the making of the english working class by ep thompson

Its publication in 1963 was highly controversial in academia, but the work has become one of the most influential social commentaries every written. Thompson's magnum opus, The Making of the English Working Class defined early twentieth-century English social and economic history, leading many to consider him Britain's greatest postwar historian. Crucial to contemporary trends in all aspects of society, at the turn of the nineteenth century, these workers united into the class that we recognize all across the Western world today. Despite their lack of power and the indignity forced upon them by the upper classes, the working class emerged as England's greatest cultural and political force. Thompson shows how the English working class emerged through the degradations of the industrial revolution to. He is probably best known today for his historical work on the radical movements in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular The Making of the English Working Class (1963). A book that revolutionised our understanding of English social history. But the capitalist elite did not form the working class-the workers shaped their own creations, developing a shared identity in the process. Edward Palmer Thompson was an English historian, writer, marxist and peace campaigner. It remains incredibly relevant to the social and economic issues of current times, with the Guardian saying upon the book's fiftieth anniversary that it 'continues to delight and inspire new readers.A seminal text on the history of the working class by one of the most important intellectuals of the twentieth century.ĭuring the formative years of the Industrial Revolution, English workers and artisans claimed a place in society that would shape the following centuries. Its publication in 1963 was highly controversial in academia, but the work has become a seminal text on the history of the working class. Thompson's magnum opus, The Making of the English Working Class defined early twentieth-century English social and economic history, leading many to consider him Britain's greatest postwar historian. The title suggests a Fabian and the bulk makes one wary that its arxian. Crucial to contemporary trends in all aspects of society, at the turn of the nineteenth century, these workers united into the class that we recognize all across the Western world today.Į. But the capitalist elite did not form the working class - the workers shaped their own creations, developing a shared identity in the process. A history of the common people and the Industrial Revolution: 'A true masterpiece' and one of the Modern Library's 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the twentieth century ( Tribune ).ĭuring the formative years of the Industrial Revolution, English workers and artisans claimed a place in society that would shape the following centuries.

The making of the english working class by ep thompson