December 2019 message from the Kate Sharpley Library

Thank you from the Kate Sharpley Library

We’d like to thank you, our friends, subscribers, readers and supporters of the Kate Sharpley Library for your support in 2019. Particular thanks have to go the comrade who sent us historic copies of War Commentary and Freedom. We’ve put a handful of articles from these issues up for you to read:
Spain – Commemoration of the 19th July [London, 1941]
‘Although five years have passed since the outbreak of the Civil War in Spain, very few people, even now, appreciate the issues which were at stake in the Spanish struggle.’  https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/s7h5w0
Books: The Russian Terror (Herbert Read reviews The Guillotine at Work)
‘There are heroes in all sections of the revolutionary struggle, but in Russia, as more recently in Spain, the martyrdom of our comrades is an undying inspiration to all those who still work for a true socialism based on freedom, equality and brotherhood.’ https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/98sgnf
The Internationale by Tom Brown [1942]
On the abuse of the working class anthem of revolt during the Second World War. https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/2rbq46
Death of a good comrade [Daniel Mullen] From the First World War to the Spanish Revolution (via the fight for Irish independence) https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/rv176k

Bulletin

We haven’t managed to get a bulletin out before the new year. That’s really because we have too much stuff rather than not enough. You can get a sense of what that does to you in ‘Looking back at the back issues’ https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/k98v2t

Books

As always we have been thinking about books (not all of them new). Here are a handful of recent reviews from our website:
Half A Million Tramps (by Bill Gape) https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/stqmjv
Something should be done (by Peter Good) https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/4f4s1s
Our Masters Are Helpless: The Essays of George Barrett edited by Iain McKay https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/893395

Help!

Finally, two requests: In 2020 it will be 100 years since the birth of Albert Meltzer (British anarchist and major influence on the construction of the Kate Sharpley Library). If any of you have letters/ postcards/ pictures from or about Albert we would love to hear from you.

Then, if the new year sees you dissatisfied with how many solid gold reindeer are cluttering your mantelpiece, there is a page on our website for how to send donations to help the work of the KSL: https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/doc/donations

We wish you all the best for 2020
Kate Sharpley Library collective

Photo of Albert and Stuart, thanks to Stuart Christie https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/6m91h3