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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.
bookishtrina's review
5.0
History done right! This book will hook you and make you want to learn more about American history. What a great way to capture historical facts in a compelling and interesting way. A History of America in Ten Strikes is an easy to read, easy to digest and easy to follow story of well-researched historical American facts. I enjoyed this book tremendously and learned a lot.
I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
therealnani's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
A broad overview of labor history in the United States, through the lens of specific union campaigns. I was expecting more analysis of historically significant events and how it dovetailed with labor activity and I found it challenging at times to follow the author’s narrative but it was interesting to learn about the evolution of organizing. The hardest chapter to read, for me, was Slaves on Strike. Painful.
julieb's review against another edition
3.0
Incredibly important work, wonderfully well researched and annotated, interesting approach, the writing is dry as hell.
julieb's review
3.0
Incredibly important work, wonderfully well researched and annotated, interesting approach, the writing is dry as hell.