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shaunagm's review
4.0
This is a dense, readable overview of labor history in the United States. The "Ten Strikes" framing is a little overstated - the ten specific strikes get a bit more elaboration than the other strikes discussed, but not much. It's more of a way to divide up the history into digestible chunks.
I appreciate the frank way Loomis discusses how racism, nativism and sexism have divided workers. I wish the book were a bit longer so he could provide more detail about what circumstances and choices allowed workers to create long-lasting solidarity, but the narrative is a bit too whirlwind for that.
I appreciate the frank way Loomis discusses how racism, nativism and sexism have divided workers. I wish the book were a bit longer so he could provide more detail about what circumstances and choices allowed workers to create long-lasting solidarity, but the narrative is a bit too whirlwind for that.
mythicalcat's review
3.0
There's some good stuff here. I especially appreciated the discussion of racism in the labor movement. But the tone switched on and off between "be radical... but not too radical" too much for me. Also, could have used more clarification on chronology--sometimes Loomis bounces around between decades in a single paragraph.
hebeshebewebe's review
3.0
I would like to thank GR giveaways and The New Press for my copy of this book.
I would like to start this review by stating that I am not normally a fan of non-fiction, and that my opinions should be viewed in that light. Overall, I found this book well put together, moderately interesting and moderately well written. I did feel like the author had first come up with a conclusion or point that he wanted to make, and then wrote the book backwards to prove his point.
The premise of the book is a review of American history through the lens of labor unions and strikes. The author did a good job of selecting ten major strikes (and their rising and falling supporting actions) to illustrate phases of labor organizing in America. He did a good job of providing backstory and context for those strikes so that a novice would feel immersed in the history. He also has an extensive timeline and glossary and provides all of the data that one could want for additional information about the time period.
My issue with the book (and issue is perhaps too strong of a word) is that the author's clear and unmistakable point is that employers have conspired with the US government to crush organized labor, and that this has exacerbated the financial and societal divide within the American working class. He also quite strongly calls on the Democratic party to take back up the torch of labor support, and tells us that the workers will never get out from under the crushing weight of the 1% without stronger organizing and Democratic support at all levels of government. I happen to agree with all of the author's points, but his heavy handed nature in emphasizing them made me feel like I wasn't reading the impartial presentation of history that I was expecting from an author with this background.
Overall, I don't regret reading this book, and would more heavily recommend it to people who enjoy historical non-fiction in general, and political commentary in specific.
I would like to start this review by stating that I am not normally a fan of non-fiction, and that my opinions should be viewed in that light. Overall, I found this book well put together, moderately interesting and moderately well written. I did feel like the author had first come up with a conclusion or point that he wanted to make, and then wrote the book backwards to prove his point.
The premise of the book is a review of American history through the lens of labor unions and strikes. The author did a good job of selecting ten major strikes (and their rising and falling supporting actions) to illustrate phases of labor organizing in America. He did a good job of providing backstory and context for those strikes so that a novice would feel immersed in the history. He also has an extensive timeline and glossary and provides all of the data that one could want for additional information about the time period.
My issue with the book (and issue is perhaps too strong of a word) is that the author's clear and unmistakable point is that employers have conspired with the US government to crush organized labor, and that this has exacerbated the financial and societal divide within the American working class. He also quite strongly calls on the Democratic party to take back up the torch of labor support, and tells us that the workers will never get out from under the crushing weight of the 1% without stronger organizing and Democratic support at all levels of government. I happen to agree with all of the author's points, but his heavy handed nature in emphasizing them made me feel like I wasn't reading the impartial presentation of history that I was expecting from an author with this background.
Overall, I don't regret reading this book, and would more heavily recommend it to people who enjoy historical non-fiction in general, and political commentary in specific.
ldandridge's review
informative
slow-paced
3.5
The information, research, and history of labor unions were all excellent and because of that I am very glad I read this book. The quality of writing wasn't great (there were some sentences I had to read over and over to figure out what the author was trying to say) and I would have liked to see more information about unions that organize workplaces beyond the typical factory/manual labor type jobs. The introduction starts with a mention of the Chicago Teachers' Union strike, but other than that there was essentially no mention of teachers unions or others.
combledore's review
4.0
This was fascinating and I'm embarrassed by just how little of it I knew beforehand, though in my defense it's been just about 20 years since I took AP US History. Anyway. I enjoyed this and learned a lot from it, and I appreciate how straightforward and clear-eyed Loomis is about organized labor - while he's clearly on the side of workers throughout, he's also definitely willing to point out where racism or sexism or just flat-out terrible leadership undermined the movement's ability to succeed. (Especially in the early chapters, I was continually amused by the clear disdain for the AFL/Samuel Gompers.)
I especially appreciated the chapter about slave resistance and rebellion before and during the Civil War, and the last two chapters about the PATCO strike and the rise of the SEIU and public sector unions. I would've liked a little more about things like the current wave of unionization among online workers and/or attempts to unionize gig workers like Uber drivers, but those may be too recent to have made this edition.
I especially appreciated the chapter about slave resistance and rebellion before and during the Civil War, and the last two chapters about the PATCO strike and the rise of the SEIU and public sector unions. I would've liked a little more about things like the current wave of unionization among online workers and/or attempts to unionize gig workers like Uber drivers, but those may be too recent to have made this edition.
unionmack's review
3.0
This book is immensely informative for its brevity, but Loomis's writing struck me as pretty bone dry. Oftentimes, it feels like a recitation of facts with not much narrative finesse at all. Still, I've yet to come across another book this short with this much information about the history of labor movements in the United States, so even if he's not the best storyteller, he's certainly a capable historian. The chapters on slave strikes and the '80s Air Traffic Controllers strike were the most interesting to me.