Housmans - Radical booksellers since 1945

Housmans specialises in books and periodicals of radical interest and progressive politics.

Our stock includes:

• Wide coverage of politics, political theory, peace studies, and world current affairs.
• Material about - and in support of - campaigns for peace, the environment, human rights, sexual freedom, equitable and sustainable development, and a great deal more.
• General fiction and non-fiction.
• Many hard-to-find radical publications - and we can obtain most books to order within a few days.

For more details of our range of stock, and of the services we offer, please see the Books and Booklists sections of this website, particularly the Special Offers. And please note that most sections of our radical book stock are supplemented by a large assortment of pamphlets.

Housmans publishes an annual Peace Diary, including a unique World Peace Directory. Copies sent direct from Housmans will be supplied post free to any address in the world.

The World Peace Directory, included in the Housmans Peace Diary each year, includes contact details of almost 2000 national and international peace, green, and human rights organisations around the world. (For more details of the full World Peace Database, from which the directory in the Peace Diary is taken, please contact the Housmans Peace Resource Project - e-mail worldpeace@gn.apc.org.)

And we have the largest range of radical newsletters, newspapers and magazines of any shop in Britain - with editions of well over 200 different titles regularly in stock (and many others irregularly). These publications represent a vast diversity of (and within!) peace campaigns, left movements and parties, civil rights groups, environmental organisations, sexual freedom campaigns, secularist groups, anarchist networks, third world campaigns, alternative lifestyle movements, anti-globalisation and anti-capitalist groups, solidarity campaigns ... and much else.

We produce a monthly Newsletter, if you would like it e-mailed to you please contact andy@housmans.com.

Our basement is home to Porcupine second-hand books - specialists in Philosophy, Politics, History and Psychology.

Besides housing London's oldest independent political bookshop, our historic building in Caledonian Road is also home to our sibling company, the pacifist monthly Peace News, along with War Resisters' International and other peace and radical organisations.

We have regular events in the shop - see the events page. For details of Anne Aylor's creative writing course please see www.anneaylor.co.uk

Orders can be placed on this website via paypal (if you have a credit, debit, or charge card). Also, if you can't come into the shop in person, we are happy to accept orders by post, phone, fax, or e-mail (orders@housmans.com). See the Books page for details.

Volunteers: Housmans welcomes intelligent, reliable and enthusiastic volunteers with relevant skills, to help in its work. Which skills are "relevant" changes over time, but we can often use fairly routine help in and around the shop itself, or on bookstalls at events; we sometimes need technical computer skills, or help with the production of publications. In return there are occasional perks, and the chance to improve your own skills and experience - not to mention the satisfaction of supporting the last major non-sectarian radical bookshop in London.

We are open Monday to Friday 10am to 6.30pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, and closed on Sunday. We sometimes have extra opening hours for special events - or just because we are able to - so ring us to check if you ever want to visit after our "official" closing time.

Please note that we welcome donations to support the work of Housmans. Trying to promote and supply peace movement and other varieties of radical literature is not the most commercially viable activity - and that's even without taking into account the notoriously unfair competition that all small independent shops face from the major high street bookshop chains. To support our work, you can click below and use your credit/debit/charge card, or you can send us a cheque made payable to Housmans. We also welcome donations of any of your unwanted books - we can often find them a home with a new generation of activists (and raise a little money for the shop at the same time).

 

Please visit us if you can - we're at 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1 (tel 020-7837 4473). The shop is within one block of 6 of the 12 London Underground lines (Kings Cross / St Pancras station).

The Anti-Capitalist Dictionary: Movements, Histories and Motivations

By Yves Laberge

The Anti-Capitalist Dictionary: Movements, Histories and Motivations by David E. Lowes
Zed Books, London, 2006
Pages: X+310. £16.99

People and groups that oppose capitalism often contest other issues and principles like deregulation, the military-industrial complex, consumerism and corporate-lobby groups. These terms and almost 200 others are all commented upon and defined here. This Anti-Capitalist Dictionary is an original and rigorous reference book, containing useful definitions and accurate cross-references on alternative movements ('New Left', 'Non-Governmental Organizations', 'Students') and political and philosophical concepts ('Ideology', 'Utopia', 'Value'). Each entry is about two pages long and the focus is more about debates and issues than persons. Therefore there is no specific entry for director Michael Moore or Noam Chomsky, for example, although they are mentioned in the appropriate places.

The main strength of the volume is that it always gives the arguments from both sides of a debate, and explains why some people protest about issues that, for many, should not be challenged. For instance: why do some critics oppose the strict protection of intellectual property? (p. 126); what are the real consequences of the cancellation of debt for poor countries? (p. 129); or who critiques the United Nations and for which reasons? (p. 264).

