The Wild Men

The Remarkable Story of Britain's First Labour Government

David Torrance

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Hardback

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English

Continuum
30 April 2024

Biography: historical, political & military; History; Political ideologies; Political leaders & leadership; Political structures: democracy; Political parties

'Thoroughly researched… brings superbly to life figures whom history should not have forgotten.' - Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph

'A highly readable, enjoyable and informative book.' - John McTernan, Financial Times

'A meticulously researched collective biography.' - Andrew Marr, New Statesman

'Superb' -- New Statesman

'Fascinating' -- The Sunday Times

In 1923, four short years since the end of the First World War, and after the passing of the Act which gave all men the vote, an inconclusive election result and the prospect of a constitutional crisis opened the door for a radically different sort of government: men from working-class backgrounds who had never before occupied the corridors of power at Westminster. Who were these ‘wild men’? Ramsay MacDonald, their leader and Labour’s first Prime Minster, was the illegitimate son of a Scottish farm labourer; Arthur Henderson was a Scottish iron moulder; J. H. Thomas, a Welsh railwayman; John Wheatley, an Irish-born miner and publican; and William Adamson, a Fife coal miner. Never before had men from such backgrounds occupied the corridors of power in Westminster.

The Wild Men tells the story of that first Labour administration – its unexpected birth, fraught existence, and controversial downfall – through the eyes of those who found themselves in the House of Commons, running the country for the people. Blending biography and history into a compelling narrative, David Torrance reassesses the UK’s first Labour government a century after it shook up a British establishment still reeling from the War – and how the establishment eventually fought back.

This is an extraordinary period in British political history which echoes down the years to our current politics and laid the foundations for the Britain of today.

By: David Torrance
Imprint: Continuum
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: Unabridged edition
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781399411431
ISBN 10: 1399411438
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 30 April 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

David Torrance is a constitutional specialist at the House of Commons Library and a widely published historian of Scottish and UK politics. He has written unauthorised biographies of SNP politicians Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, as well as the biography of David Steel.

Reviews for The Wild Men: The Remarkable Story of Britain's First Labour Government

Thoroughly researched… The Wild Men brings superbly to life figures whom history should not have forgotten. * The Daily Telegraph * A highly readable, enjoyable and informative book. * The Financial Times * Lively, interesting [and] based on an impressive amount of archival research. A highly readable guide to a landmark historical episode. * Richard Toye, author of Age of Hope: Labour, 1945, and the Birth of Modern Britain. * With meticulous reconstruction and careful judgement, this is a fascinating piece of work with some intriguing parallels for our own times. * Peter Hennessy * Torrance’s book is (and I don’t think I have ever described a political history book in these words) riveting. It is a joy to read; it is highly illuminating; it is – to me – a revelation. * NetGalley review *