58 pages • 1 hour read
The Making of the English Working Class
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Book Brief
848
Book • Nonfiction
England • 18th and 19th centuries
1963
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
The Making of the English Working Class by E. P. Thompson details the emergence of the English working class in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, exploring its development in response to political repression and economic exploitation. The book illustrates how the working class gained a distinct identity, culminating in the Reform Act of 1832. The reader should be aware of depictions of systemic oppression and exploitative labor conditions.
Informative
Gritty
Challenging
Melancholic
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
E. P. Thompson's The Making of the English Working Class is widely praised for its rich detail and groundbreaking perspective on the rise of industrial labor. Critics applaud its passionate narrative and thorough research, though some note its dense prose and occasional ideological bias. Overall, it's considered a seminal work in social history.
Who Should Read The Making of the English Working Class?
Ideal for history enthusiasts and social scientists, readers of E. P. Thompson's The Making of the English Working Class usually have an interest in labor history and class dynamics. Comparable to those who appreciate Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, they seek thorough scholarship that foregrounds the experiences of ordinary people.
William Cobbett
William Cobbett
Cobbett was a Radical polemicist known for his publication, the Political Register, which criticized government corruption and wars. In the book, he is portrayed as a key figure offering the working class a critical perspective on ruling-class oppression.
Francis Place
Francis Place
An erstwhile Jacobin member, Place played a significant role in the 1824 repeal of the Combination Acts, and his collection of historical documents is heavily utilized by Thompson.
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Though not directly involved in the book's major events, Paine is recognized for his influential work, Rights of Man, which provided foundational ideas for the English working class.
Lord Sidmouth
Lord Sidmouth
In his role as Home Secretary, Sidmouth is noted for using a network of spies against Radicals, and his reports are essential sources for Thompson.
Colonel Edmund Despard
Colonel Edmund Despard
Despard is depicted as a symbol of Radicalism and a connection between 1790s Jacobinism and early 19th-century Radical activities.
848
Book • Nonfiction
England • 18th and 19th centuries
1963
Adult
18+ years
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