Another useful dimension is the inclusion of concepts that cannot always be found in common reference books (e.g. 'biopiracy'; 'genetic engineering'); and we are given a straightforward definition of 'Neo-Liberalism', that 'is promoted as orthodoxy by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization' (p. 170). Most definitions give the origins of an idea. For instance, the entry on 'Hegemony' reminds us that the term was first used about Bolsheviks by Georgi Plekhanov in 1905, and some twenty years later by Antonio Gramsci (p. 117). Not surprisingly, dozens of entries are related to environmental issues: 'Biodiversity' (p. 20), 'Deep Ecology' (p. 61), 'Global Warming' (p. 106), 'Kyoto Protocol' (p. 140), 'Sustainable Development' (p. 236), etc.

I would have liked an entry on anti-Americanism, movies and documentaries (the entry on media focuses on newspapers, conglomerates and the power of networks), but as with all good dictionaries, one does not seem to get enough! There is no mention of advocacy, but that topic is covered in the entry on 'Direct Action' (p. 73). Lowes' Anti-Capitalist Dictionary is the perfect complement (or prerequisite reading) to the Encyclopedia of Capitalism edited by Syed Hussein (NewYork, Facts on File, 2004), and both are essential for libraries. Both undergraduates and scholars will benefit from this excellent book - one always needs to get accurate definitions and clear arguments for every current issue.

The Islamic Traditions of Cirebon

Ibadat and Adat Among Javanese Muslims

A.G. Muhaimin

ISBN 1 920942 30 0 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 1 920942 31 9 (Online)

This work deals with the socio-religious traditions of the Javanese Muslims living in Cirebon, a region on the north coast in the eastern part of West Java. It examines a wide range of popular traditional religious beliefs and practices. The diverse manifestations of these traditions are considered in an analysis of the belief system, mythology, cosmology and ritual practices in Cirebon. In addition, particular attention is directed to the formal and informal institutionalised transmission of all these traditions.

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Out of the Ashes: Destruction and Reconstruction of East Timor

Edited by James J Fox and Dionisio Babo Soares

304 pp
ISBN 0 9751229 0 8 (Online document)
ISBN 0 9751229 1 6 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)

Out of the Ashes is a collection of essays that examine the historical background to developments in East Timor and provide political analysis on the initial reconstruction stage in the country's transition to independence. The volume is divided into three thematic sections – background, assessment and reconstruction – bringing together the experiences and knowledge of academic researchers and key participants in the extraordinary events of 1999 and 2000.

After years of Indonesian rule, the people of East Timor voted to reject an offer of autonomy choosing instead independence from Indonesia. This decision enraged pro-integrationist militia who, backed by the Indonesian military, launched a program of violence and destruction against the inhabitants of East Timor. President Habibie eventually agreed to the presence of a United Nations peace-keeping force, but by this stage East Timor had been ravaged by destruction.

The new East Timorese government faced the challenges of the future with an understanding that the successful struggle for independence was both a culmination and a starting point for the new nation. As the events of 1999 recede, many of the issues and challenges highlighted in Out of the Ashes remain of central significance to the future of East Timor. These essays provide essential reading for students and interested observers of the first new nation of the 21st century.

James J. Fox is Director of the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at The Australian National University. He has been doing research on Timor since 1965. He was an international observer for the Carter Center during the popular consultation in 1999 and was a member of the UN-World Bank Joint Assessment Mission to East Timor later in that year. He has continued his involvement in developments in East Timor.

Dionisio Babo Soares is a doctoral student in anthropology in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at The Australian National University. His research is focused on local political and social developments in East Timor during the transition to independence. He is currently working for the Asia Foundation in East Timor.

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The Second Front: Inside Asia's Most Dangerous Terrorist Network

Oleh Ken Conboy

Puluhan tahun sebelum al-Qaeda terbentuk, kelompok radikal berbasis agama di Asia Tenggara telah membangun alas bagi sebuah perjuangan untuk mewujudkan satu utopia kehidupan seperti masa lalu. Buku ini mengupas tentang Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), sebuah organisasi rahasia yang jangkauannya mencapai enam negara dan senantias berorientasi pada tindakan serius terhadap situasi-situasi yang tidak sejalan dengan Islam dan yang tidak mentolerir keberadaan Islam.

