A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike [Paperback]

Rosalind Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2005

On September 9, 1919, an American nightmare came true. The entire Boston police force deserted their posts, leaving the city virtually defenseless. Women were raped on street corners, stores were looted, and pedestrians were beaten and robbed while crowds not only looked on but cheered.

The police strike and the mayhem that followed made an inconspicuous governor, Calvin Coolidge, known throughout America, turning him into a national hero and, eventually, a president. It also created a monster: for two days, more than 700,000 residents of Boston's urban core were without police protection, and the mob ruled the streets.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Boston Police Strike, long forgotten and too long ignored, is here described with great drama and verve by Francis Russell. It is an extraordinary moment in the history of Boston, as well as an important event in the nation's labor history.--Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

"Francis Russell is wonderfully aware of the subtle but important distinctions of class and neighborhood that have been so much a part of Boston's history. A City in Terror is well written, full of shrewd social analysis and cultural history, and provides an account that gives perspective to today's serious confrontations."--Robert Coles, New York Review of Books

"Compelling and lively . . . A City in Terror has plenty of drama and heroes and villains. Russell is at home in the history of the era and in Massachusetts, and he tells his story well; A City in Terror makes stimulating reading." --David M. Reimers, American Historical Review

"A fascinating study and social history of one of the strangest episodes in American labor history . . . as well as an unforgettable lesson in the machinations of big-city and state politics."--The New Republic

About the Author

Francis Russell was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1910. He attended Boston-area schools and during World War II was a captain in the Black Watch Royal Canadian Highlanders. He is the author of Tragedy in Dedham: The Story of the Sacco and Vanzetti Case, which won the Edgar Allen Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Russell died in 1989.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (May 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807050334
• ISBN-13: 978-0807050330
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good and in depth, January 27, 2008

By 

C. Williams "livnforchrist" (Chatham, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike (Paperback)

I would have liked to have seen a greater number of references and footnoting for the book. While a very good history, it lacks what I would consider a true scholarly outlook. I do not doubt the research, but I have a problem with not being able to follow up on the research.

Overall, this book is an excellent resource for the Boston Police Strike, especially in lieu of the results (the First Red Scare).

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A history of Boston and America in the years after WW1, January 29, 2007

By 

Robin B. Eisengart (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike (Paperback)

This book is great for anyone interested in Boston history, labor history or American history in the period following WWI when labour unions were striking all across the country and fear and violence were shaping politics in America.

The riots, and the politically shrewd actions of Goverenor Calvin Coolidge led to his election as President in a time when the handling of unions and strikes was as important of an issue as any in modern day politics.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in seeing what life was like in 1918, what happens when the police force of a large city strikes, and what chain of events can propel a man to the highest political office in the world.

1 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars note this, March 8, 2009

By 

W. Cadbury (Eugene, OR, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike (Paperback)

Note that Dennis Lehane calls A City in Terror the "authoritative account" of the police strike, and lists is first in his acknowledgments for The Given Day as "an invaluable resource". I haven't read it yet but Amazon requires giving a rating so I give it 5 so as not unfairly to hurt its rep!