A history of the United Mineworkers of New Zealand from 1880 to 1960. The book shows the beginnings of the coal industry, when a group of miners from Britain found themselves in a more hostile and remote environment than they were used to. The efforts of following generations of miners to gain control of the work process are described. The role of the miners in the great industrial struggles is examined, as in the Maritime Strike of 1890, the unrest of 1912-13, and the 1951 waterfront dispute. The book is illustrated with black and white photographs of people and their environment.