The Edge of Revolution
The General Strike That Shook Britain
Published on 26. March 2026
288 pages
978-1-3994-2363-2 (ISBN)
Description
'David Torrance chronicles this decisive moment in British history with colourful, fascinating detail' - The Times
'Compelling ... Vivid ... Fascinating' - Financial Times
'Superb' - The Spectator
The extraordinary story of the General Strike of 1926, from the author of the critically acclaimed The Wild Men.
On Tuesday 4 May 1926, two million workers downed tools in the only nationwide all-hands strike ever held in Britain. The General Strike had begun, and the country braced itself for what many believed was a moment akin to the Russian Revolution, which had shaken the world only a decade earlier. Industry was deprived of gas and electricity; the buses, trains and trams all stopped; newspapers ceased publication; and workers abandoned mines and iron, steel and chemical works around the country.
The General Strike has entered our national mythology. Even though it lasted only nine days, it left a legacy of bitterness that has had a profound impact on politics.
Now, a century on, Torrance tells this dramatic story from the perspective of everyone involved, drawing on extensive archival research to recreate those nine days through the accounts of those who lived and breathed it. The result is an absorbing and comprehensive analysis of this unique episode in British history.
'Compelling ... Vivid ... Fascinating' - Financial Times
'Superb' - The Spectator
The extraordinary story of the General Strike of 1926, from the author of the critically acclaimed The Wild Men.
On Tuesday 4 May 1926, two million workers downed tools in the only nationwide all-hands strike ever held in Britain. The General Strike had begun, and the country braced itself for what many believed was a moment akin to the Russian Revolution, which had shaken the world only a decade earlier. Industry was deprived of gas and electricity; the buses, trains and trams all stopped; newspapers ceased publication; and workers abandoned mines and iron, steel and chemical works around the country.
The General Strike has entered our national mythology. Even though it lasted only nine days, it left a legacy of bitterness that has had a profound impact on politics.
Now, a century on, Torrance tells this dramatic story from the perspective of everyone involved, drawing on extensive archival research to recreate those nine days through the accounts of those who lived and breathed it. The result is an absorbing and comprehensive analysis of this unique episode in British history.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Illustrations
8pp mono plate section
File size
16,89 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-2363-2 (9781399423632)
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
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
03/2026
Bloomsbury Continuum
€25.00
Available immediately
Person
Dr David Torrance is a constitutional specialist at the House of Commons Library and a widely published historian of Scottish and UK politics as well as an experienced biographer of political figures such as the SNP politicians Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. He is the author of The Wild Men, published by Bloomsbury Continuum.
Content
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Table of contents
- Dramatis Personae
- The General Strike Timeline
- 1: 'The Great Trek'
- 2: The Origins of the General Strike
- 3: The Road to Anarchy and Ruin'
- 4: Anxious Times'
- 5: Blacklegs'
- 6: Napoleon-Churchill'
- 7: 'Raised Passions and Frayed Tempers'
- 8: 'The Big Three'
- 9: The stupidest Men in England'
- 10: The Archbishop, The Cardinal and The Moderator
- 11: That Wuthering Height'
- 12: The Civil Commissioners
- 13: An Utterly Illegal Proceeding'
- 14: The Judgement of Samuel
- 15: A grotesque Tragedy'
- 16: Afterlives
- 17: The General Strike Reconsidered
- Appendix
- End Notes
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgements
- Index
- Palets
- Copyright
