This work investigates the social and physical history of the Victorian navvies, the laborers responsible for constructing the railway infrastructure of nineteenth-century England. Terry Coleman utilizes archival records and contemporary accounts to reconstruct the lives of these transient workers, arguing that their collective labor formed the backbone of the industrial revolution despite the systemic exploitation and hazardous conditions they faced throughout their careers.

Historians and readers frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the human cost of the Victorian industrial expansion. The prose is noted for its accessibility while maintaining a rigorous focus on the social realities of the era.