Comrades & Cousins

COMRADES AND COUSINS:
Workers and the Politics of Class and Race in Britain, the USA and Australia from the 1880s to 1914

by Neville Kirk

The major aim of this book of is both to fill gaps in and further develop the field of cross-national comparative labour history.

The focus rests upon organised labour's attitudes and practices towards class, race and politics in Britain, Australia and the USA during the era of 'new imperialism', 1880s-1914. The book teases out similarities and differences among nations.

It is an ambitious, challenging and innovative study. It breaks new ground in terms of its subject matter and geographical focus, the questions posed, the answers given and the range of sources consulted. It is based largely upon primary sources drawn from the author's extensive research in Britain, Australia and the USA. The three essays comprising the book are published here for the first time.

The book will appeal to all those interested in the past, present and future of the labour movement and other progressive causes in an increasingly globalised context.

Contents:
Introduction - Labour in an International Context. - Chapter One: Transatlantic Connections and America 'Peculiarities': Labour Politics in the USA and Britain.
Chapter Two: The Australian 'Workingman's Paradise' in Comparative Perspective.
Chapter Three: The Rule of Class and the Power of Race: Socialist Attitudes to Class, Race and Empire. - Conclusion: Summary of key themes and findings, especially labour's inclusive and exclusive approaches to class and race. Plus the implications of these approaches for the role of labour in today's globalised world.