Class War, USA

by Brandon Weber

An engaging collection of little known stories of working people in US history fighting back in the darkest times.

A rich collection of stories about ordinary people who resisted oppression and exploitation against all odds, Brandon Weber’s short essays capture the little-known moments of struggle when workers and veterans built movements of hope and defiance. Evocative imagery, archival photographs, and descriptive text make labor history come alive.

From the mines to the factories to the fields, Weber shares the experiences of the real-life men and women who organized, heroically resisted, and battled the bosses and corrupt politicians. In the spirit of A People’s History of the United States, this book conveys engaging and accessible narratives of ordinary people who led labor struggles that have indelibly shaped American history.

Essays include vivid accounts of resistance in the workplace like the Ludlow miner’s strike and organizing at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, as well as broader pieces on cultural figures like Woody Guthrie, Black Wall Street in Tulsa, OK, and the fight for the eight-hour day.

An invaluable tool for learning the lessons of grassroots struggle, Class War, USA is the perfect counter-narrative to the myth that change comes only from the top, and will appeal to students of history and labor activists alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Sociology, Activism

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2018

Reviews

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

i knew nothing of labor history so it was a great primer. but it was a lil white.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book received from Edelweiss.

This book is an anthology of stories about making things better for the lower classes in America. It discusses the various strikes including the Triangle Shirtwaist Strike. As well as those who fought for the people involved including folk singers like Woody Guthrie. Some of the stories were better written and researched than others, but I did learn quite a bit from this book. It discusses era in our history that I consider too new for the parts of history I enjoy reading about the most.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the election of Trump as president of the United States, there has been much discussion at least on social media about the working class, most of it accusing white working class males of putting him into the White House. Statistically, in fact, they didn’t but it has brought the working class back into the dialogue. The US has a long and proud history of class struggle, sadly it seems much of it forgotten. In his book, Class War, USA, Brandon Weber discusses many of the strikes, rebellions, and actions as well as many of the people in the forefront that are are responsible for many of the benefits that people today take for granted: the eight-hour work day, end of child labour, health and safety regulations, pensions etc. He does discuss eg the 1914 WWI Christmas truce in which German and Allied soldiers crossed lines to trade gifts and celebrate together. But, as the title suggest, most of the book deals with class struggles in the USA including the Ludlow Massacre, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, WWI vets strike, the general strike that led to the Chicago Haymarket massacre that is still commemorated every May 1st around the world, the destruction of Black Wall Street, the United Farmworkers and the grape boycott, the Stonewall Rebellion, Attica, the 1970 Postal Workers’ wildcat, and the more recent UPS strike. He also discusses some of the music that has arisen from these struggles including Woody Guthrie’s best known song, This Land is Your Land and why much of the song rarely gets sung.

Class War, USA is a fairly short book and Weber gives only short descriptions of each event. It is, really, an introduction to class struggle in the US but it is a very interesting one, covering a great deal of the history from the 19th c. to the present and is a great place to start for anyone interested in America’s class history and how it has shaped the country. At a time when unions are on the wane and much of the working class throughout the west have suffered from the austerity that has accompanied neoliberal economic policies, it is easy to become despondent about the direction not only of the US but of the west in general, it is heartening to see that people have faced many similar struggles in the past and, through solidarity, they have overcome.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Haymarket Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Class War, USA, is a really great sampler of different instances of, well, class warfare in the United States. It is not simply that straightforward, however, as it contains snapshots of the Stonewall riot and Attica prison rebellion, that are not usually considered class war -- but they are!

Though the author doesn't spend time framing these different narratives much, if at all (that's not really the point of the book), the inclusion of different events shows the diversity of what class war looks like: it's not just white men. The second through fourth chapter show that the history of labor rebellion in the US is based in gendered and racialized forms of labor, with former slaves limited to work as washerwoman or pull car attendees, or young white women working long hours in textile factories.

The big limitation of this book is that I wanted more! More resources for further reading and more information in the chapters. Some chapters only cited websites, but I want to read whole books about things like the Atlanta Washerwomen's Strike. I can find that info, surely, but it would have been nice to have it in there. I don't think that was the purpose of this book, as it seems more like a coffee table book than a serious history, so I get it.

