South Yorkshire People and Coal

For over a century, the mining industry was the beating heart of communities in South Yorkshire. Few in the 1970s could have foreseen that within a decade, the Tory Government would bring the industry to its knees, sparking a period of mass unemployment and social unrest, the effects of which still endure today. To many, the spontaneous celebrations following the announcement of Lady Thatcher's death in April 2013 came as no surprise. In South Yorkshire People and Coal, acclaimed local historian Peter Tuffrey presents an illustrated history of the mining industry in South Yorkshire, showing vividly the extent to which communities relied upon coal, and their desperation when the industry was taken from them. Pit sinkings, strikes, pickets, clashes with police, record hauls, tragedies, underground scenes, closures and redevelopment schemes are all recorded here as part of South Yorkshire's coal mining story. Once the pride of British industry, coal mining is now chiefly remembered for the gallant struggle of the miners to save their jobs and, therefore, their communities. South Yorkshire People and Coal is a tribute to their brave fight.