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Set against the wider current of events in England in the early 19th century, this is a tale of ambition. A man who rises from the most humble of beginnings in Ancoats, Manchester to reach the very top in politics in the era when the Labour Party was born after a great struggle.
John Hamer Shawcross is a victim of his own success, and one of the great characters of English literature.
Ian McKellen stars as Shawcross – from his boyhood on the streets of Manchester to his pursuit of power and fame.
Howard Spring’s novel adapted for radio in eight episodes by Ken Whitmore
Directed by Trevor Hill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1979
Episode List
- 01 – Born in Captivity
- 02 – Thrown to the Wolves
- 03 – The Fight for St Swithin’s
- 04 – Lovers and Losers
- 05 – Deaths and Entrances
- 06 – Hamer’s Women
- 07 – Nothing But the Truth, Almost
- 08 – Perish By the Sword
