Reading Riots - by Tim Newburn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Riots and rioting are exceptional though not unusual social phenomena. Despite occurring irregularly, they are sufficiently common to be matters about which most of us have some knowledge. They have been the subject of considerable and extended scrutiny for more than a century, with sociologists, psychologists and historians at the forefront of scholarly inquiry.

Tim Newburn's international and comparative study offers a close analysis of protest, social movements and the violence connected with them. The book examines riots across the world, ranging from those in America - from the sixties to the recent post-George Floyd uprisings - to those in Europe and the Middle East (during the so-called 'Arab Spring'), as well as Hong Kong's Umbrella movement. Reading Riots questions why such violence occurs, uncovers what happens during riots and takes an extensive look at the legacy of such disorder.

This comprehensive book will be of great value to those interested in riots and protest, the policing of such disorder and its consequences, as well as social movements and protest violence in recent times.

Review Quotes

"If you have ever wondered about the anatomy, causes, dynamics and consequences of riots, including responses by the authorities and their legacies, this is the book for you. Reading Riots is the most ambitious, capacious and original study written on the topic to date. It is sure to be scrutinized and debated across the social sciences and beyond."
Loïc Wacquant, University of California, Berkeley and author of Rethinking the Penal State

"This is a landmark contribution to riot studies. Coalescing decades of scholarship, Tim Newburn advances theory through a life-cycle framework that integrates social identity and micro-sociological perspectives, foregrounding interaction as central to how flashpoints emerge and how civil unrest is ignited, sustained and shaped."
Clifford Stott, Keele University

"This is a landmark contribution to riot studies. Coalescing decades of scholarship, Tim Newburn advances theory through a life-cycle framework that integrates social identity and micro-sociological perspectives, foregrounding interaction as central to how flashpoints emerge and how civil unrest is ignited, sustained and shaped."
Clifford Stott, Keele University

"If you have ever wondered about the anatomy, causes, dynamics and consequences of riots, including responses by the authorities and their legacies, this is the book for you. Reading Riots is the most ambitious, capacious and original study written on the topic to date. It is sure to be scrutinized and debated across the social sciences and beyond."
Loïc Wacquant, University of California, Berkeley and author of Rethinking the Penal State (2026)

About the Author