![]() ![]() It is during this period, to paraphrase Marx, that capital was born into the world, drenched in blood.īeginning with the presence of black people amongst Roman legionnaires on Hadrian's Wall, Fryer relates much of this history through contemporary accounts, quotes and frequently the voices of black people themselves. In part this is because more and more black people are living in the British Isles, but it is also because it is during the first couple of centuries of this period that slavery becomes absolutely central the accumulation of wealth for British capitalism. While it covers an immense period, it concentrates on the 16th century onwards for this is when the role of black and asian people becomes most important for British history. Staying Power however is Peter Fryer's most important book, the culmination of a lifetimes reading, writing and research. ![]() ![]() I've reviewed a couple of his works, including his slightly eccentric Studies of English Prudery on this blog. He remained active on the far left, joining a Trotskyist organisation where his talents as a writer continued to be demonstrated. As related in this obituary his experiences in Hungary during the 1956 uprising reporting for the Daily Worker led him to break from the British Communist Party. Peter Fryer was a socialist journalist of enormous reputation. ![]()
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