The 1926 General Strike in Wolverhampton and the Black Country, by David Taylor
Book published by YouCaxton in 2017, 127 pages. Paperback (N7299)
Brand New Book
Brand New Book
From the rear side cover: In May 1926 Britain experienced a General Strike that lasted nine days. Why it occurred and what happened have been the subject of very polarised accounts, reflecting the different interpretations of the different groups of people involved as well as the differing viewpoints of the observers. Trade unionists, miners, the T.U.C., the Conservative government, Marxists and Communists, moderates, economists and, of course, historians of all shades of opinion, have all highlighted different aspects of this conflict.
Wolverhampton and the Black Country have been little involved in this debate, mainly because the most dramatic events took place elsewhere. However, all the issues of the General Strike were reflected in Wolverhampton and the Black Country and in such a way as to allow all the different opinions of the protagonists to be more clearly discerned. The general strike is variably interpretable, because it really did mean different things to different people and this book explores these different points of view within the context of Wolverhampton and the Black Country. Chapters include:
The Calling Of The General Strike
Government Preparations
Union Preparations
How Effective Were The Strikes?
How Loyal Were The Men To The Unions?
The Role Of Public Meetings
The Supply Of Fuel and Food
Reporting The General Strike
Photographs
The Churches
The Poor Law Unions And Unemployment Benefit (the dole)
Policing And The Courts
The End Of The General Strike
The Aftermath For The Unions
The Aftermath For Others
Was It An Industrial Dispute?
Or The Start Of A Revolution?
Conclusion