Engaging books on stories from labor history
March 2, 2014 9:29 AM Subscribe
Could anyone recommend engaging, story-driven books on moments from American labor history?
I recently re-listened to the Ani DiFranco / Utah Philips album "Fellow Workers." I enjoy listening to the various stories, and although I do not have a blue-collar job, I grew up in a relatively blue-collar environment and am sympathetic to labor history. I would like to read more about the struggles of labor in American history, but I know that with my busy life I will be unlikely to get through anything turgid or overly academic (I am an academic myself, but not in history / sociology or anything related). Bonus points for books specifically on Kentucky labor history, such as the struggles for better working conditions in the mines. I am from Kentucky myself. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
I recently re-listened to the Ani DiFranco / Utah Philips album "Fellow Workers." I enjoy listening to the various stories, and although I do not have a blue-collar job, I grew up in a relatively blue-collar environment and am sympathetic to labor history. I would like to read more about the struggles of labor in American history, but I know that with my busy life I will be unlikely to get through anything turgid or overly academic (I am an academic myself, but not in history / sociology or anything related). Bonus points for books specifically on Kentucky labor history, such as the struggles for better working conditions in the mines. I am from Kentucky myself. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Oil by Sinclair Lewis. The first half was the basis for the movie There Will Be Blood, but the rest is really about the labor movement among oil workers in the 1920s.
posted by chevyvan at 9:41 AM on March 2, 2014
posted by chevyvan at 9:41 AM on March 2, 2014
The Triangle Fire by Leon Stein is an engaging read about a very important moment in the labor movement.
posted by emjaybee at 10:15 AM on March 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by emjaybee at 10:15 AM on March 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Death in the Haymarket is almost embarrassingly engaging, despite having been written by an academic historian.
I know you asked for books, but you might also like the documentary Harlan County, USA, which is about a coal miners' strike in Kentucky.
posted by dizziest at 10:18 AM on March 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
I know you asked for books, but you might also like the documentary Harlan County, USA, which is about a coal miners' strike in Kentucky.
posted by dizziest at 10:18 AM on March 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
Harlan Conty USA is a great movie. You might also enjoy Thinking in Pictures which is John Sayles' book about the making of the movie Matewan. It's partly a book about filmmaking but also a lot about the Battle of Matewan from someone who is actually a contemporary person interested in current labor movements in the US (and trying to pay his actors and crew well and be mindful of current labor laws etc).
posted by jessamyn at 10:42 AM on March 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 10:42 AM on March 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Big Trouble. I love that book. Covers much more than labor history, but labor is at the center of the story.
posted by gingerbeer at 11:05 AM on March 2, 2014
posted by gingerbeer at 11:05 AM on March 2, 2014
They Say in Harlan County is a great collection of oral histories from miners and folks in KY.
This one by Michael Honey also relies heavily on oral history and covers the intersection of civil rights and labor rights, largely around the Memphis, TN area. You might find lot of his other work relevant, too.
Like a Family covers cotton mill workers in the 1920s-30s.
The bibliographies of each of those will point to additional resources, too.
posted by magdalemon at 11:13 AM on March 2, 2014
This one by Michael Honey also relies heavily on oral history and covers the intersection of civil rights and labor rights, largely around the Memphis, TN area. You might find lot of his other work relevant, too.
Like a Family covers cotton mill workers in the 1920s-30s.
The bibliographies of each of those will point to additional resources, too.
posted by magdalemon at 11:13 AM on March 2, 2014
Staley: The Fight for a New American Labor Movement, tells the story of the Staley Lockout in the early 1990's.
You can also read excerpts online to see if the writing style is a good fit for you.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 12:29 PM on March 2, 2014
You can also read excerpts online to see if the writing style is a good fit for you.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 12:29 PM on March 2, 2014
Esperanza Rising may be the perfect title for you. It's a middle-school reading-level novel (thus neither turgid nor academic) that tells the story of Mexican upper class family who leave Mexico during the Depression era due to various political and familial problems and end up working in California's agricultural industry. There is a significant component about the labor-organizing movement as well as an interesting plot-line about romantic and personal relationships among different social classes. It is based on the experiences of author Pam Munoz Ryan's grandmother.
posted by gubenuj at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2014
posted by gubenuj at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2014
I enjoyed David Books' Toil and Trouble, a History of American Labor
It covers from the Colonial Period to about 1970. You get the broad sense of direction, as well as well done short histories of salient events along the timeline, which back up the overall direction.
posted by rudd135 at 5:26 PM on March 2, 2014
It covers from the Colonial Period to about 1970. You get the broad sense of direction, as well as well done short histories of salient events along the timeline, which back up the overall direction.
posted by rudd135 at 5:26 PM on March 2, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Lots of great suggestions!
posted by Slothrop at 5:33 PM on March 2, 2014
posted by Slothrop at 5:33 PM on March 2, 2014
The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott
publisher copy-
"Eager to escape life on her family's farm, Alice Barrow moves to Lowell in 1832 and throws herself into the hard work demanded of "the mill girls." In spite of the long hours, she discovers a vibrant new life and a true friend--a saucy, strong-willed girl name Lovey Cornell. But conditions at the factory become increasingly dangerous, and Alice finds the courage to represent the workers and their grievances. Although mill owner, Hiram Fiske, pays no heed, Alice attracts the attention of his eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske. Their mutual attraction is intense, tempting Alice to dream of a different future for herself. This dream is shattered when Lovey is found strangled to death. A sensational trial follows, bringing all the unrest that's brewing to the surface. Alice finds herself torn between her commitment to the girls in the mill and her blossoming relationship with Samuel. Based on the actual murder of a mill girl and the subsequent trial in 1833, THE DARING LADIES OF LOWELL brilliantly captures a transitional moment in America's history while also exploring the complex nature of love, loyalty, and the enduring power of friendship."
some reviews at Goodreads
posted by jammy at 11:12 AM on March 9, 2014
publisher copy-
"Eager to escape life on her family's farm, Alice Barrow moves to Lowell in 1832 and throws herself into the hard work demanded of "the mill girls." In spite of the long hours, she discovers a vibrant new life and a true friend--a saucy, strong-willed girl name Lovey Cornell. But conditions at the factory become increasingly dangerous, and Alice finds the courage to represent the workers and their grievances. Although mill owner, Hiram Fiske, pays no heed, Alice attracts the attention of his eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske. Their mutual attraction is intense, tempting Alice to dream of a different future for herself. This dream is shattered when Lovey is found strangled to death. A sensational trial follows, bringing all the unrest that's brewing to the surface. Alice finds herself torn between her commitment to the girls in the mill and her blossoming relationship with Samuel. Based on the actual murder of a mill girl and the subsequent trial in 1833, THE DARING LADIES OF LOWELL brilliantly captures a transitional moment in America's history while also exploring the complex nature of love, loyalty, and the enduring power of friendship."
some reviews at Goodreads
posted by jammy at 11:12 AM on March 9, 2014
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posted by gerstle at 9:36 AM on March 2, 2014 [2 favorites]