Crisis In Bethlehem [Paperback]

John Strohmeyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 1994

Pulitzer Prize winner John Strohmeyer’s account of the collapse of Bethlehem Steel.  As editor of the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Globe-Times from 1956 to 1984, Strohmeyer followed the steel industry from the height of its power through its decline.  He evaluates the self-indulgence of both the unions and industry management and movingly describes the human agony caused by the failure of steel.  His account is reinforced by over one hundred interviews with steelworkers, union leaders, steel executives, and industry analysts.  First issued in 1986, the book is more significant than ever.  In this edition, Strohmeyer includes an update on steel today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Local journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Strohmeyer traces the fortunes of the steel industry by focusing on the rise and fall of Bethlehem Steel, at one time the nation's number-two steel producer. PW called this a "deeply felt account" that blames most parties involvedmanagement, unions, government.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Pulitzer Prize winner Strohmeyer was editor of the newspaper in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for 28 years, a period of decline for American steel. In his analysis, when new technology and competitors came on the scene, a complacent steel industry and its unions ignored ominous signs. The industry failed to adopt new technology on time, allowed management ranks and perquisites to grow too fat. Unions won rigid work rules as well as high pay. He witnessed cost-cutting measures that came too late, and the suffering of managers, workers, and communities due to layoffs and plant shutdowns. The book is thoughtful, fair, and highly readable, though not definitive. His documentation of the self-indulgence common a decade ago at top levels of big industry is fascinating, but his case against union "rigidity" is less documented. Frieda Shoenberg Rozen, Labor Studies, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, Pa.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press (August 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822958112
• ISBN-13: 978-0822958116
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for US Industries - Now We Need an Epilogue, September 28, 2004

By 

W. G. Jones "would-be Renaissance Man" (The Heart of Georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Crisis In Bethlehem (Paperback)

This was a fascinating page-turner, written by someone who was intimately familiar with Bethlehem Steel because he lived in its home town for decades, serving as the editor of the local paper. One of the best non-fiction (I almost didn't qualify this statement with that word) books I've read in a long time. Now that The Steel is gone forever, I'd love to be able to persuade Mr. Strohmeyer to write a companion volume to this one telling us just how the end came, in the same detailed analytic manner. We might be able to learn from others' mistakes. The failure of this once great company is a tragedy and is a sad example of what happens when American labor, management, and government all become too arrogant and complacent. Bye-bye profits. Bye-bye jobs. What's next? Bye-bye national defense? If steel was The Basic Industry, then everyone working in industrial America needs to read this book. Sooner or later, you'll probably deal with some of the issues raised here.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on the downward spiral of a once mighty company, December 18, 2005

By 

Joanne Stauffer "An Avid Reader" (Steelton, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Crisis In Bethlehem (Paperback)

I worked for Bethlehem Steel during the latter time period that this book covers and I knew some of the players Strohmeyer mentioned. No one could have better described the times and circumstances that brought down this mammoth company as well this book did. Unfortunately, Strohmeyer died before the bitter end of Bethlehem Steel and so was not able to chronicle it's dying moments. At 99 years old, Bethlehem ceased to exist on December 31, 2003. The company's plants and other assets were either donated to a historical society or purchased at pennnies on the dollar by International Steel Group, a newly formed steel company which successfully revived several bankrupt steel companies and merged them together into a cohesive business. International Steel Group was subsequently purchased by Mittal Steel of the Netherlands and designated Mittal Steel USA. The old Bethlehem plants continue to operate under the new owner. This book is a fascinating, easy to read chronicle of corporate blundering so profound that one wonders how the company lasted for nearly a century. Sadly, even in its last days, Bethlehem managers simply couldn't fathom the drastic changes that were needed to save the company.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sad Story... and a personal one., November 8, 2004

By 

D. Leimbach "leimy2k" (Lynnwood, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Crisis In Bethlehem (Paperback)

Bethlehem Steel is a huge part of my family history. My mother, father and both of their fathers all were employed for many years by this once-great company. Complacency seems too mild a word for what ailed this company. This book documents the fall of Bethlehem Steel [inventor of the H-beam... predecessor to the I-beam necessary for many of the tall buildings and skyscrapers we have today]. I really like this book but I am probably biased as I grew up in Baltimore, MD and Bethelehem, PA. Billy Joel even wrote a song about the influence of this company [not a pretty picture] in his song "Allentown". There's a lot of history here and a lot of explanation for why I had to leave all my childhood friends behind when the company started falling apart.