Arthur Horner (1894-1968) was a miners' leader who played a crucial role in the fight for a national mineworkers union, and in the development of the National Coal Board. He was a champion of the Republicans in Spain; he was imprisoned several times for his views. But it was his warmth, good humour and enthusiasm which made 'little Arthur' really memorable. Forced by poverty to leave school at the age of eleven, Horner devoted his life to the struggle for socialism. This biography documents admirably his major contribution to trade unionism, and to the creation of a social democratic commonwealth in postwar Britain. Volume 1 covers Horner's youth, the General Strike of 1926, and his rise to president of the South Wales Miners Federation in 1936. It shows how Horner's leadership qualities evolved, culminating in his role securing coal supplies during the Second World War, and the negotiations for the nationalisation of the coal industry. It also documents the struggles between Horner and the leadership of the Communist Party.
