Martin Empson
@resolutereader.bsky.social
One man's odyssey through the world of books. Author of 'Land & Labour', 'Kill All the Gentlemen', 'Socialism or Extinction', "The Time of the Harvest has Come!" Interested in Marxism, history, ecology, revolution. SWP.
This contempary picture of the Plundering of Weissenau Monastery during the German Peasants' War of 1525 is a marvellous image, despite its propaganda depicting the peasants' as uncultured drunks. It's part of Jakob Murer's Weissenau Chronicle.
November 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This contempary picture of the Plundering of Weissenau Monastery during the German Peasants' War of 1525 is a marvellous image, despite its propaganda depicting the peasants' as uncultured drunks. It's part of Jakob Murer's Weissenau Chronicle.
Extraordinary that @thisisyourparty.bsky.social have refused press credentials to @socialistworker.bsky.social's editor Tomas TengeIy-Evans. I bet the Daily Mail & the Express get in. These are rules imposed from above, not democratically. Shame on YP. Let's fight for left unity & to stop the right.
November 28, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Extraordinary that @thisisyourparty.bsky.social have refused press credentials to @socialistworker.bsky.social's editor Tomas TengeIy-Evans. I bet the Daily Mail & the Express get in. These are rules imposed from above, not democratically. Shame on YP. Let's fight for left unity & to stop the right.
If anyone happens to be in Wakefield on Sat 6 Dec, I'll be speaking at the Red Shed at the Socialist History Group about the German Peasants' War.
November 25, 2025 at 12:48 PM
If anyone happens to be in Wakefield on Sat 6 Dec, I'll be speaking at the Red Shed at the Socialist History Group about the German Peasants' War.
My latest book review looks at a powerful argument against nuclear power that locates the industry, and it's arguments, in the context of capitalism.
⭐️M.V.Ramana's "Nuclear is not the Solution: The folly of atomic power in the age of climate change" resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/11/mvra...
⭐️M.V.Ramana's "Nuclear is not the Solution: The folly of atomic power in the age of climate change" resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/11/mvra...
November 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM
My latest book review looks at a powerful argument against nuclear power that locates the industry, and it's arguments, in the context of capitalism.
⭐️M.V.Ramana's "Nuclear is not the Solution: The folly of atomic power in the age of climate change" resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/11/mvra...
⭐️M.V.Ramana's "Nuclear is not the Solution: The folly of atomic power in the age of climate change" resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/11/mvra...
I am reminded today that the old internationalist position on cricket, "anyone but England," seldom disappoints and occasionally offers moments of genuine hilarity.
November 22, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I am reminded today that the old internationalist position on cricket, "anyone but England," seldom disappoints and occasionally offers moments of genuine hilarity.
Putting on my marching boots for Climate Justice in Manchester today.
November 15, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Putting on my marching boots for Climate Justice in Manchester today.
My latest book review looks at one of Karl Marx's more obscure books: "Herr Vogt: A Spy in the Workers' Movement". resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/11/karl...
November 13, 2025 at 8:10 PM
My latest book review looks at one of Karl Marx's more obscure books: "Herr Vogt: A Spy in the Workers' Movement". resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/11/karl...
Prince William's PR team misjudged it badly in releasing this photo due to the carbon emitted by his flight to the #COP30 climate talks. But if William contributes nothing to the talks, the 1000s of fossil fuel industry "delegates" hanging around Belem actively destroy them.
November 8, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Prince William's PR team misjudged it badly in releasing this photo due to the carbon emitted by his flight to the #COP30 climate talks. But if William contributes nothing to the talks, the 1000s of fossil fuel industry "delegates" hanging around Belem actively destroy them.
Tonight's viewing was one of the best Spaghetti Westerns, and one of the best films about revolution: A Bullet for the General. Gian Maria Volontè and Lou Castel are fantastic.
November 8, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Tonight's viewing was one of the best Spaghetti Westerns, and one of the best films about revolution: A Bullet for the General. Gian Maria Volontè and Lou Castel are fantastic.
Hey Labour Party! What to guess who's really "let voters down"?
November 7, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Hey Labour Party! What to guess who's really "let voters down"?
Clara Zetkin's closing words from her report on fascism to the Comintern in 1923 remain inspiring today. From @haymarketbooks.org's Fighting Fascism
October 25, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Clara Zetkin's closing words from her report on fascism to the Comintern in 1923 remain inspiring today. From @haymarketbooks.org's Fighting Fascism
It's always DNS
October 20, 2025 at 9:38 AM
It's always DNS
British state set to undo the Reformation.
