Rebel Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Radical History

“There is so much that is inspirational in this book, whether the struggles of Jewish tailors in Spitalfields, bakers across the city (who were obliged to work 16-hour shifts in poorly ventilated basements), or the battles against fascism in Cable Street.” ― Guardian If you visit London, and you’ve only experienced Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, and The Millennium Wheel, you’ve missed the true essence of London, and its politically-charged, rebellious history. A truly radical response to conservative heritage tours and banal day trips, Rebel Footprints brings to life the history of social movements in England’s capital by providing lively commentary, maps, and walking tours you will not find anywhere else. David Rosenberg transports readers from well-known landmarks to history-making hidden corners, while telling the story of protest and struggle in London from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. From the suffragettes to the socialists, from the chartists to the trade unionists: Rosenberg invites us to step into the footprints of a diverse cast of dedicated fighters for social justice. Individual chapters highlight particular struggles and their participants, from famous faces to lesser-known luminaries. Chapters include: *Writers and Rioters in the Fleet Street Precinct *Trailblazers for Democracy in Clerkenwell Green *The Spark of Rebellion in Bow *Coming in from the Cold: Immigrant Agitators and Radicals in Spitalfields *No Gods, No Masters: Radical Bloomsbury *Life on the Boundary: Fighting for Housing in Bethnal Green and Shoreditch *Stirrings from the South: The Battersea Four *peaking Truth to Power: Suffragettes and Westminster *Not Afraid of the Prison Walls: Rebel Women and Men of Poplar *People’s Power in Bermondsey Rebel Footprints sets London’s radical campaigners against the backdrop of the city’s multi-faceted development. Self-directed walks pair with narratives that seamlessly blend history, politics, and geography, while specially commissioned maps and illustrations immerse the reader in the story of the city. Whether you’re visiting London for the first time, or born and raised there, Rosenberg invites you to see London as you never have before—the radical center of the English-speaking world.