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Beating the fascists book!

AFA Old Boy | 25.05.2010 15:52 | History

Pre order the AFA book now!

Beating the Fascists: The Authorised History of Anti-Fascist Action
Freedom Press is proud to announce the forthcoming publication of the authorised history of Anti-Fascist Action (AFA), one of the most effective political groups of the past quarter of a century. Written by those actively involved in confronting the far right between 1977-1997 it is an authentic piece of living social history.

♦ Publication date: 28th July 2010 the 25th anniversary of the start of the original AFA with special launch party in central London.
♦ Books can be pre-ordered now from Freedom at the special price of £10.00.
Email  shop@freedompress.org.uk to reserve your copy.

“Following the electoral collapse of the National Front in 1979, fascists went on the rampage. Race attacks escalated. NF/BNP gangs employed violence on the streets, on the terraces and to control the music scene. Young anti-fascists stepped up. A new hardline leadership emerged and AFA was formed in 1985. ‘A state of war’ was how one rueful BNP leader would describe what happened next.

Not only is ‘Beating the Fascists’ a meticulously researched study, it is also a much-needed piece of ‘history from below’. Throughout, the voices of working class anti-fascists come across hard, clear, and without apology. Illuminating and sometimes chilling by turn, the running commentary they provide helps ensure the tempo never flags. Gradually the reader is drawn into an outlaw world of back street idealism, paramilitary style violence and heroic self-sacrifice”.

 http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/afa-book/

© 2009 Freedom Press.

