Preface to the 2012 Edition

This digital edition has been released by the author's son, Alan Walker. The text of the original, 1972, edition of Solidarity Forever! is reproduced here without any changes of substance.

No doubt some of the information in the book could be expanded or amended in the light of historical research over the forty years since the book's first appearance. However, the intention of this edition is to make available again the account of these events written by Bertha Walker, embodying her own memories of the times, the results of her interviews with many of the people directly involved, her gleanings from newspaper archives, books and pamphlets, and her conversations with the central figure in the book, her father, Percy Laidler.

Occasional references to the current situation are therefore references to the early 1970s, when the writing of the book was completed.

A few new footnotes have been added, mainly providing additional information about Laidler family members. The two footnotes to the 1972 edition have been retained, identified as such.

The original edition of the book contained only two illustrations: head and shoulders photographs of Percy Laidler in 1908 and 1940. This electronic edition is much more lavishly illustrated, with about seventy photographs and other images.

Many of the illustrations come from a display that Bertha Walker assembled for the book launch function in March 1973. Unless otherwise stated in a caption, all illustrations are from this display or from family photographs and other materials collected by Bertha Walker. All captions are by Alan Walker.

The structure of headings within chapters has been slightly adjusted in some cases, and a few new headings introduced. All of the original headings have been retained.

A minor error, covered by a correction slip enclosed in the book, has been remedied, along with a handful of obvious typographical errors and misspellings. There have also been a few stylistic changes—principally the use of italics rather than quotation marks for the titles of books and periodicals, and expressing some numbers in words rather than numerals.

Alan Laidler Walker, June 2012