The Wild Men
The Remarkable Story of Britain's First Labour Government -- A Waterstones Book of the Year 2024
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The Wild Men
Narrated by:
Nathaniel Priestley
Buy Now for £14.64
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Narrated by:
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Nathaniel Priestley
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By:
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David Torrance
A century ago a Labour government took power for the first time, meet the Wild Men who led the way...
'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, five 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.
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Critic reviews
[Keir Starmer] could do worse than read this book to ponder what history can teach.
Thoroughly researched… The Wild Men brings superbly to life figures whom history should not have forgotten. (Simon Heffer)
A highly readable, enjoyable and informative book. (John McTernan)
A meticulously researched collective biography. (Andrew Marr)
Excellent (Leo McKinstry)
Superb (Robert Hardman)
An engrossing account of the perilous course charted by Ramsay MacDonald… David Torrance illuminates all of this brilliantly. (Alan Johnson)
Torrance tells an absorbing, meticulous and balanced story. (Chris Mullin)
Torrance tells the story of each of this engrossing era’s main principals in a series of crisp, meticulously researched chapters. It was a fascinating period, and this is a timely, even racy account. (Roger Alton)
David Torrance’s lucid account, The Wild Men, tells a lot of the story through a series of well-crafted and elegantly written mini-biographies of the leading players, a good device for navigating a turbulent period of complex events and issues. (Andrew Rawnsley)
In The Wild Men David Torrance, a biographer and clerk at the House of Commons, tells the story of MacDonald’s rise and the first Labour government, its people, policies and purpose, with sympathy and fastidious attention to detail. His reading and research are exemplary…. [A] fascinating portrait. (Jason Cowley)
Lively, interesting [and] based on an impressive amount of archival research. A highly readable guide to a landmark historical episode.
With meticulous reconstruction and careful judgement, this is a fascinating piece of work with some intriguing parallels for our own times.
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.
Deeply researched.
A timely reappraisal of a momentous period in British politics.
Tightly focussed… even-handed… [an] in-depth study.
An accessible, entertaining and well-researched history… It is a welcome study of a period that should be better known. A collection of rich portraits of the leading figures of the government … Torrance has skilfully brought the history of the first Labour government alive.
Admirable, thoroughly researched and very readable account… Torrance offers rich character sketches and takes us through the often difficult history of the government with exemplary skill. (Allan Massie)
An insightful, analytical study…. Torrance has conducted some superb and dogged research into previously overlooked archives. (Ian Cawood)
Rooted in robust research, David Torrance’s new book casts fresh light on Britain’s first Labour government. (Baroness O’Grady)
Thoroughly researched piece
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Not so wild wild men
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A concise, but deep introduction to overlooked period of British history
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