THE STRENGTH and volume of applause that greets the line of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) banners at the annual  Durham Miners’ Gala is testament to the deep respect and regard in which firefighters and their union are held. This book does them justice.

[[{"fid":"16523","view_mode":"inlineright","fields":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-inlineright","data-delta":"1"}}]]Beautifully presented and illustrated with vivid, moving photographs, it has fascinating insights into the history of their union.

Francis Beckett charts a chronological course through FBU history, starting with the establishment of a London fire service in 1833 which, until 1899, employed only sailors.

During this time, a scientific approach to firefighting was pioneered along with autocratic management, with fire stations run like ships, often by former naval officers. Military discipline was paramount — firefighters were on duty night and day, sleeping in dormitories and with one day off in 15. They scrubbed floors and polished brasses and the officers’ boots and buttons.

In the last century, firefighters' growing determination to join a union left the authorities aghast.

“We have been wont to regard our firefighters as more than daily toilers; their calling as higher and nobler than that of the labourer and mechanic,” one commentator noted in a typical reaction.

“To learn after all that our idol is of clay, that the firemen are willing to step down to the level of the everyday worker; to forget the dignity of their position, to enlist the aid of paid agitators – all that is indeed humiliating.”

It is sobering to see that historically the FBU had as much difficulty with Labour governments as Conservative ones. Some of Beckett's quotes from senior Labour politicians could have come from Tory ministers.

The book gives a comprehensive account of campaigns the FBU has fought, not only over pay and conditions for its members but also for public protection on issues such as foam-filled furniture and safety standards at football grounds and on the railways.

The noteworthy internationalism of the FBU is somewhat underplayed in the book. From support for the Spanish republic, opposition to the Korean war and the use of napalm in Vietnam to support for Cuba, Palestine and the ANC, the FBU has a history of looking outwards on a wider political level.

Some of the most poignant sections are the descriptions of tragedies and disasters that the fire service has dealt with and the personal stories of those involved.

While this is a history of one particular union, the book is of universal interest and serves as a clear reminder of the importance of trades unions for all working people, then and now.

Firefighters and their Union is published by Fire Brigades Union, £11.99.