This book investigates the causes, execution, and lasting political consequences of the 1839 Newport Insurrection, the most significant armed conflict between the British government and the working class during the industrial era. David E. H. Jones examines the motivations of the Chartist miners who marched on Newport and the subsequent military response by government forces. By analyzing primary accounts and the socio-political climate of the 1830s, the author constructs a detailed narrative of how this violent confrontation shaped the trajectory of the Chartist movement and influenced future labor relations in Britain.

Historians and scholars of 19th-century British labor movements frequently cite this work as a definitive account of the Newport uprising. The text is noted for its rigorous use of archival evidence and its balanced assessment of the insurrection's role in the broader Chartist struggle.