The article re-examines the classic work by E. P. Thompson, The making of the English working class, identifying many elements relevant to the study of the contemporary historical context. It criticizes those approaches that look to synthesize a 'Thompsonian method' in a number of recurrently cited formulas found in the preface to the work. It also argues that the persistent appeal of the book can be explained through an analysis of its narrative structure.
E. P. Thompson; English social history; Working class; Industrial revolution; Working class culture