With the resurgent interest in his work today, this is a timely reevaluation of this foundational figure in Cultural Studies, a critical but friendly review of both Hoggart's work and reputation. * Re-examines the reputation of one of the 'inventors' of Cultural Studies * Uses new archival sources to critically evaluate Hoggart's contribution and influence, set his work in context, and determine its current relevance * Addresses detractors and their positions of Hoggart, delineating long-term ideological battles within academia * Brings cultural studies, literary criticism, and social history to bear on this figure whose interests spread across disciplines, to create a text which blends many threads into a coherent whole