The Jarrow Crusade: Protest and Legend

by Matt Perry

The Jarrow Crusade is hailed as a defining moment of the hungry thirties. It was the protest of the people of a Tyneside town against the closure of their shipyard and the blocking of their new steelworks. More than any other protest, it is held up as a model for others to follow. Its rejection of politics and its courting of respectable opinion are seen as the reason for its success; this at least is the version of events that many will be familiar. However, the Crusade did not win jobs for Jarrow and a series of myths and folklore have come to surround the event. This book is an attempt to get to grips with the real history of the Crusade. It is a history that offers insights into the character of British society and into the nature of protest then and now.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[Andrew Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good analytical narrative that critiques the legend of the 'crusade' while honouring the struggles of the workers on it. The Jarrow March has tended to be lauded for its unthreatening 'apolitical' nature. in contrast to the hunger marches organised by the National Unemployed Workers Movement. Of course unemployment is intensely political, and Perry draws this out, while also linking to contemporary events such as the Abdication Crisis and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Ultimately the story isn't quite gripping enough to warrant five stars, but a strong effort nonetheless. His biography of 'Red Ellen' Wilkinson is also recommended.