“This autobiography tells the story of a political activist over some sixty years. In his school days Bob Newland was a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Later he was active in the Communist and Labour parties.

‘A great part of this book concerns his solidarity with the South African liberation struggle, and clandestine missions into apartheid South Africa, a tribute to his exceptional courage. This involved setting off leaflet bombs, harmless but effective in spreading the ANC’s message to the black masses; and being part of a reception party awaiting guerrilla fighters landing from a vessel off the South African coast.’ [Ronnie Kasrils, introduction}

Time and again, I’ve seen that it’s often the small acts that keep a movement alive. A single pamphlet tucked under a door, a supportive letter sent to a prisoner, a local boycott that chips away at an oppressive regime’s morale. These moments might seem insignificant in isolation, yet collectively, they can prepare the ground for massive change. It’s easy to focus on the dramatic peaks of history and forget that behind every ‘overnight’ success story stands a decade or more of patient, quiet work. “