The essays in this volume deal with various aspects of the history of the revolutionary socialist current in the United States that came to be identified as American Trotskyism . One of the most dynamic currents in the U.S. left from the late 1920s to the 1980s, deeply committed to working class democracy and internationalism, it had an intellectual and political impact well beyond the number of its members. The essays offer the most definitive history of that movement to be produced so far, giving a sense of some of its most colourful personalities and outstanding achievements - as well as its serious limitations. This work is an essential starting point, offering a sample bibliography for those who wish to carry out further research. More than this, the author develops interpretations that confront the meaning of revolutionary politics in the U.S., as they relate the efforts of the Trotskyists to the broader developments of the twentieth century.