Out of the Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa and the Remaking of the American Working Class (Labor in Crisis) [Paperback]

Thaddeus Russell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Labor in Crisis | Publication Date: March 2003

In "Out of the Jungle", historian Thaddeus Russell gives us a detailed, crisply written, and fascinating account of Jimmy Hoffa's life and times, much of it previously untold. Russell argues that Hoffa was compelled by a variety of social forces to place the economic interests of his union members over broad ideological concerns. The most important of those forces was the demonstrated desire of ordinary Teamsters to improve their material lives. "What do you hire us for," he famously asked a meeting of truck drivers, "if not to sell your labor at the highest buck we can get?" He responded to the rank-and-file members' demands as did none of his contemporaries in the labor movement, seeking financial gain with the mercilessness that made him renowned and feared. This new paperback edition will be most cherished by students of labor history and American studies. Author note: Thaddeus Russell is visiting Assistant Professor of History at Barnard College. Born and raised in Berkeley, California, he graduated from Antioch College and received his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. He lives with his wife in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One of the most dynamic and mysterious figures in American history, Jimmy Hoffa was a successful labor leader because, instead of promising workers abstract socialist ideologies, he delivered concrete gains, argues Russell in this well-researched study of the longtime Teamsters leader. Russell, who teaches at Barnard College, covers the outlines of Hoffa's life his rise from a working-class background in Indiana, through an early labor career in Michigan, to dominance in the union world. He nurtured the Teamsters until they comprised the largest union in the country. His ties to the Mob, however, eventually landed him in jail and may have caused his still-unsolved disappearance (and presumed death) in 1975. But this book, the author's first, is more social history than biography. For Russell, Hoffa is both the product and the shaper of an American working class more focused on getting a piece of the pie than on creating a new society: "One of the most significant determinants in Hoffa's career was the desire of his union's members for material improvements in their lives." Russell casts Hoffa as a consummate guerrilla fighter who, in order to provide his followers with the wages they desired, was willing to do whatever was necessary to crush his labor competition, even if that meant aligning with criminals or with politicians unsympathetic to labor. In this scenario, Hoffa's methods and indeed his success eventually caught up with him. While the book seems aimed mainly at a scholarly audience (sometimes taking issue with, sometimes drawing on, the work of the "new labor historians"), its subject should appeal more broadly and could put Hoffa back on the historical map for a new generation of students of labor history. Eight pages of photos not seen by PW. (Sept. 12)Forecast: Labor history is not an easy sell, but publicity in N.Y., where the author lives and teaches, and a print campaign may tap into lingering curiosity about the missing labor boss.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Russell (history, Barnard Coll.) gives us the first scholarly work presenting Hoffa's life within the context of the American labor movement. The work's major theme is reflected in its title. During the Depression and World War II, many unions pursued political and ideological goals; Hoffa and the Teamsters of Detroit pushed for better wages and job security. Russell argues that like many organizers, Hoffa was compelled to respond to the unregulated nature of economic life during the Depression with violence against businesses, police, politicians, and members of other unions. Running street battles further forced him to look for allies where he could find them, and he found them among organized crime. This alliance plus bribery of government officials and internal corruption made the Teamsters outsiders to many Americans but bound the rank and file to Hoffa. Russell makes good use of a range of primary-source materials plus period newspaper accounts and other materials to highlight this story. The revealing account is recommended for all libraries. Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ.
Parkersburg
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press; Temple University Press Ed edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592130275
• ISBN-13: 978-1592130276
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 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: #1,424,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I teach history and American Studies at Occidental College and have taught at Columbia University, Barnard College, Eugene Lang College, and the New School for Social Research. Born and raised in Berkeley, California, I graduated from Antioch College and received a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. My first book, Out of the Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa and the Re-Making of the American Working Class, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2001. I am a frequent contributor to The Daily Beast and have published articles in New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Salon, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as scholarly essays in American Quarterly and The Columbia History of Post-World War II America. I have also appeared on the History Channel and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hoffa's Proletariat, April 13, 2004

