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A People's History of London
The forgotten history of the world capital of revolution.
In the eyes of Britain’s heritage industry, London is the traditional home of empire, monarchy and power, an urban wonderland for the privileged, where the vast majority of Londoners feature only to applaud in the background.
Yet, for nearly 2000 years, the city has been a breeding ground for radical ideas, home to thinkers, heretics and rebels from John Wycliffe to Karl Marx. It has been the site of sometimes violent clashes that changed the course of the Levellers’ doomed struggle for liberty in the aftermath of the Civil War; the silk weavers, match girls and dockers who crusaded for workers’ rights; and the Battle of Cable Street, where East Enders took on Oswald Mosley’s Black Shirts.
A People’s History of London journeys to a city of pamphleteers, agitators, exiles and revolutionaries, where millions of people have struggled in obscurity to secure a better future.
In the eyes of Britain’s heritage industry, London is the traditional home of empire, monarchy and power, an urban wonderland for the privileged, where the vast majority of Londoners feature only to applaud in the background.
Yet, for nearly 2000 years, the city has been a breeding ground for radical ideas, home to thinkers, heretics and rebels from John Wycliffe to Karl Marx. It has been the site of sometimes violent clashes that changed the course of the Levellers’ doomed struggle for liberty in the aftermath of the Civil War; the silk weavers, match girls and dockers who crusaded for workers’ rights; and the Battle of Cable Street, where East Enders took on Oswald Mosley’s Black Shirts.
A People’s History of London journeys to a city of pamphleteers, agitators, exiles and revolutionaries, where millions of people have struggled in obscurity to secure a better future.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 17, 2013
The authors, German and Rees, were both committee members of the Socialist Workers Party, which colors the perspective of the book. But even a less politically motivated historian would agree that Britain’s history of relations between “the people,” (who are, in this book, the poor and working class), and the ruling class of Britain has been contentious. Skip the silly, politically correct first two pages of the introduction, and move on to chapters one through nine. This part of the book does an excellent job of locating the poor and working class in history, and representing the popular movements for their advancement. Throughout the majority of the chapters, it is a well-researched and footnoted study.
From chapter 11 "Welcome to the Modern World," the book begins a transformation from a researched history to a record of personal memories and political opinions. Footnotes are very telling. The footnotes for this chapter include: citations like “L. German, personal recollection,” writings of socialist colleagues in the authors’ generation, and frequent references to “Socialist Worker” a newspaper of the party personally organized by German. So we have exited the realm of historical research. One reaches a section entitled “The Thatcher Nightmare” and it’s opinion to the end of the book.
For a more in depth review of this and other titles, visit greatnonfictionbooks.blogspot.com
From chapter 11 "Welcome to the Modern World," the book begins a transformation from a researched history to a record of personal memories and political opinions. Footnotes are very telling. The footnotes for this chapter include: citations like “L. German, personal recollection,” writings of socialist colleagues in the authors’ generation, and frequent references to “Socialist Worker” a newspaper of the party personally organized by German. So we have exited the realm of historical research. One reaches a section entitled “The Thatcher Nightmare” and it’s opinion to the end of the book.
For a more in depth review of this and other titles, visit greatnonfictionbooks.blogspot.com
August 15, 2012
Liked it, although its' no history of 'everyday' London life--rather a history of protest in London (which of course what 'people's history' has become to mean). Typically of leftist writing, the argument and storyline makes perfect sense until the very latest period of 'neoliberal London'. It is here where the authors quite correctly say that the student protests and 2011 riots were part of dissatisfaction with the handling of the economy. Quite right, but that is far from any kind of class consciousness, which is much more debatable in the recent happenings. Also, saying that the working class has embraced multiculturalism is an exaggeration to say the least. The base for the BNP and the English Defense League etc. is solidly working class. Union or party condemnation of racism doesn't make it 'people's' opinion yet. Those things said, I think it's a worthy read and a very nice alternative to the 'monarchy industry' which still dominates history writing in the UK and (in different forms) in many other countries.
