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Colin Barker

In Brief

(October 1973)


From International Socialism (1st series), No. 63, Mid-October 1973, p. 32.
Transcribed by Christian Høgsbjerg.
Marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).


A COUPLE of lines slipped out of the last paragraph of this column in our last issue at the proof stage. It should have read: ‘Recent paperbacks readers might have missed include Ralph Milliband’s The State in Capitalist Society (Quartet, 60p), and Ernie Robert’s Workers Control – about which we were a little rude ...’ Apologies to all concerned.

A nice idea for Christmas presents from Pluto Press, whose Big Red Diary (75p) should now be in the best shops. Sunday 24 February, even in trade union diaries, is usually noted as ‘Sexagesima’ (whatever perversion that may be), but in the Red Diary it’s properly recorded as the day the Tolpuddle Martyrs were arrested. With illustrations, and useful information instead of the normal weights and measures tables, it should do well.

Pluto Press have also published Pat Kinnersly’s The Hazards of Work and how to fight them. If this book is not a best-seller among trade unionists, I’ll eat many proverbial hats. Trade unionists should note that the bookshop price of 80p need not be paid: there are considerable reductions available for bulk-buyers. A friendly word with your local IS organisation can save your stewards’ committee 40 per cent of the price. Certainly, this book is a MUST.

Some new Socialist Worker pamphlets are available, and can be ordered from IS Books: Paul Foot’s Workers Against Racism (10p), Roger Rosewell’s The Struggle for Workers’ Power (10p), and an urgent and hard-hitting pamphlet on the current trial of the 24 North Wales building workers, Pickets on Trial (5p). All these pamphlets are real weapons of struggle: to be bought, and sold, and used.

Finally, an item that should have been mentioned in June: International Defence and Aid Fund (104 Newgate Street, London EC1) have published a brief but very useful pamphlet on Namibia, South Africa’s colony in South West Africa. While its politics are liberal nationalist, it is a very informative account of ‘South West Africa, that immense prison’. Randolph Vigne is the author, the title is A dwelling place of our own, and the price is 15p (please add postage).


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