treaty; 35 Accuser of capitalism; 36 Peterhead again.
III THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG
37 Thanksgiving; 38 The khaki election; 39 Back to the miners; 40 The 40-hour strike; 41 The battle of George Square; 42 The miners mobilise; 43 Hands off Russia; 44 The Coal Commission; 45 The Third International; 46 Soviets in Britain? 47 Nationalisation; 48 The moment passes; 49 Britain’s war against Russia; 50 Break-ups.
IV THE FIRE WITHIN
51 Alba and Erin; 52 The Comintern lays down the law; 53 The communism of the clans; 54 Poland; 55 A Scottish Communist Party; 56 The unemployed; 57 Decontrol; 58 Black Friday; 59 A state of emergency; 60 More porridge; 61 The Tramp Trust dissolves; 62 The Clydesiders triumphant; 63 Oot and aboot; 64 The Clydesiders in London; 65 Uproar in the House; 66 Reconciliation; 67 The final countdown; 68 Tributes; 69 Aftermath.
Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Bibliography; Endnotes; Index.