The Battle for George Square 1919

The Battle of George Square, a riot during the Forty Hours Strike in Glasgow, on 31 January 1919, is routinely claimed to be one of the most iconic events in Scottish working-class history. It is also the most mythologised. For a century, the narrative created for the defence of the strike leaders charged with incitement to riot – an 'unprovoked attack on a peaceful crowd' as an act of oppression – has been repeated uncritically by academic and popular writers. Mythology has almost completely replaced reality, most notably in the Scottish education system, where educational materials have been described by two prominent historians as, 'arrant propaganda' and a 'perversion of history'.

Now, Gordon Barclay and Louise Heren have undertaken a meticulous examination of the contemporary evidence to tell a more complex story. In doing so they examine the ways writers have failed to subject the celebratory mythology of this iconic event to adequate scrutiny. They document the creation of the mythology, from the writings of the strike leaders to those who use the mythology of the Battle to promote their own politics. They also examine the legal basis and reality of the military deployment to Glasgow in the aftermath of the riot.



Dr Gordon Barclay FSA, FSA Scot, FRHistS worked as Principal Inspector and Head of Policy at government heritage agency Historic Scotland. He has published extensively on the history and surviving remains of the defence of Scotland, including 'If Hitler comes': Preparing for Invasion: Scotland 1940. His main research interests lie in the misuse of the past for political ends.

Dr Louise Heren FSA Scot, FRHistS has a doctorate in Scottish male violence from the University of St Andrews and is published in Scottish violent crime history. Her most recent work Sex and Violence in 1920s Scotland examines masculinities, gender, judicial attitudes and juridical responses to violence in the aftermath of the First World War.



'The Battle for George Square 1919 is an important contribution to the history of Scotland in the 20th century. It is a relentless search for the truth and the authors have no ideological axe to grind...  This scholarly book is history as it should be – well researched and presented with integrity'