Theory and History: The Political Thought of E.P. Thompson

by Gerard McCann

First published in 1997, the aim of this book is to look at the historical materialism of E.P. Thompson while introducing him as a political thinker of distinction. The study examines many aspects of Thompson’s life and work to give a comprehensive statement on his theory of historical change. It surveys the intellectual background from which he emerged; the core values of socialist humanism as understood by his generation of the Left; his contribution to history from below; his critique of structuralist Marxism; and his practical input to political dissent. The scope of this study covers fifty years of socialist polemics and offers an insight into the battles which were fought out between the old and new Left until the collapse of command-economy communism in 1989. Throughout the work of Thompson is presented as a testimony to a lineage of social thinkers as well as to the ideal of the common weal much cherished by radical practitioners of the past.

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 1997

About the author

Gerard McCann grew up in the north of Ireland and currently lives in Lisburn, County Antrim. He is a senior lecturer in International Studies and head of International Activities at St Mary's University College, Queen's University, Belfast. He has been an Erasmus Coordinator for fifteen years and in that capacity has worked in numerous universities across the European Union. He spent the past four summers teaching on courses in Poland and Hungary. He has worked in an advisory capacity at governmental and EU level, and has guest lecturing experience in the USA, Africa and across Europe.
He has published a number of books on regional and international development. In his spare time, he acts as an advocate for the African diaspora in the UK and Ireland. Lustration is his first novel.