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 considers the British "working class" in its most authentic period and demonstrates the validity as an historical concept.

John Benson is Professor of History, University of Wolverhampton.