The thirteen essays in this book reflect the dual character of writing about the history of the British working class. The first section focuses on the outlook, organization, and policies of the Labour movement. The second section is concerned with central aspects of the social history of the working class. Together, these essays provide striking evidence of the ways in which the experience of class has pervaded virtually every corner of this nation's public life. They also show that the mixed political record of organized Labour, its hesitations and failures as well as its struggles and successes, cannot be understood without a full appreciation of the collective and individual lives of working people outside the political arena.
