The Boy with the Knapsack

An Extraordinary Life, from the Kindertransport to the House of Lords

Alf Dubs

• Publisher: Ithaka
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9781806174157
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

'Dubs has been described as the conscience of the Labour movement' The Guardian

'Principled, steely, wise and warm - as wonderful as the writer' Philippe Sands

'A great story told by a great man' Alastair Campbell

From the Kindertransport to the House of Lords, one of Britain's best-loved political figures reflects on the last eight decades.

Escaping the Nazis to arrive in Britain as a child refugee, growing up in 1950s Manchester, and making it to London in time for the swinging 60s; by the time Alf Dubs reached adulthood, he'd already lived a remarkable life. But nobody could have predicted what happened next.

Selected as a candidate for the Labour Party, Dubs campaigned for Labour through the tumultuous politics of the 1970s, eventually winning the seat of Battersea South in time for the Thatcher era. After nearly a decade in opposition, he entered the House of Lords in 1994 and later served under Tony Blair as a Minister for Northern Ireland during the Troubles. A lifelong champion of human rights, in 2016 the Dubs Amendment was passed in response to the migrant crisis. Respected across political parties, to this day at the age of 93, Dubs continues to campaign for the rights of child refugees from his seat in the House of Lords.

The Boy With The Knapsack is one man's life story, but it is also a fascinating first-hand account of Britain over the last eight decades, and a reminder of the values of decency and humanity that unite us.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Prologue
• Part One – Refugee
• Part Two – Member of Parliament
• Part Three – Life Peer
• Part Four – Minister
• Part Five – Campaigner
• Hopes for the Future
• Acknowledgements
• Index
• Plates