The Cruel Years: American Voices at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century
Product Description What was life like for a working person 100 years ago? THE CRUEL YEARS offers a poignant glimpse into the turmoil, oppression and injustice of the early 1900s, from a candid and unique perspective. Written in the actual words of working men and women. THE CRUEL YEARS vividly reveals the anger and resiliency of their extraordinary and diverse lives. The author takes readers back 100 years with 22 true accounts of the struggle to survive among the poor and powerless: a young woman fights for better working conditions only to lose her job....a native American tries to preserve his identify....a coal miner warns of lethal dangers....a sweatshop girl tries to enjoy life....a Hungarian immigrant in the South rages at his enslavement. Review ...listen to the voices...in this remarkable collection. Hearing the[ir] words is a requirement for a truly democratic society. -- Howard Zinn, noted historian I find the selections useful and the introduction a good short course in labor history. -- Frank Emspack, UW Extension About the Author William Loren Katz is an award-winning author and historian. He is the author of over 30 titles. He is listed in "Who's Who", "Contemporary Authors", "Men of Achievement", etc. He is a Scholar in Residence at Columbia University. He has appeared on the Today Show, Like It Is, Tony's Brown's Journal. He is the curator of the Black West Exhibit at the New York Public Library (1985-86). Mr. Katz is currently a columnist with the NY "Daily Challenge" and "Amsterdam News" and is "historian in residence" at WBAI-FM New York.