Although Thompson authored some notable works, in particular the first volume of A History of British Trade Unions since 1889 (1964), which he co-authored with Clegg and Fox, and "Gladstone's Whips at the General Election of 1868" (1948), he wrote relatively little. But, he was a deemed a 'major force' in history teaching at Oxford during his four decades at Wadham: he was, in the words of The Independent, "alternately acerbic and avuncular, iconoclastic and inspiring, and always generous with his time". His unique style of teaching produced a number of outstanding academics, notably Colin Matthew and Ross McKibbin; his pupils included Melvyn Bragg and Julian Mitchell. His retirement in 1987 was marked by the publication of a Festschrift, Politics and Social Change in Modern Britain, edited by Philip Waller.