Overview

This volume studies the decline of a staple industry at a time of worldwide upheaval caused by war and economic slump. In 1913 British coalmining was at the height of its achievement and prosperity; by 1946 it was an ominous symbol of twentieth-century Britain's inability to adapt to technological and economic change and its social consequences. Written in the light of industrial and government records, this study gives full weight to the political aspects of economic decision-making and economic change. It demonstrates the extent to which the problems of the coal industry were, and still are, deeply rooted in its social, political, and economic history. It is also a classic case study of inflexibility in British industry.

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9780198282945

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Reviews

'One could not expect the work under review to be anything less than excellent.' Arthur Marwick, The London Review of Books 'this is the definitive work on the coal industry in the period. We are indebted to Professor Supple for a humane, wise and fresh look at an industry which was once Britain's biggest and whose problems have loomed accordingly large in her contemporary history.' Times Literary Supplement 'By pursuing the theme of political economy with vigour and determination he has presented a convincing analysis of the evolving history of the industry in which nationalism is seen to have been a moral and economic imperative.' M.W. Kirby, University of Lancaster, The Historical Association 'significant contribution to the political history of the inter-war period ... immensely detailed and thorough ... issues far beyond the limits of the coal and steel industries ... should be carefully read by any historian of inter-war Britain' M. J. Daunton, University College, London. English Historial Review' 'packed with valuable facts and figures about the industry during a crucial 33 years of the industry's life' Labour Research 'The analysis is wide-ranging, conducted at appropriate depth, and carried along with a verve that makes for interesting and informative reading ... a work of solid craftmanship ... which may be used with confidence not only by students of coal but by those concerned with business history in general in a twentieth-century context.' Neil K. Buxton, Hatfield Polytechnic, Business History

Spirited, splendidly researched, forcefully argued, and judicious....Supple's great achievement is that he has made the most troubled and decisive period of this history so intelligible. --Business History Review<br> A considerable achievement. Supple has quarried a great mass of material about matters economic, political, and social, and he has conveyed it lucidly through a skillful blend of narrative and analysis....The best book we have about coalmining during this crucial period. --Albion<br> His whole treatment of the complex relationships among owners, union, and governments is a great advance in fairness and in subtlety on any earlier work, and so is his critique of both the Sankey and Samuel Commission Reports. --Journal of Economic History<br> Maintains the high quality of the previously published volumes....Recommended for undergraduate and research libraries. --Choice<br>

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