Brian Pearce

Adept and prolific in Russian-to-English translation, Pearce was regarded at the time of his death as "one of the most acute scholars of Russian history and British communism never to have held an academic post."

[3] Pearce had been expected to get a first in History and win a scholarship to further pursue his research in the Tudor period, en route to a career in academia, but instead received an upper second on his last exam.

He laboured at that unpleasant task for two years before discovering that another person was almost finished ploughing the same research ground, making award of a PhD unlikely.

[5] He subsequently left the civil service to work in various Communist Party-related capacities, including as a member of the staff of The Daily Worker, for the Anglo-Soviet Friendship Society, and as a teacher of English at various East European embassies in London.

[5] He was also a member of the Communist Party Historians Group, which conducted serious historical research into various questions of the British labour movement.

[5] After being expelled from the Communist Party, Pearce turned to Trotskyism as a member of the Socialist Labour League, a membership he retained for many years.

He was skilled at his craft, combining accuracy with a highly readable style, and was a three-time winner of the Scott Moncrieff Prize for his work.