Tom Mann's memoirs

The personal memoirs of syndicalist Tom Mann. While we disagree with much of his politics, such as his support for the Stalinist Communist Party, we reproduce this text is an important addition to the history of the workers' movement in the UK.

Submitted by working class … on January 27, 2013

Original introduction

The first secretary of the Independent Labour Party, the President of the dockers' union, the first General Secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union: a mere roster of the positions he held in the Labour Movement, of which this is a tiny fraction, would establish Tom Mann as a Pioneer. But what he did was always more impressive than the positions from which he did it. He was an initiator, a catalyst, a goad to action. Whenever a real crisis came, his stature found its true proportions, and again and again Tom Mann became a pivot for the actions of downtrodden people

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syndicalist

11 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on January 29, 2013

Way cool. I've been wanting to read this for long time.

Battlescarred

11 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on January 29, 2013

Yeah, introduction fails to mention he was a slavish supporter of the Communist Party and Stalinism for a large part of his life.

plasmatelly

11 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by plasmatelly on January 29, 2013

we all got skeletons battlescarred!

Battlescarred

11 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on January 29, 2013

some bigger than others.

syndicalist

11 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on January 30, 2013

Battlescarred

Yeah, introduction fails to mention he was a slavish supporter of the Communist Party and Stalinism for a large part of his life.

So was a number of early marxist syndicalists who took the ugly turn.

Knowing this, of course, an enlightened reader takes this into account. Like reading early
Foster's crap-ass "Syndicalism" or Monatte's syndicalism's.

Steven.

11 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on January 30, 2013

Have added a critical introduction

Auld-bod

11 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Auld-bod on May 24, 2013

I thought some people may be interested in this footage of Mann addressing a save Sacco and Vanzetti demonstration in Trafalgar Square, 1927.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/tom-mann/query/demonstrations