AFA Old Boy

Comments

Display the following 494 comments

  1. 'Authorised'? — Unconsulted AFA Old Boy
  2. Who is it by? — J.B.
  3. A Marxist view of history — Old AFA
  4. there is of course a sweet, sweet irony - — Never been in a riot
  5. missing chapter ? — Salford Dismissive
  6. Beating the fascists — Bramley Red
  7. Many thanks — AFA Old Boy
  8. Any old afa — Antifascist
  9. fao afa old boy — ghost of cable street
  10. Dodgy anarchists too — ALS0 AFA
  11. Personal Attacks Not Political Debate — Centrally Located
  12. To be fair... — Comment
  13. point 2 of freedom post above — NAT
  14. calm down CL! — auntie fash
  15. To The Freddom Collective — Antifascist Always
  16. Fractious — Around at the time
  17. the coalition must act now and ban this book said gerry — The oldest old AFA person ever.....aged 26
  18. The book... — NSG
  19. Common Sense Please — Captain Sensible
  20. Rorschach Ink-Blot Test — Hermann Rorschach
  21. Common sense? — anarchist and antifascist
  22. Time and motion studies — UK Fight Club
  23. Authorisation — Hermann Rorschach
  24. Excuse me — Claire Voyant
  25. Words and Deeds — Old Anarchist
  26. Get cracking — Nimrod
  27. Telling it straight — Flower Pot
  28. The book HAS been read — Joe
  29. Reaiity Check! — Reality Check
  30. Publishing lies — Original AFA
  31. Really excited! — Ex AFA
  32. It's simple really — Bob Read
  33. @reality check — london anarchists
  34. Could not agree more — AFA Comrade
  35. FAO London anarchists — Mike
  36. Will the real AFA anarchists stand up? — TC
  37. Machiavelli had it right... — Larry O'Hara
  38. Searchlight — Antifascist
  39. Wind your neck in Larry — Antifascist
  40. Searchlight: A Message From Our Sponsors — Bookburner
  41. Very brave... — Larry O'Hara
  42. Book burning? — Antifascist
  43. Larry — Antifascist
  44. Really? — Larry O'Hara
  45. Izzy — @
  46. Not a lots changed — Night Owl
  47. publish it freedom! — durruti02
  48. Let Red Action publish it — Fuck that!
  49. Have been thinking — anarchist antifascist and former AFA
  50. Publish and be damned! — Reader
  51. Boys; 'the gig is up' — Joseph Reilly
  52. The mask has slipped — Anarchist
  53. A shame — Arturis
  54. 'and let me tell you this' — cheeky young rascal
  55. Oh dear Joseph — Ruahri Ó Cléirigh
  56. Reader - a fair response — Antifascist
  57. Tweaked the tigers tale!! — LOL!
  58. Where's the money? — anti-fascist
  59. Red Action and Dublin — worth thinking about
  60. Red Action..a sad day indeed. — Bob Rydon
  61. shameful — IM Reader
  62. Psychic abilities FAO Joe — An Ex comrade ofmost of you
  63. The Mock Horror Show — Reader
  64. Eager to wound but afraid to strike? — 'Anon'
  65. Threats? — Never again
  66. be intrested to read it — general mac
  67. taking stock — RB
  68. One major problem... — Ex London AFA
  69. Taking stock — BB
  70. Bankrolling? — Dan
  71. mock horror? — Old Hat
  72. taking stock — RB
  73. RB - YES & NO — anarchist
  74. Return of serve — Where's the review?
  75. Review copies — Keen to review
  76. Get Real... — Embarrassed Anarchist
  77. Deal or No Deal? — Noel Edmonds
  78. The moneys guaranteed? — Not 2 b trusted
  79. Please publish! — AFA activist
  80. doesn't make sense — RB
  81. We are Anarchists, not liberals — Antifascist Always
  82. My two penn'orth — No Pasaran!
  83. Baldy men fighting over combs? — LiamO
  84. Keepin The (One, True) Faith — LiamO
  85. Write yr own — Sceptic
  86. Red Action — Sceptic
  87. The horror, the horror... — Antifahaha
  88. Don't Put Your Daughter On The Stage... — Septic Sceptic
  89. Rush of blood to the head... — LiamO
  90. Write yer own — LiamO
  91. Talk about multiple personalities! — Still Fighting The Fash (where were YOU in Newcastle?)
  92. The mistake you are making... — Reader
  93. FFS! — FFS!
  94. Wright? — FFS!
  95. fair comment — Larry O'Hara
  96. juts the title — Anti-fascist
  97. Self-publish and be damned! — LiamO
  98. Author Lux Sake! — Reader
  99. Further thought — No Pasaran!
