Head of Zeus seizes history of communism by broadcaster and journalist Mason

Head of Zeus has seized Reds: The History of Communism from the Neolithic to Xi’s China by broadcaster, journalist and author Paul Mason.

Iain MacGregor, publishing director for non-fiction, acquired world rights from Matthew Hamilton at The Hamilton Agency. The book will be published in hardback, trade paperback, audio and e-book in the autumn of 2026.

In the book, Mason sets out to tell the global history of communism, as "an idea, a movement and a regime". The synopsis says: "Reds traces the history of the idea, through revolts in the ancient and medieval worlds, and chronicles the rise of 19th-century anti-capitalist movements... But, he argues, the story is not over.

"Western democracies are stagnant and lacking self-belief. Looming climate chaos demands radical economic answers. Millions of people in the Global South see China’s offer of authoritarian, state-led development model as a viable alternative. And among the Western left, new forms of techno-egalitarianism vie with right-wing libertarianism in the battle over the digital future."

Mason, the former economics editor of BBC "Newsnight" and "Channel 4 News", is a freelance journalist and broadcast commentator. He is the author of seven books including Postcapitalism (Farrar, Straus and Giroux),  How to Stop Fascism (Allen Lane) and Rare Earth: A Novel (No Exit Press). His awards include RTS Specialist Broadcaster of the Year in 2011 and the Erich Fromm Prize in 2020.

Mason said: "Twenty years ago, we thought we’d seen the last of communism...Today, the biggest political party in the world calls itself communist, and so does the world’s most successful economy. So, I think we’re going to need a different kind of history to all those valedictory tomes written by the Cold War’s ideological victors.

"I hope, above all, it will kill stone dead the current trendy nostalgia for the Stalin era, and help us understand why so many people, even today, are prepared to swap freedom for economic progress. I am thrilled to be joining the team at Head of Zeus and the larger Bloomsbury family, to produce what I hope will be seen as an original and definitive analysis of this phenomenon."

MacGregor added: "I have long been an admirer of Paul’s writing and broadcasting and he was always someone I wanted to publish. We are all hugely impressed by the breadth he will bring to this all-consuming subject. I am excited to work alongside him to publish a book we hope will both educate and inform readers across the globe about this enduringly fascinating and, in recent decades, murderous philosophy."