Nine Days in May
The General Strike of 1926
1st Edition
Published on 26. March 2026
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-19-289453-3 (ISBN)
Description
The General Strike of 1926: the tragic story of how the world's best organized working class confronted the world's most powerful, and self-confident, government.
In May, 1926, nearly three million British workers downed tools to support nearly one million of their countrymen, miners whose employers meant to lengthen their working day and cut their pay. This General Strike brought the country to a grinding halt - which, according to Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, represented a threat not merely to the nation but to the parliamentary system itself. For nine days, the world's best organized working class confronted the world's most powerful, and self-confident, government. And yet the outcome was never in doubt, for Britain's most important trade-union leaders thought as Baldwin did, although they kept saying they were engaged in a wages dispute only. Really, they feared winning even more than they feared losing.
In Nine Days in May, award-winning author and historian Jonathan Schneer mines hitherto untapped archival sources to explain why and how the Strike came about, why and how it was waged and countered, why and how it ended. In addition to government reports and TUC reports, he uses reports of undercover agents and spies, "special" constables sworn in for the duration of the Strike, volunteer strike-breakers, Communist agitators, trade-union leaders and rank-and-file members of trade unions; also, of course, the papers of politicians of all parties.
This is a tale of Shakespearian dimensions, replete with tragic heroes and villains and buffoons and opportunists and double-dealers, and contending, evenly matched, forces - both of which meant to do their duty whatever the cost. There may never be another general strike in Britain, but the General Strike of 1926 was one for the ages, illuminating the human condition.
In May, 1926, nearly three million British workers downed tools to support nearly one million of their countrymen, miners whose employers meant to lengthen their working day and cut their pay. This General Strike brought the country to a grinding halt - which, according to Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, represented a threat not merely to the nation but to the parliamentary system itself. For nine days, the world's best organized working class confronted the world's most powerful, and self-confident, government. And yet the outcome was never in doubt, for Britain's most important trade-union leaders thought as Baldwin did, although they kept saying they were engaged in a wages dispute only. Really, they feared winning even more than they feared losing.
In Nine Days in May, award-winning author and historian Jonathan Schneer mines hitherto untapped archival sources to explain why and how the Strike came about, why and how it was waged and countered, why and how it ended. In addition to government reports and TUC reports, he uses reports of undercover agents and spies, "special" constables sworn in for the duration of the Strike, volunteer strike-breakers, Communist agitators, trade-union leaders and rank-and-file members of trade unions; also, of course, the papers of politicians of all parties.
This is a tale of Shakespearian dimensions, replete with tragic heroes and villains and buffoons and opportunists and double-dealers, and contending, evenly matched, forces - both of which meant to do their duty whatever the cost. There may never be another general strike in Britain, but the General Strike of 1926 was one for the ages, illuminating the human condition.
Reviews / Votes
Schneer tells his story so well that a new generation of readers should be grateful to him. * Max Hastings, Book of the Week, Sunday Times * In recalling the general strike, [Schneer does] something very valuable - [he rescues] the British industrial working class from what EP Thompson described as "the enormous condescension of posterity", a cultural condescension that relegates working people to under-footmen and scullery maids. * David Aaronovitch, Financial Times * Sophisticated and persuasive...Schneer provides a compelling picture of the miners' working conditions a century ago. * Colin Kidd, The Observer * A lively, readable account of the 1926 general strike, which, though it wears its scholarship lightly, is based on immersion in archival sources. * Brian Hanley, Irish Times * Vivid and readable ... [Nine Days in May goes] beyond the picturesque elements of the strike to examine its wider significance and the forces at play. Schneer's angle of vision is wide and he covers all aspects of the strike. * Richard Vinen, Literary Review * Readable and convincing...does the good historian's work in weighing up not just wage rates, but also the motives and actions of all the parties involved, drawing on elite sources and trade union sources while adding many more of his own. * Peter Mandler, History Today * Evocative, scholarly, and stylishly written... a comprehensive overview. * David Vaiani, The Critic * A comprehensive history that expands our understanding of the strike by drawing on new research... an engaging story. * Clare Griffiths, Times Literary Supplement * For those seeking analysis rather than a somewhat romanticized narrative, Schneer is the best book. * Duncan Bowie, Chartist * Nine Days in May describes the buildup to the strike in minute detail, imbuing the events with a cinematic tension...a thorough and compelling account. * Kate Bugos, The Tribune * An engrossing book that frames a moment in time. This was the age that made Orwell; an age of social decay and political ferment when the cracks of imperial decline were beginning to show * Unseen Histories * A brilliant new book. * Paul Nowak, Trade Unions Congress (TUC) * Brilliant...the best history I have read of an epic General Strike that divided the nation and galvanised millions. * Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, 2002-2024 * A marvellous book, combining the fascination of fly on the wall reporting with rigorous analysis and a deep understanding of the personalities and their motives. Every page seems to contain a fresh revelation or a new insight. It should quickly become the standard work on this defining moment in Britain's industrial and political history. * John Edmunds, former General Secretary of the GMB (General & Municipal & Boilermakers Union) * A clear, well-researched, and highly readable account of one of the most dramatic events in modern British history. For some time we have needed a fresh account of the General Strike: a time when many people believed the country to be on the brink of revolution. Here is that account - explaining a crucial moment in our past and putting our present troubles into perspective. * William Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford and former leader of the Conservative Party * Jonathan Schneer's new study of the 1926 General Strike is an indispensable addition to the existing literature. He has drawn upon much fascinating evidence, particularly archival, not previously seen, which has greatly widened our understanding of the behaviour of the government and the trade unions; and why the government won and the unions lost. * Ross McKibbin, University of Oxford * The General Strike was a titanic struggle between the world's oldest and best-organized labour movement and its most resolutely self-confident governing class. Jonathan Schneer tells its story as a tale of tragedy and triumph shot through with telling detail and striking surprises. It is a definitive account for our times. * Marc Mulholland, University of Oxford and author of The Murderer of Warren Street: The True Story of a Nineteenth Century Revolutionary *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
20 black and white images, 5 maps
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 169 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
700 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-289453-3 (9780192894533)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jonathan Schneer was an Assistant Professor at Yale University from 1979-84 and an Associate and Full Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology until 2018, when he retired. The recipient of numerous academic fellowships and awards, he has written numerous books, one of which, The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of Arab-Israeli Conflict (2010), won a National Jewish Book Award.
Content
Part One: Context 1: Miners 2: Owners 3: Unions Part Two: Confrontation 4: Fridays: Red and Black 5: Hiatus 6: Crisis Part Three: Conflict 7: Crescendo 8: Climax 9: Coup de Grace Part Four: Conflagration 10: Specter 11: Volunteers 12: Spies, Snitches and "Specials" 13: The Communist Party (I) 14: The Communist Party (II) 15: Eccleston Square 16: Police and Military 17: A Day in the Strike Part Five: Contrails 18: Ending It (I) 19: Ending It (II) 20: The Burghers of Calais 21: Conclusion: Reflections, Deductions, Speculations Acknowledgements Endnotes Bibliography Index