By 

Dennis Phillips "The Book Friar" (Bulls Gap, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out of the Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa and the Remaking of the American Working Class (Labor in Crisis) (Paperback)

Walk up to a group of twenty-five Americans on any street corner and throw out some names. Try Al Gore, Dick Cheney, Bill Frist, or the Governor of the state you happen to be in and see how many in the group recognize the name. Then try the name Jimmy Hoffa. Most of the group may not really know who Hoffa was but they will be familiar with the name. For better or worse, just like Elvis, Jimmy Hoffa has become an American icon. Just before he began his term in prison, Hoffa was even compared to Christ by a local leader of the NAACP.

Thaddeus Russell has taken on the task of telling the story of Hoffa the Teamster. This is not really a biography of Hoffa the man for his family is barely mentioned nor is his daily life dealt with. This is the story of Hoffa and his Union and the history of the man and the organization are so deeply intertwined that this almost becomes a biography of the IBT. Russell really begins his story with Hoffa's early employment and his entry into the Union. From that point the author takes the reader along for the ride as the unknown Hoffa and his tiny Detroit local move into the big time. It is a fascinating story.

As the reader travels this sometimes-bumpy road he or she will gain several insights into the current state of American Labor. Hoffa gained the unswerving loyalty of his members by providing them with what they cared about. They wanted higher wages, shorter hours, and better benefits and Hoffa delivered. In contrast to Hoffa, after WWII many Union leaders adopted a corporatist outlook. Many Labor leaders had held this view before the war but it became dominant during the conflict. Their view was that Labor should give up many of it's best tools in order to become an equal partner in the decision making process of government. Russell never uses the term but their views were basically fascist in nature. Not Hitler's version, but true fascism which has never been practiced anywhere but went through a time of great popularity among intellectuals. The power given up by these corporatists still handicaps Labor to this day. Hoffa refused to surrender any tool he had at his disposal and fell out of favor with the rest of Labor.

Russell also covers Hoffa's relationship with the crime world. It appears that while Hoffa did indeed profit by some of his connections, his main reason for reaching out to the Mob in the first place was to gain needed muscle. Had that muscle been used exclusively against goons hired by management it would have been somewhat excusable. Many times however, that brute force was used against other unions. The odd thing is that after his release from prison Hoffa was seen by these underworld figures as a threat to their position in the IBT and that seems to have caused his disappearance. One wonders what would have happened if Hoffa had regained control of the Teamsters.

For someone who has studied the labor movement or a novice in this subject matter, this is a very good book. It is very well written and informative. Russell sheds new light on Hoffa and the IBT and does so in a very clear and easy to read manner. This story is sometimes very complicated but the author has done a remarkable job of explaining the whole story. This book is a welcome addition to the study of American Labor.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking, November 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Out of the Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa and the Remaking of the American Working Class (Hardcover)

This book upsets the pieties of the left without serving the agenda of the right. No wonder some reviewers have accused Russell of pardoning Hoffa post-humously, while others have accused him of undue vilification. They're confused, because Out of the Jungle is not warped by the ideological orthodoxies that have made so many other books of labor history so boring, predictable, sanctimonious and sometimes even dishonest. Out of the Jungle is a breakthrough, a meticulous, clear-headed analysis of what made Hoffa an effective leader. One can only hope more labor historians will follow Russell's lead in the future

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The reader is provided with his checkered life story, January 9, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of the Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa and the Remaking of the American Working Class (Labor in Crisis) (Paperback)

Strongly recommended reading, Out Of The Jungle: Jimmy Hoffa And The Remaking Of The American Working Class by Thaddeus Russell (Assistant Professor of History, Barnard College) is an informed and informative biography of the famous labor leader Jimmy Hoffa. The reader is provided with his checkered life story and the murderous tragedy that ultimately befell him at the hands of organized crime figures. A detailed and in-depth study, Out Of The Jungle is unflinching in its close attention to Hoffa's diverse virtues and follies alike.