Down on the Killing Floor: Black and White Workers in Chicago's Packinghouses, 1904-54 (Working Class in American History) [Paperback]

Rick Halpern (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0252066332 | ISBN-13: 978-0252066337 | Publication Date: August 1, 1997

This detailed study of the relationship between race relations and unionization in Chicago's meatpacking industry draws on traditional primary and secondary materials and on an extensive set of interviews conducted in the mid-1980s that explore subjective dimensions of the workers' experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An ideal case study to analyze one of the central problems in American labor history -- the relationship between racial identity and working class formation and organization." -- James R. Barrett, author of Work and Community in the Jungle: Chicago's Packinghouse Workers

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252066332
• ISBN-13: 978-0252066337
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #474,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well written account of important moment of classformation, July 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Down on the Killing Floor: Black and White Workers in Chicago's Packinghouses, 1904-54 (Working Class in American History) (Paperback)

This is one of the best labor history books I've read: it is scholarly, no doubt about that, but SO, SO "readable." Almost like a novel at points. It's important, too, because it sheds much light on the way in which blacks and whites managed to unite around common interests. It also makes wonderful use of oral histories, so that the characters really come to life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Man!, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Down on the Killing Floor: Black and White Workers in Chicago's Packinghouses, 1904-54 (Working Class in American History) (Paperback)

Rick B Halpern is a renowned commentator on the American Meatpacking Industry, and in this meticolusly researched book he chronicles the results of years of inquiry into what Chicago proletarians in hushed tones refer to as 'the big slaughterhouse.' Don't be put off by the picture of the Cow being killed on the front - there's plenty more meat inside and it's not covered in blood and guts. I was particularly impressed by his use of oral history. Too many modern historians ignore this valuable resource, but Halpern is a man on a mission and no lack of written records is going to get in his way. Overall, I found this book was a valuable contribution to an underresearched area and I believe should be read by anyone interested in modern Northern American Labour history.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars symposium on this book in _Labor History_, July 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Down on the Killing Floor: Black and White Workers in Chicago's Packinghouses, 1904-54 (Working Class in American History) (Paperback)

Interested in buying this book, or the one on meatpackers by Roger Horowitz? See the symposium on Halpern and Horowitz's work in the journal _Labor History_ 40:2 (1999). They have also jointly authored a collection of oral history interviews -- all available from Amazon