I had not heard of this woman before I stumbled across her autobiography on LibriVox.org. I suppose that is a reflection of a lack of knowledge of the historical roots of the Labor movement and modern Atheism. The blurb associated with the book convinced me to try it. I am glad I did.
While the book details her life, it is more a record of her intellectual journey from Christianity to Atheism to Theosophy. The book ends as she is embracing Theosophy so the later part of life in India is not included.
To call Annie Besant complex is to but scratch the depth and passions of her nature. From an early education strong on Evangelical Christian principles she became one of the best know atheist of her era.
She fought for the poor and working classes in the end embracing Socialism.
She and Charles Bradlaugh published a pamphlet on birth control. This was a hugely controversial thing to do in Victorian England. She knew before they did it that it could have all sorts of implications to her life. Continue reading “Annie Besant (her autobiography)”