  100. The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil... — LiamO
  101. @ No Pasaran (re: 'Lux') — Reader
  102. Liam O — Antifascist activist
  103. People With Problems — Reader
  104. Interesting... — Larry O'Hara
  105. correction — Larry O'Hara
  106. Puffed Up Personality Disorder — Reader
  107. If the Cap Fits... — LiamO
  108. O Madam Liam — Dave Hann
  109. Nick Moss/Stone — Anarchist
  110. Naming Names... — Reader
  111. Naming names — LUFC
  112. What a great.... — ISDs mechanic
  113. Searchlight — Jim W
  114. What next? — @narchist
  115. What did you do in the war Grandad? — All Ears
  116. Seems to me... — Tara
  117. Memoirs are for the retired — AFA and still active
  118. The Final Word? — JR
  119. Further comment — John C
  120. So proud of this book... — Sceptic
  121. The truth is out there — Leon Strauss
  122. Dunno about the dog but... — Sceptic
  123. Almost amusing... — Larry O'Hara
  124. The struggle against fascism — anon
  125. Ten Fucking Grand!! — No more begging bowl Freedom
  126. Larry O'Hara's singular distinction — Joe Owens' lapdog
  127. See what I mean? — Larry O'Hara
  128. I love it!! — Larry O'Hara
  129. Fascist Toady — Joe Owens' Lapdog
  130. Stalin lives? — Larry O'Hara
  131. Charming... — Larry O'Hara
  132. TEN FUCKIN QUID?!!! — Able to count above ten without taking me socks off
  133. Sounds like a good deal for red action — Puzzled of Hackney
  134. Larry O'Hara and Joe Owens — Joe Owens' lapdog
  135. £10,000 — Able To Count
  136. £10,000 — Able To Count
  137. Attention Laptoad! — Larry O'Hara
  138. Searchlight operatives in Yorkshire — AFA older boy
  139. Asking again — Joe Owens' lapdog
  140. Further — Joe Owens' lapdog
  141. Must do better — Larry O'Hara
  142. Larry some questions — Still active
  143. 1 in 12 Club — 1 in 12er
  144. Able To Count (but not do big sums apparently) — Able to count to ten above ten without taking me socks off
  145. Pedantic perhaps... — Larry O'Hara
  146. Dear Maths Genius — I can count
  147. Larry O'Hara and Joe Owens — Joe Owens' lapdog (Not!)
  148. Another Larry O'Hara 'conspiracy' in the making! — Conspiraloon
  149. Par for the course — Larry O'Hara
  150. 'Suppressing' this book — Not So Green
  151. In defence of NFTB — One of many
  152. MORE lies Larry? — Larry O'Hara is Joe Owens' lapdog
  153. Owens's book — Fuck Owens
  154. Owens's book — Fuck Owens
  155. Shameful indeed: but not on my part — Larry O'Hara
  156. This still going? — Mildly amused
  157. O'hara & the bnp — traitorwatch
  158. As it happens... — Larry O'Hara
  159. So is it true Mr O,Hara? — What use are you as an antifascist?
  160. No criticism of Searchlight? — Anti-Fascist
  161. UNSUPRESSED — Not so green
  162. anonymous posts — ...
  163. Goebbels lives? — Larry O'Hara
  164. Joe Owens book — Larger Lout
  165. Unanswered questions — Reader
  166. Forget the Owens book! — Antifascist Aktion
  167. Love it!! — Larry O'Hara
  168. Legitimate concerns — Mick Tighe
  169. Just a thought — I'll keep my anonymity thanks
  170. There is only ONE central question... — S.L.
  171. GETTING BACK TO THE AFA BOOK!!! — @
  172. Forget it Larry — Searchlight Watch
  173. O'Hara — Antifascist
  174. Handbags at dawn... — Tall Chris
  175. re: — Reality Check
  176. You just want to re-live your misspent youth Chris! — Barn
  177. Martin Wright... — Tall Chris
  178. Leave it out, Tall Chris — small boy in a big boy's body
  179. Excuse me Mr O'Hara — T A
  180. Traitors — Charlie B
  181. Infamy, Infamy... — bored with all the theatricals
  182. Pluto — Tom
  183. O'Hara's conspiracies — JK
  184. Freedom & the book — London Eye
  185. Joe Owens — Skeleton crew
  186. Don't knock Larry — Harry O'Lara
  187. Ructions at Freedom? — Tall Chris
  188. FAO Chris — Tony
  189. O'Hara n Owens — Nestor
  190. Ructions at fp — @narchist
  191. Re Freedom — Tall Chris
  192. Freedom — Bob Younger
  193. Sheep Go Baaa! — Krakpotkin
  194. This is surreal... — Tall Chris
