Overview

The inter-relationship of coal, community and politics is central to the history of modern Wales and, for many, the South Wales valleys symbolize the culture of coalfield communities. This text offers a different insight into mining history. It examines the history of the North Wales coalfield.

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9780708317068

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Reviews

'This volume provides much more than the narrow, institutional history of one small group of workers, in one small part of the country, in what was becoming one small industry. This is history with an explicit political and historiographical agenda ... this deeply felt, thoroughly researched, consistently authoritative and highly readable study provides a valuable addition to the changing canon of miners' trade union history ...'(Labour History Review) ' ... extremely well researched ... an outstanding work, which it is hard to imagine will be superseded for many years ... This is a compelling thesis, superbly researched and carefully argued. The book has implications far beyond the lost world of the north Wales coalfield, however, and should be of use to all historians interested in mining communities, labour, and the social and political history of the post-war British and Welsh working classes.' (History Vol 89, No 293, Jan 2004) '...Gildart's book provides a clear and fascinating account of NUM politics both within the north Wales area and between that area and others and the national officers ... The book is a major contribution to its subject and, more broadly, to Welsh history and it deserves a very wide readership... '(Welsh History Review) '...a highly readable, coherent, compelling narrative. The volume is eminently well produced, fully documented and indexed, and contains a number of fascinating illustrations relevant to the theme of the discussion. This unfailingly scholarly volume is a major contribution to our understanding of the social, political and industrial history of north Wales since World War Two, and helps to shift the perspective away from our near obsession with industrial south Wales where indeed coal was king . One anticipates eagerly the appearance of further volumes in this notable series.' www gwales.com ' ...North Wales Miners is a comprehensive, scholarly examination of North Wales coal mining ... an important contribution to industrial sociology and labor history... In illuminating tensions between the national and local unions, Gildart successfully offers an alternative to the overgeneralized depiction of this important area of research... ' (Contemporary Sociology)

"'This volume provides much more than the narrow, institutional history of one small group of workers, in one small part of the country, in what was becoming one small industry. This is history with an explicit political and historiographical agenda ... this deeply felt, thoroughly researched, consistently authoritative and highly readable study provides a valuable addition to the changing canon of miners' trade union history ...'(Labour History Review) ' ... extremely well researched ... an outstanding work, which it is hard to imagine will be superseded for many years ... This is a compelling thesis, superbly researched and carefully argued. The book has implications far beyond the lost world of the north Wales coalfield, however, and should be of use to all historians interested in mining communities, labour, and the social and political history of the post-war British and Welsh working classes.' (History Vol 89, No 293, Jan 2004) '...Gildart's book provides a clear and fascinating account of NUM politics both within the north Wales area and between that area and others and the national officers ... The book is a major contribution to its subject and, more broadly, to Welsh history and it deserves a very wide readership... '(Welsh History Review) '...a highly readable, coherent, compelling narrative. The volume is eminently well produced, fully documented and indexed, and contains a number of fascinating illustrations relevant to the theme of the discussion. This unfailingly scholarly volume is a major contribution to our understanding of the social, political and industrial history of north Wales since World War Two, and helps to shift the perspective away from our near obsession with industrial south Wales where indeed ""coal was king"". One anticipates eagerly the appearance of further volumes in this notable series.' www gwales.com ' ...North Wales Miners is a comprehensive, scholarly examination of North Wales coal mining ... an important contribution to industrial sociology and labor history... In illuminating tensions between the national and local unions, Gildart successfully offers an alternative to the overgeneralized depiction of this important area of research... ' (Contemporary Sociology)"

Author Information

A former North Wales miner himself, Keith Gildart is currently a Research Fellow in Politics at the University of York and an Editor of the Dictionary of Labour Biography. He has published widely on British and Welsh labour history.

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