Over the more than four years that I have been researching and writing this book I have been fortunate in having many people generously give of their time to assist me. I thank them all. They are: Hakim Adi, Carol Anderson, Joellen El Bashir, Inger Beaty-Pownall, the late Peter Blackman, Stephen Bourne, Carolyn Brown, Lauren Brown, Ann Curthoys, Sean Creighton, Michael David-Fox, Todd Decker, Martin Duberman, the late Andre Elizee, Alex Goodall, Nick Grant, Jeff Green, Leslie James, Sergei Kapterev, Joseph Keith, Mark Kristmanson, Craig Lloyd, Daniel Lucks, Tony McElligott, Sam Markham, Ruth Martin, Hannah Middleton, Ani Mukherji, John Munro, Monique Patenaude, Susan Pennybacker, Barbara Ransby, Tom Riis, Ian Rocksborough-Smith, Benedetta Rossi, Marika Sherwood, Steve Smith, Sterling Stuckey, Kira Thurman, Dan Whittall, and Clive Wilson.
In particular I would like to thank Leah Weinryb Grohsgal, whose research skills in Atlanta were invaluable, and Veronika Soul, who acted as my research amanuensis in New York when I could not be there myself.
Research for this book took me to many parts of the world, where the staff of archives and libraries were always welcoming and helpful. I met them at the following places and I would like to thank them all. Archives of American Art, Washington, D.C.; Akademie der Künste, Berlin; Associated Press Archives, New York; California State Archives; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit; Columbia University Libraries Manuscript Collection; Emory University Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library; Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Archives; Field Library, Peekskill, New York; George Mason University, Special Collections and Archives; Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford University; Harry S. Truman Library and Museum; Howard University, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center; Hull History Centre; International Social History Institute, Amsterdam; Library and Archives Canada; Library of Congress; Marx Memorial Library, London; National Archives of Australia; National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland; New York State Archives; People’s History Museum Archive and Study Centre, Manchester; Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University; Rutgers University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives; Robert W. Woodruff Library Archives and Special Collections, Atlanta University Center; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library; Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University; Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College; Smith College; Southern California Library; Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University; The National Archives, Kew, London; UCLA, Special Collections; University of British Columbia Manuscripts Collection; University of Kent, Special Collections and Archives; University of Minnesota Archives; University of Rochester, Special Collections; University of Sussex, Special Collections; University of Warwick Modern Records Centre; Wichita State University Special Collections and University Archives; Wisconsin Historical Society; Working Class Movement Library, Salford; York University Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections.
I would also like to thank the staff at University College London Library’s Interlending and Document Supply Department for cheerfully providing me with material from here, there, and everywhere.
At Verso, I would like to thank Tom Penn, who first commissioned this work, and Leo Hollis, my present editor, who has done so much to improve the final product. Mark Martin and Jane Halsey did a terrific job in getting the book into production and improving it even further along the way.
Will Francis, my agent, has been unflinching in his belief in and support of this project. His kind words have been great comfort to me.
The Society of Authors generously financed a number of important research trips to the eastern United States.
My sons, Danny and Ben, have always understood what book writing means to me, and I thank them for that understanding; and I thank my sister Pearl, who was there that day when the seed for this book was first sown.
I leave to the end the greatest thanks of all: to Dallas, whose love, patience and insight has made this book a joy to do as much as she is a joy to me. She has helped me with this book at every stage. I couldn’t have done it without her.