The Edge of Revolution: The General Strike that Shook Britain

‘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.