Customer Reviews

Case of Joe Hill

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I few years back, I didn't know Joe Hill from a hole in the ground. But because I found out that my hometown of Lawrence, Mass was the scene of a massive labor union strike, I started doing research. It actually took me some time to find Philip Foner - and clearly many don't like him. He is said to be a Communist. But I have learned in my life and from reading that anyone in the United State who defends "working people" or unions, or fair wages is invariably classified as a Communist.
Mr. Foner is a defender of Labor in general but certainly not all unions or all of the union movement.
This book is clearly sympathetic to Joe Hill but nevertheless from reading other accounts I think Mr. Foner's analysis is accurate.
This Book should be a Classic motion picture but unfortunately that is very unlikely to happen in the US because Mr. Hill would have to be portrayed in a positive light. Even "On the Waterfront" had to be doctored to be anti-labor and anti-union before it was allowed into American theaters.
The history of Labor and its heroes like Joe Hill is quite a story. But it does not seem that any of these stories will ever be made available to a mass audience in our country. The closest you will get to hearing anything positive is by reading books like this one.
Despite all the criticism of Mr. Foner I think that this account is pretty fair history too. Even if it isn't, I feel that it's time to hear something positive on the subject. The story we the people now have is ludicrously lopsided.

Richard Edward Noble - The Hobo Philosopher - author of:

"America on Strike" American Labor - History