June 29, 2023
Reading this book with a friend so we can discuss chapter by chapter. Absolutely loving it so far and learned so much about my home town. I love how after WW1 soldiers refused to go to fight in Russia to break the revolution. What ever happened to working class consciousness in this country as it drifts off to the far right? Still with the hundreds of strikes all over the country at the moment and the thousands of workers involved perhaps that trend is being staunched. Will continue review when I get to the end but so far loving it!
February 6, 2015
Perhaps I will return to this one day but I doubt it. As usual, once we reach the 1600s my interest plummets. I'm just not as interested in revolutions as I thought, which is strictly what this text is about.
January 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Its a mammoth subject for one cities history but it is written with a real feel for the city that has been home to my immediate and wider family for generations.
It's not made by great men as Gang of Four once sang.
It's not made by great men as Gang of Four once sang.
June 14, 2025
There are a few annoying left-wing tics here e.g. the authors state that Richard I went on crusade to Palestine, but overall an interesting and well-researched book that discusses aspects of London's history that other books omit
July 25, 2017
A very shallow take that failed to hold my interest.
January 17, 2025
Bland, flavourless, perfectly inoffensive: here's a breezily doctrinaire history spanning the Roman foundation of London and the 2012 Olympics. Given this huge ambit, the book ought to be at least twice its size. No reader, however, would wish it to be a page longer. The people of London that the authors claim to valorise seem to have no existence outside of class struggle. Here we find no cultural passions or private vicissitudes ; the urban masses are defined solely by their conflicts with the elites. You'll find more signs of life in Peter Ackroyd or Ben Judah. This is informative enough, but inessential reading.
April 7, 2016
An amazingly well researched, readable, and eyebrow-raising history of London like no other. This is the history of London told through demonstrations, riots, strikes, mass mobilized marches, and the like. The authors create a story about London told from the perspective of the ignored, marginalized, and hard-working classes.
It starts in Roman times, and finishes up with Tony Blair's "reveal" to be a neo-liberal. That's a lot of history to cover. They are at their best in the 1600s to the 1800s in my view, but the chapters on World War 1 were heart-rending. The left really struggled, but it goes to show that even a few good things done by people won't be forgotten.
If you would like to see London as a city that is all about political demonstrations and standing up for people, worker's rights, women, minorities, and the like - this book is great. They also clearly identify in modern, landmark terms where these historical sites are so you can check them out.
They make two very compelling arguments in the book. The first is how in 1977 the government dealt a big blow to organized labor. The second is how Thatcher and Murdoch conspired to move the press away from Fleet Street into the corporate areas of London, preventing loss of control and press strikes, etc. Both are very well detailed. I got a lot out of this book and will never see London the same way!
It starts in Roman times, and finishes up with Tony Blair's "reveal" to be a neo-liberal. That's a lot of history to cover. They are at their best in the 1600s to the 1800s in my view, but the chapters on World War 1 were heart-rending. The left really struggled, but it goes to show that even a few good things done by people won't be forgotten.
If you would like to see London as a city that is all about political demonstrations and standing up for people, worker's rights, women, minorities, and the like - this book is great. They also clearly identify in modern, landmark terms where these historical sites are so you can check them out.
They make two very compelling arguments in the book. The first is how in 1977 the government dealt a big blow to organized labor. The second is how Thatcher and Murdoch conspired to move the press away from Fleet Street into the corporate areas of London, preventing loss of control and press strikes, etc. Both are very well detailed. I got a lot out of this book and will never see London the same way!
May 17, 2017
This book is about half on the general history and development of London from it's founding under the Romans up to the present day.
The other half is about the history of the socialist and labor movements that took place in London starting with Marx and Engels in the 19th century. That is the reason for the word "People's" in the title. The 2 star rating is because I had essentially no interest in the leftist history half of the book.
The other half is about the history of the socialist and labor movements that took place in London starting with Marx and Engels in the 19th century. That is the reason for the word "People's" in the title. The 2 star rating is because I had essentially no interest in the leftist history half of the book.
April 19, 2015
I didn't realize when I bought this book it was a history of London written from a Marxist perspective. Apparently there is a series of "People's History" books. In any event, an interesting perspective and certainly contains some information I had not come across previously.
April 6, 2016
A fairly predictable skim through a history of radical movements in London. Mostly entertaining but short on analysis.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews