Harold Rosen and English in Education and the Language Arts

Simon Gibbons has done a detailed, wide-ranging analysis of Harold, my father's, work. The book has enthused me with the will to join the dots between what I knew and what I only knew of by name. As a father, he was a hugely knowledgeable, funny, relentlessly questioning figure, jumping between earthy observation and scholarly viewpoints. This book matches my personal view in that it shows us Harold weaving his way between the concerns of the classroom teacher, the culture and language of school students and the downward pressure from those in charge of education. I'm both grateful for, and in awe of how Simon has synthesised all this into a coherent, accessible survey of Harold's life-work. - Michael Rosen Simon Gibbons has composed an authoritative account of and personal tribute to the work of one of the most influential thinkers, writers and activists in the world of English teaching and language and learning in the second half of the 20th century. Harold Rosen’s intellectual legacy is as relevant now as his words and acts were ground-breaking in his lifetime; and, in the current context of the politics of education, yet more sorely needed. - John Richmond, Editor