This work gives an account of the history of the London and Southampton Docks since 1950, addressing the personal and industrial relations conflicts during this period. It is not intended to be a blow-by-blow account of the docks disputes, nor a condemnation of restrictive practices. The book presents a mixture of personal impressions and analysis which aims to give the reader a sense of the dockers' lives and hardships, as well as management strategy for making the docks competitive in a changing world.