Here is the only critical edition of Arthur Morrison's searing tale of life in the slums of London's East End. Peter Miles's comprehensive edition offers unrivalled contextual material about the book, its author, and the social debates to which it contributed. The introduction discusses the real slums of London, Morrison's life and work, the social politics of the book, and its importance as a novel of social realism. Invaluable notes illuminate details of life in the East End and real-life parallels of Morrison's characters and situations. In addition, the book includes a glossary of slang terms.