  195. Lap Dog Is As Lop Dog As — Plant Pot
  196. Hey Cracknpottin — Gerry O
  197. Larry — Teachers pet
  198. Steal this book! — Abbie Hoffman
  199. Beg For It! — Faakin Crusty
  200. Sale or Return? — Miss T Fide
  201. I'm Praying for Rain in California... — Little Old Wine Drinker...
  202. Crusties - The bastard offspring of Red Action drunks? — George Sims
  203. The ongoing struggle against fascism — Antifascist
  204. Mr Angry — A fan of your upcoming memoirs
  205. Some of us NEVER 'stood down' — Ex AFA
  206. Violet Elizabeth / Ex-AFA — Coco.... A fan of your upcoming memoirs
  207. Late for the party? — Grasswatch
  208. "I don't know a single anarchist AFA member who has ACTUALLY READ the book" — ex AFA
  209. FAO Special Agent Grasswatch - this message will self destruct... — Coco the ill-informed Clown - still looking forward to your memoirs, Mr Mitty
  210. A flock of fantasists?! A squad of special agents?! — Coco the ill-informed clown... still smiling... still waiting...
  211. NICE TRY HAS-BEENS BUT ITS NOT GOING TO WORK — ANARCHIST EX AFA
  212. Attn posters! — Tony
  213. More waffle, still no substance — Coco
  214. A point worth remembering — Observer
  215. Further Observations — Inside Job
  216. Where next — political realist
  217. 'Our way or the highway' — Old AFA anarchist
  218. FAO old AFA anarchist — political realist
  219. AFA needed now more than ever — Independent Socialist
  220. IWCA parrallels with Sinn Fein — Belfast Boy
  221. Ideology screws you up — Prepared to Stand
  222. FAO Independent socialist — political realist
  223. Fao Independent socialist — J.D
  224. Red Action — Still true to myself
  225. The IWCA — pish n chips
  226. Leeds IWCA — Joe
  227. Electoralism — Simon
  228. re: Electoralism — Reader
  229. At least the iWCA had a go — CHANEY
  230. Ideological Opposition — Black n Red
  231. Finally the truth? — Chaney
  232. 'The Truth'?! — Black n Red
  233. Standing with the BNP — Anarchist
  234. Silly little boys — Aitch -
  235. 'Girly' anti-RA posts — Antifascist girl
  236. Fucking Lost — Anarchist
  237. Freedom numpties — BIG BAD BAKUNIN
  238. History is not in the past. — JACKMAN
  239. Marvellous — Larry O'Hara
  240. Taking Larry seriously — Harry O'Lara
  241. Lying cunts — Class War
  242. Pack drill — Jim W
  243. BNP councillor infiltrated Red Action? — Anti-Fascism is NOT about YOUR pasts it's about OUR futures
  244. Trolling — Paddy
  245. BNP councillor infiltrated Red Action? Comedy vid? — Gerard
  246. Calm down, calm down — Yozzer
  247. Yozzer — Paddy
  248. AFA groups — Ignasi
  249. Paddy — Yozzer
  250. Come out, come out, wherever you are Matthew... — Mr Bagle
  251. Stale bagels — Jo Crump
  252. The class of '82 — Chaney
  253. Yozzer — Paddy
  254. Red Action — Old lad
  255. Paddy — Yozzer
  256. anarchophobe? — Jackman
  257. Red Action — H
  258. Red Action and the Anarchists — (Not Searchlight)
  259. Yozzer — Paddy
  260. 'Anti-Fascist Action - an Anarchist perspective' by an ex-Liverpool AFA member — G
  261. FAO not searchlight — Yozzer
  262. AFA C18 Bolton — nooky brown
  263. Yosser nonsense talker — Roald Dahl
  264. FAO Nooky Brown, Roald Dahl — Yozzer
  265. Red Action lies — Iron Column
  266. Nottingham — MM
  267. Useful Idiots — Fuck Searchlight And Fuck Red Action
  268. Some of us were still going strong in 1999? — Anti-fascist vet
  269. AFA myths — Sam Neil
  270. Leeds afa — ...
  271. Antifa - Very nice people and not RA haters at all... — Tiocfaidh Ar La
  272. Link — Al
  273. FAO Yosser — Roald Dahl
  274. Antifa — Monkey
  275. antifa — Tir Saoirse
  276. Perceptions of Red Action — John Doe
  277. FAO TAL — Sounds interesting
  278. Tales of the Expected — Biker
  279. Freedom Press — Eric the Red n Black
  280. Beating The Fascists: Anti-Fascist Action - The Untold Story — Joe
  281. PS — Joe
  282. Freedom Press — Anon
  283. 300-odd posts! — Alf
  284. Bolton — Antifash
  285. Anarchist Publications — jesus fuck
  286. Collective amnesia — We dun nuffink!