Dalam buku The Second Front: Inside Asia’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Network, penulis yang spesialis buku laris, Ken Conboy, merekonstruksi potongan-potongan informasi dari mulai perencanaan hingga pelaksanaan operasi JI berdasarkan wawancara-wawancara eksklusif serta laporan-laporan berkategori rahasia. Ada begitu banyak rincian yang belum pernah diungkap sebelumnya, termasuk apa yang ada di benak para pemimpin kelompok tersebut - dari pakar peledak Azahari hingga perwakilan al-Qaeda, Hambali. Mulai dari bayang-bayang Hindu Kush hingga ke medan-medan pertempuran di pulau-pulau rempah, The Second Front mengupas tabir kerahasiaan serta rekam-jejak keberhasilan upaya-upaya penumpasan jaringan ini, serta memaparkan kegagalan pengurus negara-negara di wilayah Asia mencegah tindakan terorisme serta tindak kekerasan sektarian yang telah mengambil banyak korban jiwa.

Tentang Penulis

Ken Conboy, penulis buku laris INTEL: Inside Indonesia’s Intelligence Service dan KOPASSUS: Inside Indonesia’s Special Forces, adalah seorang manajer sebuah perusahaan konsultan resiko dan keamanan di Jakarta, Risk Management Advisory. Sebelumnya ia bekerja sebagai Wakil Direktur Pusat Studi Asia, the Asian Studies Center, sebuah kelompok pemikir (think-tank) yang berpengaruh di Washington, DC, dimana ia bertugas menyusun makalah-makalah kebijakan untuk Kongres AS dan pengurus negara AS menyangkut keterkaitan strategis ekonomik AS dengan negara-negara di Asia Selatan dan Asia Tenggara. Conboy adalah lulusan dari School of Foreign Service, Universitas Goergetown, serta School of Advanced International Studies, Universitas Johns Hopkins. Conboy juga adalah seorang pengajar tamu pada Universitas Chulalongkorn, Bangkok, dan bermukim di Indonesia sejak 1992.

Info Buku: Gender, Bahasa dan Kekuasaan

Informasi Buku

Judul buku: Gender, Bahasa dan Kekuasaan
Penulis: Esther Kuntjara, Ph D
Penerbit: Universitas Kristen Petra Surabaya dan penerbit PT BPK Gunung Mulia Jakarta
Tahun terbitan: 2004
Tebal: ix+117 halaman.

Sejak munculnya berbagai gerakan perempuan pada pertengahan abad ke 20 hingga sekarang,para pakar di bidang linguistik, antropologi budaya, sosiologi, psikologi, komunikasi dan banyak disiplin lain mulai mencari hubungan antara bahasa dan seks. Mereka juga melihat bagaimana peranan perempuan dan laki-laki dalam budaya mempengaruhi gaya bicara mereka. Benarkah perempuan lebih banyak bicara [cerewet] dibanding laki-laki? Apakah kosa kata yang kita pakai sehari-hari berbias gender dan sering merugikan perempuan dan membuat keberadaan perempuan tersembunyi? Apakah benar gaya bicara laki-laki lebih bersifat agresif sedang perempuan lebih lembut dan menunjukkan keakraban? Benarkah perempuan lebih sopan dibanding laki-laki sehingga mereka harus menggunakan bahasa yang halus dan sopan, sedangkan laki-laki lebih bebas menggunakan bahasa apa saja? Masih banyak pertanyaan-pertanyaan lain yang menjadi menarik untuk disimak dan dipelajari.

Esther Kuntjara, PhD menyelesaikan stud S1 jurusan Bahasa Inggris di Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Salatiga tahun 1982. Bersama suami dan kedua anaknya,penulis berangkat ke Amerika Serikat tahun 1985. Sambil menyertai suami yang mengambil S3 di California, penulis menyelesaikan studi S2 dibidang TEFL di San Fransisco State University. Program itu diselesaikannya pada tahun 1988. Sekembali ke Indonesia, penulis mengajar bahasa Inggris di Universitas Kristen Petra Surabaya. Pada tahun 1990-1993 penulis dipercayakan mengemban tanggung jawab sebagai Dekan fakultas sastra UK Petra Surabaya.Pertengahan tahun 1993,penulis menerima beasiswa dari United Board ke Amerika Serikat sebagai dosen tamu di Central College, Iowa, selama satu tahun. Tahun 1997 penulis kembali ke Amerika Serikat untuk mengambil S3 di Indiana University of Pensylvania di bidang Rhetoric and Linguistics dengan disertasi" A Sociolinguistic Study of Two Chinese Indonesian Mother-Daughter Pairs in Surabaya". Studi S3 diselesaikan tahun 2003. Selama studi di IUP, penulis memperoleh penghargaan menjadi anggota dari Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Beberapa tulisannya yang banyak berkisar tentang gender dan bahasa sudah dimuat di jurnal-jurnal nasional maupun internasional. Penulis juga sering memberi presentasi ilmiah baik didalam maupun di luar negeri.

Untuk informasi pembelian, kontak Penerbit PT BPK Gunung Mulia, Jl. Kwitang 22-23 Jakarta 10420. Telp 021- 3901208 Fax 021- 3901633. email: publishing@bpkgm.com