It is a hundred years since this unprecedented workers' strike took place. Nothing like this happened before or since and profoundly changed Britain and industrial relations, making Trade Unions become more political rather than militant activists and set the scene for the Labour party power. It divided society in social class terms between the workers and the employers and it was a defining moment in British social history.
This fascinating book starts with a list of the main characters, mostly politicians and rich employers as well as members of the aristocracy, including the current monarch, King George V. This is followed by a timeline of the significant events and serves as a useful reference guide. The book relays the background to the General Strike, how the issues with the miners influenced the whole country and how the strike grew exponentially. It makes a great read. It is a well sourced book, with plenty of quotes from documents, newspapers and private journals and shows how even the newly formed BBC acted as a kind of government propaganda device. It is never a dry account either, being informative as well as somewhat entertaining at times, the book kept my attention throughout. Highlights include how Oxford University students helped to unload the food from the ships in the docks, politicians daughters working in canteens and becoming drivers, and many wealthy people learn to drive trains and work in the railways. In a similar vein to the attitudes and effects of the World Wars, the General Strike was a great leveller, where middle class people had a taste of working class life. Realising that it would be a temporary thing, many of them saw it as a bit of an adventure to contribute to manual and menial work. Unlike the First World War though, it only lasted for nine days. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; essential for anyone interested in British history. Well written and could only be improved if more views from the strikers themselves or their families were included, although it's understandable why they are not. Highly recommended.
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc on 26 March 2026.
Advance review copy supplied by the publisher. 
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