View at publishers website

A Selection of Nineteenth Century Broadside Ballads from Collections in Manchester is a considered introduction to the subject of historical newsprint and song from the pre-eminent broadside balladress of the Manchester region – Jennifer Reid. In this, her debut publication, Jennifer has selected fifteen of her favourite, most beguilling, broadside ballads. Each is presented with a commentary from the author alongside a reproduction of the original ballad with a woodcut adornment.

Political and timely in their content and context, the study of broadside ballads remains relevant today as an exploration of the forces that continue to shape modern Britain. Read as an educational aid or an indispensable introduction for the layman this is an essential addition to scholarship of the Working Classes and the Industrial Revolution.