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No
one speaks of the Red Clyde, the shop stewards movements, the establishment
of the Rent Restrictions Acts, or the anti-war campaigns of 1914 - 1918 without
William Gallacher emerging as one of the central figures. This autobiography
relates to his early years in the Social Democratic Federation, the struggles
to form workers' and soldiers' councils on Clydeside during the First World
War and his meeting with Lenin in 1920. Gallacher gives a vivid account of
the upheavals in Glasgow immediately following the war, which culminated in
the Battle of George Square in 1919 and also describes the formation and turbulent
early years of the British Communist Party of which he was a founding member.
Revolt on the Clyde
is a forceful and inspiring portrait of militant activity in an era whose
struggles are still resounding today.
First published in 1936,
now with an introduction by Michael McGahey, former President of the Scottish
Area of the National Union of Mineworkers, Gallacher's book provides us with
valuable insights into key years of the formation of Scotland's distinctive
political culture.