This work investigates the localized rise, organizational structure, and eventual decline of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) within the specific socio-political environments of East London and South-West Essex during the 1930s. Thomas P. Linehan utilizes archival records, contemporary police reports, and local press accounts to reconstruct the movement's activities. He argues that the BUF's success in these areas was not merely a national phenomenon but was deeply rooted in the specific economic grievances, housing conditions, and anti-immigrant sentiments prevalent in these working-class districts. The study provides a granular analysis of how Oswald Mosley's organization attempted to mobilize support through street-level agitation and community-based political campaigning.

Historians recognize this text as a definitive regional study of British fascism, praised for its meticulous use of primary source documentation. Scholars frequently cite the book for its ability to bridge the gap between national political history and the lived experience of local communities during the interwar period.