{"product_id":"2026100008288-secondhand-captain-swing","title":"Captain Swing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003eCondition: G. Jacket: N\/A (paperback, no dust jacket). Page Condition: Yellowed. Markings: No markings. Binding condition: Good, spine intact. Cover: Black with minor surface wear; appears unread.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaptain Swing chronicles one of the most dramatic episodes of rural unrest in English history — the Swing Riots of 1830, when desperate agricultural labourers across southern England rose up against the introduction of threshing machines and the brutal conditions of rural poverty. Written with the authority of two of the twentieth century's foremost social historians, the book uncovers the economic and social forces that drove ordinary men to arson, machine-breaking, and collective action under the mysterious banner of the mythical Captain Swing. Hobsbawm and Rudé present a meticulously researched account that reconstructs the geography, sociology, and human drama of the revolt county by county, drawing on court records, newspapers, and parish documents. The tone is rigorous yet deeply sympathetic, illuminating how the rioters were not criminals but rather working people pushed to the edge by an indifferent ruling class. A landmark work of history from below, it remains essential reading for anyone interested in labour history, rural England, and the roots of social protest.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49130766663899,"sku":"2026100008288-SECONDHAND","price":20.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/e2e06278-dae3-408c-abab-504a9033dc8c.png?v=1786589623","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026100008288-secondhand-captain-swing","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}