A much-celebrated and surprisingly modern novel, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists tells the story of a group of decorators (Tressell was one himself) who cope reasonably with their impoverished life until one of them, Frank Owen, starts handing out regular attacks on the greed and dishonesty of the capitalists who themselves "do nothing." But Owen’s words fall on deaf ears — that is, until the posher Barrington joins ranks with Owen in a fight for a fairer society. Peopled with credible characters and evocative speeches, the novel lends itself naturally to the spoken word medium. This newly abridged audio version concentrates on the social and political issues with particular relevance in today’s society. Narrator Tony Robinson, who stars as Baldrick in Blackadder is himself an active member of the Labour Party, and Stephen Twigg, former member of Parliament, is the voice of Barrington — bringing a new and exciting dimension to this important classic novel.