  287. FAO Biker — Roald Dahl
  288. The exception makes the rule... — Tiocfaidh Ar La
  289. Just a few points — Rick O'Shea
  290. FAO TAL — Tir Saoirse
  291. No Platform — Andy
  292. Closing down AFA — One of the many
  293. Huddersfield — @
  294. Over The Water — Baldrick
  295. Freedom — Gud
  296. Put up or shut up! — Roald Dahl
  297. Pre-publication offer — Jack Jones
  298. Cheeky monkey (FAO TAL) — Antifa lad
  299. The Irony!!!!!! — JR
  300. Special Offer! — Tiocfaidh Ar La
  301. Push-ups or Sit-ups! — Biker
  302. FAO Biker — Roald Dahl
  303. question — Sid
  304. Review copies — Interested
  305. FAO Roald Dahl — Fellow Anti-fascist
  306. Review copies?! — London Eye
  307. Pre-publication offer — anon
  308. tell me is this gods honest — outed
  309. Rumour — curious george
  310. Uncontroversial? — Fair comment
  311. re rumour — leeds old boy
  312. Moronic Matthew — Famous Seamus
  313. FAO Matthew K — JR
  314. how sad — cm
  315. A campaign against Freedom — Auntie Fash
  316. to roald dahl — confused of manchester
  317. Clarification — curious george
  318. Freedom — JJ
  319. Respect due — Burlington Bertie
  320. Interesting quote from Yozzer — Paul
  321. Anarchists — AK-47
  322. Relevance today of book — Gerard
  323. Fair comment — Comment
  324. Freedom — NSG
  325. Gerard — Matthem K
  326. Freedom — Antifascist
  327. Red action — Mick
  328. Seamus — Geezer
  329. FAO Confused Manchester — Roald Dahl
  330. On the 'special offer' — Happy camper
  331. Good post Roald Dahl — BR
  332. Hullabaloo — Harlequin
  333. FAO Confussed Manchester — Raold Dahl
  334. The unreal world of roald dahl — MUFC anti fascist
  335. Dope for guns, lolipops for lucozade. — Gerard
  336. FAO manutd anifascist or whatever your calling yourself today — Roald Dahl
  337. AK and the 'Lady Boy Stratagem!' — JR
  338. Fao bR — T.C
  339. Naming — oscar
  340. Fao comment - — Jackman
  341. Freedom - A 'loss of nerve'. — @
  342. Another symbiotic relationship? — rude-boy
  343. Sectarianism — Anarchist
  344. Searchlight — class war
  345. A question for any RA members — Confused of Chorley
  346. Malcolm — Oes
  347. Another history of AFA — Interested Observer
  348. more facts — Ross
  349. Freedom — @
  350. So many lies — Andy
  351. Attn: TAL — Up the Blades!
  352. responses — Ross
  353. Picking up where I left off earlier..... — Yozzer
  354. Lie Detector — Lie Detector
  355. Freedom — JJ
  356. Searchlight's sleazy stratagem explained — JR
  357. JR — Bobby Ewing
  358. you can't handle the truth! — Ross
  359. More Red Action bollocks — NSG
  360. To be taken with a large pinch of salt — Old AFA
  361. To be taken with a large pinch of salt — Old AFA
  362. Consultation — Lie Detector
  363. Freedom Collective meetings — @
  364. Hardly a consensus — Peter Kropotkin turns in his grave
  365. Statement — Andy
  366. The Rat-catcher & The Rat — Baz
  367. NSG Trolling. Why? — Gerard
  368. I.F. — Beagle
  369. Gerard - The Stupid Boy returns — NSG
  370. Old dogs fighting over the bones of AFA — anarchist
  371. A listing of the lies, smears & fabrications AGAINST the book — Jackman
  372. Accountability — Ann Archie
  373. simple questions — Ross
  374. Why weren,t the anarchists asked to contribute? — SHARPy
  375. Post 4 — Lie Detector
  376. Very poor — NSG
  377. FAO jackman — Independent Socialist
  378. Closing down AFA — Northern Uproar
  379. Freedom Press comment on this thread — London Eye
  380. Consultation.... — Bored.
  381. FAO SHARPY — Black Bat
  382. the answer came there none — Ross
  383. still not anwered — Still fighting
  384. FAO Independent socialist — Jackman
  385. Fao Northern Upstart — JR
  386. Wombling around — Uncle Bulgaria
  387. Jackman — NSG
  388. making good use of the things that you find — Ross
  389. FAO Jackman — An Anarchist and an Anti-fascist
  390. Freedom statement — Lie Detector
  391. Underground, Overground — Wombles?
  392. The AFA story — Historian
  393. still the answers came there none — Ross
