Shortlisted for the 2021 Bert Roth Award for Labour History
'What a fascinating little book this is. Jared Davidson gives a “microhistory of collective
revolt” in his account of emigrant labourers taking action against their employer, the New Zealand Company, in Nelson in 1843. The History of a Riot is an impressive piece of research.' – Ann Hassan, Tui Motu
'The real strength of Davidson’s account is the focus on the working people and their grievances, and the resulting unrest. Where other histories have given these episodes more or less prominence, Davidson foregrounds them, and in so doing offers an extended reflection on aspects of class in 1840s New Zealand.' – Jim McAloon, Labour History Bulletin
'[History of a Riot] provides an impressive example of social history, as Davidson reconstructs the lives of ordinary people in their relationships to the structures and forces that governed them. Davidson is meticulous in his research, and his ‘microhistory’ of one event provides an example of historical work that is at the same time technical and accessible.' – Sam Oldham, New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies
'It's a fascinating micro-study of a little known corner of our colonial history... With the new Aotearoa history curriculum scheduled to start in all schools next year, the publication of this lively, immaculately researched, pocket-sized primer on our early class struggles will intrigue a new generation of readers.' – Greg Fleming, Kete Books
'Davidson's fascinating 'micro-history of collective revolt' shines a light on histories of resistance. Importantly, Davidson explores the relationship between colonisation and capitalism: how did class composition and class conflict, both overt and covert, play out in colonising contexts.'
'Davidson’s book may be short, but it provides a stimulating look at a small part of New Zealand history and prompts the reader to ask how the methods he utilizes could be applied to other incidents of working-class protest.' – Elizabeth Ward, New Zealand Journal of History
'Through social biography and history, Jared explores the lives of people often overlooked by traditional histories — from working-class radicals of the early twentieth century to prison convicts and relief workers of the nineteenth.' – Ed Amon, New Books Network
'The History of A Riot offers us a microhistory of an pivotal event, but one that's been obscured by the tales of the region's hardy pioneers. Jared's researched the terrible working conditions of more than 70 gang-men and their wives, who'd faced and risen up against similar class discrimination back home in the UK.' – Radio New Zealand
Read 'How our settler colonial society shapes our horizons' in Stuff
