First published in 1969, this classic account of the emergence of the British Communist Party has stood the test of time. Today, it remains indispensable reading for anyone interested in socialist history in Britain.

Walter Kendall has been widely praised for his rich contextualisation of the events and forensic examination of both the national and international factors influencing the nativity of the British Communist Party. His book imaginatively recuperates and critically evaluates the politics of the party’s predecessors, notably the British Socialist Party and the Socialist Labour Party, the radical upsurge of 1910–14, the wartime shop-steward’s movement, the resonance of the Russian Revolution, and the role of the Comintern in shaping British Communism. Vivid portraits of the human actors — H M Hyndman, John Maclean, Arthur MacManus and Theodore Rothstein — illuminate the text. John McIlroy has provided a detailed Introduction to this republication.