  394. Raold — Jon Priestlies
  395. Giving the game away! — Chaney
  396. A book before your eyes! — Famous Seamus
  397. Chaney — Anti-fascist
  398. The BNP lead Red Action around by the nose — Not one of Gary O'Shea's sock puppets
  399. Sol-Fed — Lee
  400. What a tedious thread! — Jam Butty Miner
  401. Ross — Lie Detector
  402. Attn rufty-tufty anti-fascist — Famous Seamus
  403. Spitting The Dummy — Reader
  404. Attn 'Famous Seamus' — Shame Indeed
  405. Street activity — Here n Now
  406. zzzzzz — Ross
  407. West Midlands anarchists — JJ
  408. BNP ON THE (leafletting) RAMPAGE — Famous Seamus
  409. Big Swinging Dick — Famous Seamus
  410. Believing everything you read in the papers — Observer
  411. Libcom / Wombles — Libcom (occassional) poster
  412. Title — Comrade
  413. responses — Ross
  414. How many anarchists does it take to write a book? — Reader
  415. hey pete u fuckwit — bignose
  416. How VERY, VERY ignorant — anarchist
  417. Opposite ends of the spectrum — Famous Seamus
  418. "Stalinist"??!! — Topsy
  419. Suited not booted — Gerard
  420. Tom Vague — anon
  421. 'Knowledge and research'? — anarchist
  422. Cover design on freedom — Gerard
  423. Hidden Extras — Loaded Dice
  424. You know that I know that you know that we know that I know that you know that.. — Reader
  425. great advertising — amused
  426. More than a woman.... — Anti Feshist Action
  427. Reader — Das Boot
  428. October 4th — anon
  429. Not amused — Dan
  430. Wankers — One less book you'll sell
  431. Methink He Doth Protesteth Too Much — Reader
  432. Whats happening? — ?
  433. Publication date — JC
  434. Woman anti-fascist — Bang out of order!
  435. Book — Mart
  436. Sean Birchall — Simon
  437. The Method Man — Actors Studio
  438. The reason for the latest delay in publication is... — Hulme Man
  439. Ak Press catalogue — P.Knowle
  440. Heaven forbid — Anon
  441. Searchlight in a flutter... — Tall Chris
  442. Woman AFA poster or another Troll? — Gerard
  443. October 4th — pissupinabrewery
  444. Singapore — Nestor
  445. British Jobs for British Workers? — Famous Seamus
  446. Gerard — AFA Woman ,the same one as before
  447. Gerrard — 1 in 12er
  448. (I doubt it but) Maybe you're right Gerard — Ex AFA
  449. Anarchy International — Printer
  450. Comments — NSG
  451. Fao Printer — London Eye
  452. Printing — Peter
  453. P.S. — Peter
  454. Attn 'AFA Woman' — Comrade X
  455. Question — Jim (Bristol)
  456. Elementary my dear Miss Marple — Gerard
  457. Matty me ol' ex fash — Undercover drunk
  458. When is it coming out? — Punter
  459. Well does everyone... — Dids
  460. out soon — Ross
  461. FAO Jim Bristol — Vic
  462. ha ha — bigbelly
  463. well is it — curious
  464. Singapore — Molly
  465. Red Action and the SWP — Old Git
  466. Searchlight. For or against? — Gerard
  467. Searchlight — Antifascist
  468. FAO Gerard — Tall Chris
  469. FAO Tall Chris — Gerard
  470. serious stuff — come on ffs
  471. More conspiracy theories from an ill-informed fool — Antifascist
  472. FAO Curious — Famous Seamus
  473. Enough Gerard! — Nothing Personal
  474. So where the fuck is it? — Oirish Beejeezus
  475. You scabby bastards! — Wob
  476. Sean Birchall? — anon
  477. Non abusive message for Gerard — Miliband Tendency
  478. Searchlight - Yeah, there's that — Barney Rubble
  479. Where are all the punters? — You must be joking
  480. And traitors snear — Blackheart
  481. When? — Frustrated
  482. Infamy, Infamy... they've all got it in fer me — Famous Seamus
  483. Anarchist bookfair — Guess i must be number 8
  484. Happy Days.... get your copy today! — Famous Séamus
  485. Special offer — Dis count
  486. Dis Count — Famous Seamus
  487. Where to buy the book... — Book Seller
  488. book review ? you're having a larf — sore head
  489. BTF For Dummies — Famous Seamus
  490. sore heads indeed — Ross
  491. Review — Ross
  492. Much Ado About Nothing... — Famous Seamus
  493. Interesting but flawed — Simon O'Brien
  494. Smears me bollix — Famous Seamus