Resistance & Rebellion
Last updated: September 14, 2024
All power, however apparently absolute, is limited and all allegiance, however seemingly blind is, ultimately, conditional. Here we look at books covering the theory, practice and historical experience of resistance and rebellion.
On the more theoretical side we have interviews on political engagement for teens, holding power to account, dissent, civil resistance, the roots of radicalism, protest songs, policing public disorder, anarchism and, related to that, the leaderless revolution, in which former UK diplomat Carne Ross discusses his work for the Occupy movement.
Turning to the experience of resistance and rebellion in specific countries, we have particularly rich material on China, with interviews on the Cultural Revolution, 100 years of modern China, the events of June 4 1989 in Tiananmen Square, China and the Internet, popular protest in China and Chinese dissident literature. We also have Professor Michael Dillon of Tsingua University discussing Uyghur nationalism and Robert Barnett, Professor of Contemporary Tibetan Studies at Columbia, choosing his best books on Tibet.
Elsewhere Lynn Hunt, Professor of Modern European History at UCLA, delves into the French Revolution. We also have interviews on General de Gaulle’s place in French culture and on de Gaulle and the French Resistance. On England, Steven Pincus looks at the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and Murray Pittock considers the resistance to that revolution with his books on Jacobitism. Turning to Britain’s imperial role, Timothy Knatchbull considers the Troubles in Ireland and novelist and poet Adam Foulds, looks at the Mau Mau resistance to British rule in Kenya.
Elsewhere Marc Lynch of George Washington University delves into the Origins of the Arab Uprisings of the Arab Spring and author and journalist John Carlin considers Nelson Mandela and South Africa.
We have a separate page dedicated to historical revolutions—not only political but also social, cultural, industrial etc.
The best books on Boudica, recommended by Richard Hingley
Boudica was an Iron Age queen who led her people into rebellion against Roman rule in the province of Britannia. She was defeated, but only after she had burned several towns, including London, to the ground. Here Richard Hingley, Professor of Archaeology at Durham University, explains how to sift the truth from the myth, and why Boudica has remained an enduring source of fascination down the centuries.
The best books on The French Revolution, recommended by Lynn Hunt
It’s a revolution that still resonates and yet it resists easy interpretation. Lynn Hunt, a leading historian of the French Revolution, tells us what the events of 1789 and later years really meant, and what relevance they have for us today.
The best books on Political Engagement For Teens, recommended by Adrienne Kisner
Are you a teenager who is furious about the way the world seems to be going? Do you feel powerless and overwhelmed? Author Adrienne Kisner recommends five really good books that will inspire and inform teens and young adults, giving them the tools to get involved in activism, to understand politics—and to change the world.
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1
'Anarchism', in the Encyclopaedia Britannica
by Peter Kropotkin -
2
Gates of Freedom: Voltairine de Cleyre and the Revolution of the Mind
by Eugenia C. DeLamotte -
3
The Slavery of Our Times
by Leo Tolstoy -
4
Autonomy, Solidarity, Possibility: The Colin Ward Reader
by Chris Wilbert, Colin Ward & Damian F. White -
5
Anarchism and Syndicalism in the Colonial and Postcolonial World, 1870-1940
by Lucien van der Walt & Steven Hirsch
The best books on Anarchism, recommended by Ruth Kinna
The best books on Anarchism, recommended by Ruth Kinna
Sometimes vilified, often misunderstood, rarely taught in universities, anarchism is a political philosophy and social movement that’s far removed from today’s mainstream politics. But it was and remains a powerful motivator. Political theorist Ruth Kinna talks us through the best books to read to get a better understanding of anarchism.
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1
English Society 1660-1832
by Jonathan Clark -
2
The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1715-1754
by Romney Sedgwick ed. -
3
Jacobitism and the English People, 1688-1788
by Paul Monod -
4
1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion
by Daniel Szechi -
5
France and the Jacobite Rising of 1745
by Frank McLynn
The best books on Jacobitism, recommended by Murray Pittock
The best books on Jacobitism, recommended by Murray Pittock
The failure of the Stuarts to win back the English or Scottish throne changed the course of history, enabling the buildup of a highly centralized British state and, possibly, America’s war for independence. Murray Pittock chooses the best books on Jacobitism, the 18th century phenomenon that nearly overthrew the British government.
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1
Hong Kong
by Jan Morris -
2
Hong Kong Noir: Fifteen true tales from the dark side of the city
by Feng Chi-shun -
3
Hotel China
by the Hong Kong Writers Circle -
4
The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong
by Pete Spurrier -
5
Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong
by Gordon Mathews
The best books on Hong Kong, recommended by Jason Ng
The best books on Hong Kong, recommended by Jason Ng
In 2014 Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Protests’ made news around the world. But will continuing protests in Hong Kong lead to advances in democracy or crackdowns by Beijing? Jason Ng, lawyer and author of Umbrellas in Bloom, chooses five of the best books for understanding China’s ‘foster child’ city.
The best books on June 4th, 1989, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
In contrast to Eastern Europe, the 1989 protests in China did not lead to the overthrow of the Communist Party. But if China’s leaders chose the right course on June 4th, 1989, why are they still frightened to come to terms with it? Sinologist and historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom picks the best books to understand events at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and around China on that hot summer night.
The best books on China and the Internet, recommended by Gady Epstein
The ‘Great Fire Wall of China’. How has the Chinese Communist Party managed to survive the internet? Economist correspondent Gady Epstein chooses books on the world’s most successful case of authoritarian control of the internet.
The best books on Holding Power to Account, recommended by Heather Brooke
Heather Brooke’s investigative journalism was the catalyst for the MPs expenses scandal of 2009. With an eye to how power corrupts, from Orwell’s Animal Farm to an apartheid memoir, she looks at importance of sticking to one’s principles and the dangers that arise when we don’t
The Best Chinese Dissident Literature, recommended by Ma Jian
Writers in China are afraid to criticise the state and society, says London-based author Ma Jian. From the 3rd century BC to 2008, these five exceptional works show how it’s done.