Shoulder to Shoulder

Jake Hall looks at moments when marginalised groups joined forces and declared they had had enough. The book tells the stories of people who gave up personal gains to fight for collective freedom, and it treats solidarity and coalition-building as its subject.

Hall draws on extensive research and storytelling to take readers back into the worlds of these activists, showing both the joys and the harsh realities of their struggles for justice. The movements range from the Black Panthers' alliance with the Gay Liberation Front in the US to the support Pride groups gave striking miners in the UK. Together they show how marginalised activists have long been intertwined in pursuing liberation for all.

The book presents this history as chaotic and messy, and celebrates the ordinary people who pushed for equality whatever it cost them. It is aimed at readers who enjoyed Bad Gays, Natives or Poverty Safari and want another fresh angle on shared human history.