American Vanguard: The United Auto Workers During the Reuther Years, 1935-1970 [Hardcover]

John Barnard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Geared toward general readers and scholars alike, American Vanguard presents the first history of the UAW, one of America’s most significant workers’ organizations, from its origins through its period of greatest impact.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The struggles and victories of the UAW form an important chapter in the story of American democracy. American Vanguard is the first and only history of the union available for both general and academic audiences. In this thorough and engaging narrative, John Barnard not only records the controversial issues tackled by the UAW, but also lends them immediacy through details about the workers and their environments, the leaders and the challenges that they faced outside and inside the organization, and the vision that guided many of these activists. Throughout, Barnard traces the UAW’s two-fold goal: to create an industrial democracy in the workplace and to pursue a social-democratic agenda in the interest of the public at large.

Part one explores the obstacles to the UAW’s organization, including tensions between militant reformers and workers who feared for their jobs; ideological differences; racial and ethnic issues; and public attitudes toward unions. By the outbreak of World War II, however, the union had succeeded in redistributing power on the shop floor in its members’ favor. Part two follows the union during Walter P. Reuther’s presidency (1946–1970). During this time, pioneering contracts brought a new standard of living and income security to the workers, while an effort was made to move America toward a social democracy—which met with mixed results during the civil rights decade. Throughout, Barnard presents balanced interpretations grounded in evidence, while setting the UAW within the context of the history of the U.S. auto industry and national politics.

About the Author

John Barnard is professor of history emeritus at Oakland University. He is the author of several books, including Walter Reuther and the Rise of the Auto Workers (1983), and is an associate editor of Children and Youth in America: A Documentary History (1970–1974).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Wayne State Univ Pr; 2001 Edition edition (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814329470
• ISBN-13: 978-0814329474
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,941,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Vanguard: The United Auto Workers During the Reuther years, March 11, 2006

By 

Eldon J. Churchill "trade unionist" (Detroit) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Vanguard: The United Auto Workers During the Reuther Years, 1935-1970 (Hardcover)

Well written book about an often neglected area in our history, the Reuther family and the emergence of the UAW as a factor in the economic, social and political life of America. For anyone interested in a primer of American labor unions, this is a great start concerning the rise of Americas middle class.