Ted Grant Collected Writings Vol. 1: The Spark (1938–43)

This collection brings together the writings of one of the 20th century’s most significant revolutionaries. In the decades following Leon Trotsky’s death in 1940, Ted Grant applied and developed the Marxist method to analyse emerging political phenomena. His theoretical contributions preserved the method of Marxism, and are of first-rate importance for revolutionaries today.

This first volume covers the years 1938–43. Having arrived in London from South Africa only a short time earlier, Ted threw himself into the task of building the forces of Trotskyism in Britain. As editor of Socialist Appeal and political secretary of the Workers’ International League (WIL), he quickly established himself as one of the foremost theoreticians of the Marxist movement. The writings in this volume trace the WIL’s growth into one of the most dynamic and successful Trotskyist organisations anywhere in the world.

Ted entered the struggle at a decisive historical moment: Hitler’s armies were sweeping across Europe and the world was once again engulfed in war. As the only organisation to consistently apply Trotsky’s proletarian military policy, the WIL succeeded – despite daunting obstacles – in rooting itself among both the working class and the armed forces.

The debates on the attitude Marxists take towards war remain acutely relevant today. In a period marked by sharpening imperialist tensions and renewed urgency to build a revolutionary International, this volume provides an essential and richly instructive contribution to Marxism.