Radical Unionism: The Rise and Fall of Revolutionary Syndicalism

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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Description

During the first two decades of the 20th Century, the ideas of revolutionary syndicalism developed into a major force within the international trade union movement. Yet, in country after country, this influence waned nearly as quickly as it took root. In this accessible and engaging history of Revolutionary Syndicalism, Darlington traces this rise and fall in six different countries.

Reviews

"[Radical Unionism] is a rich text and source of information. It deserves to and no doubt will become a standard point of reference for anyone wishing to understand the nature of syndicalism in the period under question." Martin Upchurch, Journal of Industrial Relations "This is a very valuable, well thought out and useful volume. . . . Darlington's work will remain a touchstone for scholarly debate on syndicalism for years to come." European History Quarterly "Darlingtons book impressively pulls together the diverse literature on syndicalism. But more importantly, by looking at syndicalist politics thematically and studying their often stormy relationship with the Communists after the Russian Revolution, he has done a service to all those grappling today with how to engage with the politics of trade unions and political trade unionism." Simon Basketer, International Socialism "All in all, Darlington has delivered an informative representation of syndicalism that highlights its essential features and lays out the debates and experiences that defined it in a clearly constructed synthesis." International Journal of Social History "Overall, then, it represents an ambitious and insightful attempt to synthesize a substantial volume of material." Labor History Review "Informed, informative, enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Radical Unionism: The Rise and Fall of Revolutionary Syndicalism" is an extraordinary work of seminal scholarship and highly recommended for academic library collections." The Midwest Book review
"[Radical Unionism] is a rich text and source of information. It deserves to and no doubt will become a standard point of reference for anyone wishing to understand the nature of syndicalism in the period under question." Martin Upchurch, Journal of Industrial Relations "This is a very valuable, well thought out and useful volume. . . . Darlington's work will remain a touchstone for scholarly debate on syndicalism for years to come." European History Quarterly "Darlingtons book impressively pulls together the diverse literature on syndicalism. But more importantly, by looking at syndicalist politics thematically and studying their often stormy relationship with the Communists after the Russian Revolution, he has done a service to all those grappling today with how to engage with the politics of trade unions and political trade unionism." Simon Basketer, International Socialism "All in all, Darlington has delivered an informative representation of syndicalism that highlights its essential features and lays out the debates and experiences that defined it in a clearly constructed synthesis." International Journal of Social History "Overall, then, it represents an ambitious and insightful attempt to synthesize a substantial volume of material." Labor History Review "Informed, informative, enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Radical Unionism: The Rise and Fall of Revolutionary Syndicalism" is an extraordinary work of seminal scholarship and highly recommended for academic library collections." The Midwest Book review

Author Bio

Ralph Darlington is Professor of Employment Relations at the University of Salford. His research is concerned with the dynamics of trade union organisation, activity and consciousness in Britain and internationally within both contemporary and historical settings. He is author of The Dynamics of Workplace Unionism), and The Political Trajectory of J.T. Murphy; co-author of Glorious Summer: Class Struggle in Britain; and editor of Whats the Point of Industrial Relations: In Defence of Critical Social Science.