The Working Class in Britain, 1850-1939

The first generation of postwar British labor historians tended to be preoccupied with working class activism. The history of the working class concentrated on trade unions, left-wing politics, parties, and activists. This book attempts to chart not only this struggle, but to describe and analyze the rich and varied tapestry of working class history as a whole. John Benson examines work, wages, incomes, and the cost of living; family, kinship, and community relations; the individual in the context of nation and class; and the labor movement in all its aspects.

John Benson is Professor of History, University of Wolverhampton.