CLR James
A Life Beyond the Boundaries
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Little, Brown Book Group
Published:17th Mar '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This biography explores the life and legacy of CLR James, revealing his profound influence on Black intellectual thought and political movements.
In CLR James, John L. Williams presents a biography that dives deep into the life of a remarkable intellectual figure. Through extensive original research and vivid storytelling, Williams brings to light the multifaceted existence of CLR James, highlighting his significant contributions as a historian, revolutionary, and cricket writer. Born in Trinidad during the twilight of the Victorian era, James engaged with prominent figures of his time, from debating with Trotsky to inspiring leaders like Kwame Nkrumah. His influence extended into the British Black Power movement, establishing him as a radical voice of the twentieth century.
Despite his profound impact, CLR James was largely forgotten by the late 1970s, with many of his works out of print and only remembered in niche circles. However, upon his passing in 1989, he was celebrated as one of the greatest Black British intellectuals, earning titles such as the 'Black Plato' from notable publications. Williams argues that James's ideas around identity, class struggle, and the roles of marginalized groups in political movements are increasingly relevant today.
CLR James is not just a recounting of his achievements; it is a compelling narrative that re-establishes his significance in contemporary discourse. Williams's biography serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of CLR James and the need to recognize the contributions of Black intellectuals in shaping modern thought. This book is essential for anyone looking to understand the complexities of race, identity, and politics in the twenty-first century.
John L Williams's exciting and briskly written biography, CLR James: A Life Beyond the Boundaries, offers the perfect introduction to this titan of 20th-century politics and culture * The Times *
This is an unrivalled storehouse of information about one of the twentieth century's most important revolutionaries. John Williams' sparkling biography counterpoints understanding of James' ideas with a richly-detailed account of his itinerant life and times * Paul Gilroy *
This is a passionate, timely and challenging portrait. CLR James was decades ahead of his time in challenging our thoughts about empire, colonialism, black history and, not least, in writing brilliantly about cricket. He finally has the biography his extraordinary influence deserves * Barney Ronay *
As John Williams states at the beginning of his absorbing biography, CLR James may have been born in the Victorian age but he belongs very much to ours . . . [The book] may be a single biography, but it describes multiple lives. * New Statesman *
A genius, a seducer . . . the firebrand author, historian and critic was a complex, fragile human being, as John L Williams's biography reveals. * Observer *
A fascinating biography -- Clive Davis
CLR James: A Life Beyond the Boundaries . . . is the full-scale, scrupulously researched, admiring but clear-eyed biography of the T&T intellectual icon that Caribbean readers have awaited for decades * Trinidad & Tobago Express *
It's a testament to this generous biography that the idiosyncratic personality of the great silver-tongued enthusiast comes shining through. * Prospect *
C. L. R. 's life has been chronicled many times in film, memoirs and biographies. This one . . . should rank as definitive. * Tablet *
This finely written and powerful book. . . . Williams gives us the rawness and rare achievement of his life, and that is an invaluable contribution to now-times and future readers. * Morning Star *
A scholarly and vibrant biography . . . John L Williams has written a superb account of Trinidad's greatest intellectual * Irish Times *
Just finished John Williams's superb biography of CLR James, A Life Beyond the Boundaries. Staggering what CLR fitted into his life. -- Lawrence Booth * Wisden *
Three decades after his death, CLR is back in our midst thanks to this passionate, well-researched and necessary portrait * The Hindu *
The most comprehensive and intimate portrayal yet of the iconic speaker, author, teacher, theorist, and revolutionary * Jacobin *
This carefully researched book reflects on the life of an intellectual equally at home debating Leon Trotsky or discussing Shakespeare with John Arlott * Sunday Times *
John L. Williams's superbly researched and beautifully judged book surpasses everything so far written about C.L.R. James. I don't think I now need to read any subsequent biography or critical study. * Telegraph *
James has long deserved a biographer who could do full justice to the richness of his personal life and the range of his public activities. He has finally found one in John Williams . . . [A] superbly researched and beautifully judged book * Telegraph India *
Now this extraordinary polymath has been honoured with a biography to suit his talents * Daily Mail, BEST SPORTS BOOKS OF 2022 *
CLR James: A Life Beyond the Boundaries is just that - an unsentimental work that draws back the veil of legend to expose the man of blood and bone. With great subtlety, intelligence and expansiveness, Williams gives us a view onto the thinker's groundbreaking ideas while rooting us firmly in the world that helped to shape him, a world living out the immediate aftershocks of colonialism. This is a profound, stirring and necessary book * Esi Edugyan *
ISBN: 9781472130136
Dimensions: 236mm x 164mm x 46mm
Weight: 800g
496 pages