October 17, 2025 at 2:10 PM
British state set to undo the Reformation.
Over the last few nights we've watched How the West Was Won. America, the frontier and manifest destiny in Cinerama. Some good scenes, but its a very dated narrative.
October 16, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Over the last few nights we've watched How the West Was Won. America, the frontier and manifest destiny in Cinerama. Some good scenes, but its a very dated narrative.
Who else has read this story before?
October 12, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Who else has read this story before?
My friend and comrade Geoff Brown is doing a Manchester launch of his amazing People's History of the Anti Nazi League on 1 November, at the Marxism in a Day event. More info and booking here bit.ly/MancMarx
October 9, 2025 at 8:02 AM
My friend and comrade Geoff Brown is doing a Manchester launch of his amazing People's History of the Anti Nazi League on 1 November, at the Marxism in a Day event. More info and booking here bit.ly/MancMarx
I've been busy organising for a Manchester Climate Justice march and rally on Sat 15 Nov, 1.30pm. Here's the graphic, with support from local environmental groups and trade unions.
October 6, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I've been busy organising for a Manchester Climate Justice march and rally on Sat 15 Nov, 1.30pm. Here's the graphic, with support from local environmental groups and trade unions.
My latest book review looks at @nicolawriting.bsky.social's wonderful "Ghosts of the Farm". It tells the story of Julia White, a woman farmer in the 1940s, together with Nicola's own story and ponders land, gender, politics and much more. Read it.
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/10/nico...
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/10/nico...
October 3, 2025 at 5:46 PM
My latest book review looks at @nicolawriting.bsky.social's wonderful "Ghosts of the Farm". It tells the story of Julia White, a woman farmer in the 1940s, together with Nicola's own story and ponders land, gender, politics and much more. Read it.
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/10/nico...
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/10/nico...
I think the left should return to describing the likes of Starmer as "criminals of yellow social democracy" as in this Leon Trotsky quote from January 1919.
October 2, 2025 at 9:51 PM
I think the left should return to describing the likes of Starmer as "criminals of yellow social democracy" as in this Leon Trotsky quote from January 1919.
Why are any of you still in the Labour Party?
October 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Why are any of you still in the Labour Party?
"Vietnam: The (last) war the US lost" by Joe Allen. My review of an interesting book that explores the nature of the US antiwar movement and why US imperialism was defeated in Vietnam. Much of relevance for today resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/09/joe-...
September 28, 2025 at 5:58 PM
"Vietnam: The (last) war the US lost" by Joe Allen. My review of an interesting book that explores the nature of the US antiwar movement and why US imperialism was defeated in Vietnam. Much of relevance for today resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/09/joe-...
Tonight's film was Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985), a stunning film visually, full of clever set pieces, but shaped by remarkable character acting and inspiring use of Shakespeare. King Lear will never be the same.
September 26, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Tonight's film was Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985), a stunning film visually, full of clever set pieces, but shaped by remarkable character acting and inspiring use of Shakespeare. King Lear will never be the same.
Here's the current altarpiece in the church at Mühlhausen. This is a replacement for the one destroyed in 1525, but the space is where Thomas Müntzer preached from, and where he would have spoken at before leading the rebels towards Frankenhausen in May 1525.
September 26, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Here's the current altarpiece in the church at Mühlhausen. This is a replacement for the one destroyed in 1525, but the space is where Thomas Müntzer preached from, and where he would have spoken at before leading the rebels towards Frankenhausen in May 1525.
Operation Paperclip, from 1944 to 1959, took over 1500 German scientists, including the Nazi Werner von Braun to the US to launch the American Space Programme.
September 24, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Operation Paperclip, from 1944 to 1959, took over 1500 German scientists, including the Nazi Werner von Braun to the US to launch the American Space Programme.
In January 1986 seven astronauts were killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. The story of the corporate and bureaucratic failures that led to this tragedy is brilliantly told in Andy Higginbotham's brilliant book Challenger. My review
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/09/adam...
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/09/adam...
September 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
In January 1986 seven astronauts were killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. The story of the corporate and bureaucratic failures that led to this tragedy is brilliantly told in Andy Higginbotham's brilliant book Challenger. My review
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/09/adam...
resolutereader.blogspot.com/2025/09/adam...