Penguin Books

Angered by the racism he witnessed on Martinique during the Second World War, Fanon here examines the roles of class, culture and violence, and expresses his profound alienation from the idea of colonialism and its bloodshed. More than four decades on, Fanon's work still inspires liberation movements today....

The Communist Manifesto changed the face of the twentieth century beyond recognition, inspiring millions to revolution, forming the basis of political systems thet still dominate countless lives and continuing to ignite violent debate about class and capitalism today....

The book that created the modern United States, Paine's incendiary call for Americans to revolt against British rule converted millions to the cause of independence and set out a vision of a just society - free from corrupption and cronyism - which remains inspiring today....

Freud's epoch-making insights revolutionized our perception of the self, and founded the theories of psychoanalysis; here he presents his theory of an innate "death drive" - arguing that civilization distorts natural aggression to impose a terrible burden of guilt upon us....

Gibbon's subversive and iconoclastic description of the rise of Christianity inspired outrage upon publication, and remains one of the most eloquent and damning indictments of the delusory nature of faith....

Beautifully written yet highly controversial, An Image of Africa asserts Achebe's belief in Joseph Conrad as a 'bloody racist' and his conviction that Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness only serves to perpetuate damaging stereotypes of black people, while The Trouble with Nigeria is a searing outpouring of Achebe's frustrations with his country....