The Peterloo Massacre

Vivid and rather brilliant. * The Times *
The Peterloo Massacre is an absorbing analysis of one of the blackest days for civil liberties which this country has ever known. It is a story of heroes and villains, of suffering and carnage and of incompetence, betrayal and brutality, told with the skill of a master craftsman who makes history leap from the page fresh as the morning’s newspapers … Mr Reid’s definitive account of Peterloo is splendidly written. * Evening Chronicle *
There are many accounts of the Peterloo Massacre but none as thoroughly researched as this one. The characters … come alive in his easy to read style … there is much to be learned from Rober Reid’s description and analysis of the role and effects of technology, and I hope his book will be widely read. It should be in every school library and discussed by all those involved in the continuing search for civilised solutions to the social and political problems currently facing our people. * Camden Journal *
[A] magnificent volume of dramatic history. * Manchester Evening News *
From an awe-inspiring range of sources Dr Reid has constructed a narrative that reads like a political thriller in which numerous threads are drawn together in the bloody climax. Each character is fleshed out with his ambitions, abilities and achievements … [A] devastatingly comprehensive epic … The book will inform and invigorate anyone with an interest in history, drawing intriguing parallels with contemporary ideology. * Newbury Weekly News *
[A] fascinating account of Peterloo. * Literary Review *
Robert Reid’s narrative style in describing the people, background and motivation behind all this cannot be faulted. He writes sympathetically and readably, but always retains a sense of perspective. A well-researched book on one of English social history’s unhappiest days. * Eastern Evening News *
[A] careful and lucid account of Peterloo. * Sunday Times *
A stirring account of the “massacre” and its background … He strips away the myths and endeavours to show what actually happened and why. * Yorkshire Post *
Dr Robert Reid is an accomplished author in whose hands history comes alive in a remarkable way … A valuable addition to the history of a turbulent period in English history. * Guernsey Evening Press & Star *

Robert Reid was born in Yorkshire in 1933. He was awarded a state scholarship to Oxford University, where he read Chemistry. After undertaking post-graduate research in South Africa and Canada, he completed a PhD in Physical Chemistry at Cambridge University before joining the science department of BBC Television.

At the BBC, he directed The Sky at Night, presented by Patrick Moore. In the early 1960s, he made the documentary The Building of the Bomb, which featured an interview with Robert Oppenheimer. From 1967 to 1970, he served as the editor of Horizon. In 1970, he was appointed Head of Science and Features at BBC Television, where he oversaw the production of the thirteen-part series The Ascent of Man, presented by Jacob Bronowski. He later wrote the script for The Voyage of Charles Darwin.

Following his departure from the BBC, Reid joined Sir Antony Jay, John Cleese, and Michael Peacock at Video Arts, a company specializing in training films for business and industry. There, he was responsible for the company’s science output.

Robert Reid authored several books on science-related topics, including Tongues of Conscience: War and the Scientist’s Dilemma (1969). His biography of Marie Curie, published in 1974, was adapted for television and translated into numerous languages. The Peterloo Massacre, originally published in 1989 to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the event, was his final book. He passed away in 1990.

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