A.K. Chesterton and the Evolution of Britain’s Extreme Right 1933-1973

<p>Arthur Kenneth (A.K.) Chesterton was a soldier journalist and activist whose involvement with fascist and extreme right-wing politics in Britain spanned four decades. Beginning with his recruitment to Oswald Mosley’s ‘Blackshirts’ in the 1930s Chesterton’s ideological relationship with fascism nationalism and anti-Semitism would persist far beyond the collapse of the interwar movements culminating in his role as a founder of the National Front in 1967. </p><p>This study examines Chesterton’s significance as a bridging figure between two eras of extreme right activity in Britain and considers the ideological and organizational continuity that existed across the interwar and post-war periods. It further uses Chesterton's life as a means to explore the persistence of racism and anti-Semitism within British society as well as examining the political conflicts and tactical disputes that shaped the extreme right as it attempted to move ‘from the margins to the mainstream’.</p><p>This book will appeal to students and researchers with an interest in fascism studies British political history extremism and anti-Semitism.</p>