[Sharon E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was great for serving as an introductory to the labor movement and the way unions took up arms and even died for so many privileges that a good amount of the US working class have today. I really appreciate including the stonewall riots and the Attica uprising in this book because they serve as examples of the most marginalized communities organizing and fighting back against the state. I think the may have missed the mark on discussing race a little more. I read previously a lot of the time black people in the early 20th century were used as strike breakers not knowing what a scab or picket line was but needing to provide for their family, I wish that was touched on a little more if that was the case. Still good read!

[seemoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

so one of the tenants of the Catholic faith is that work bestows dignity. and all work should be dignified. Weber does a really great job spotlighting all the fights throughout American history for better wages and dignity. we have to unite along class and racial lines, something Malcolm X and Dr. King were trying to make a reality. that is what the establishment truly fears. because as Weber says, united we will win.

[NCHS Library]

From Follett: ". . . shares the experiences of the real-life men and women who organized, heroically resisted, and battled the bosses and corrupt politicians . . . Essays include vivid accounts of resistance in the workplace like the Ludlow miner's strike and organizing at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, as well as broader pieces on cultural figures like Woody Guthrie, Black Wall Street in Tulsa, OK, and the fight for the eight-hour day."--Provided by publisher.

[Benjamin Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It will take an alliance of nearly everyone: working people, veterans, farmers, immigrants, environmentalist, the unemployed, and probably some politicians worth their salt as well, uniting in a class war-one that we didn’t ask for, but that we have to wage, regardless-in order to rest from the 1% what is rightfully ours.
But we must fight. And we will win.”

[Tom Crehore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book of short essays that introduce famous events in US labor history. If you are interested in learning about working class people fighting back and winning, use this book to introduce yourself and others to the topic. I don't think any of the summaries are more than 7 pages. Useful for students and those interested.

[Aaron Keathley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fine, though brief, introduction to some of the big moments in American labor history. Good tool to introduce new people to the history of class struggle in the US and some of the typical dynamics (union busting, Pinkertons, etc.) but offers little for most readers with a working knowledge of labor history.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice brief survey of various altercations between labor/poor/minority groups against government and big business. Each chapter is short but concise and full of pictures and resources. This would be great introductory material for anyone from age 12 and up.

[Gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go ahead and read this book and then tell me we don’t need unions. Read about the conditions from 100 years ago up until five years ago, in the fight for a $15 minimum wage. Go ahead. Read it and tell me that.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many others said, it gives brief introductions to some very important moments in history. I learned a lot and because it was a simple read & u didn’t have to read it from front to back if you didn’t want to I think it’s a really good book. :)

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bite size anthologies of the labor struggle written not with a scholar’s pen but with a pen of someone like all of us in this struggle. A great starting point to learn about the never ending fight for respectable compensation for respectable work.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to the well-known-strikes and the not-so-well-known strikes.
The authors synopsis of events was concise and informative given the structure of the short titles.
I have purchased books of the strikes that stuck out to me the most for further studying.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, easy-to-read stories about the most notable battles in US labor history, plus a few other stories about fights for justice. I love that it includes a story on the Fight for $15 and ALL the lyrics to This Land is Your Land. RIP, Brandon!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book of Labor struggles in the US, this is it.

[Cecilia Rigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good starter for people interested in classism in the US.

[Madeline Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-researched introduction of how long the class war has truly been taking place in America. There are a few grammatical or spelling errors leftover and not caught by an editor. But, it's still an easy-to-digest introduction that points you to multiple other books and videos for additional research. Personally, I read it on iBooks (ironic, I know) and found the hyperlinks super helpful. I would recommend it if you are looking for some solid source material on the labor movement!

Fuck the ruling class, fuck Bezos, etc.

[Cov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a good little overview of pivotal moments in labor history and a good starting point for further research and reading but not very well written at times (reads like an undergrad paper at times) and lacks depth you might expect for some topics. In the e-book version I enjoyed the images, the lengthy lists of hyperlinked references at the end of each topic and even occasional links throughout each topic to YouTube performances of songs and speeches. Treat this as a cliff-notes labor history and you won't be disappointed.

Edit: The print version is *very* good looking. Several photographs and descriptions for each section build context as well. The e-book is nice in that it has the hyperlinks built in for easy navigation on devices, but the print version is a much better read.