A book that proves nothing remains the same. History is a weapon. The rich have their own version of events, the people have another. And if we understand how the past was shaped, we equip ourselves to face the future.

This is a story of struggle, revolution, and social change – of humans, hunters, herders; emperors and slaves; of the man-master and the women; the rich and the poor; dictators and revolutionaries. From the ancient empires of Persia and Rome to the Russian Revolution, the Vietnam War, and the crash of 2008, a narrative of greed and violence unfolds, but also of solidarity and resistance.

Time and again in the past, the demand for a different society has been insistent. Humanity has always fought for a better life. This book shows us that the many have the power to change the world. A global history written from below.

"In a world of escalating dangers, where reactionary narratives continue to dominate the public sphere, Neil Faulkner is a powerful and necessary exception, as he reminds us of the real radical history that drives social and political evolution." Rachel Holmes

"One of the brightest historians of the left." John Newsinger

"Deliriously ambitious." New Internationalist