Glasgow has a rich and vibrant history of working-class revolt and although this book styles itself as “skeletal,” it’s a more than worthwhile contribution if only for the passion that the author brings to his subject.

Beginning in the late 18th century, Couzin’s story of “the city of compassion and wisdom” runs through to the present day, with major industrial strikes covered in reasonable detail. The UCS work- in of 1971-72 is fairly well known, yet others like the 1787 weavers’ strike are less so and Couzin does a valuable job in rescuing them and community-based struggles such as the great rent strikes from historical obscurity.

And he details the mass opposition to war and conscription that serve as a timely rebuke to revisionist accounts of anti-war movements.