There is no better way of learning history than reading books such as those authored by Watson. It is this gift that investigates and brings out both sides of both hero and scoundrel that vivifies the prose. And we creep into and understand the militia who acted the way they did because they were bored, bitterly cold, and resentful at being used (151). We are with the mythical Bill Haywood who whilst aggressive and dedicated, abandoned his workers when they most needed him. We see the legendary Wood - rags from riches who despite his own disadvantaged past (or perhaps because of it?) fails to remember his own origins. The characters - all of them - become three-dimensional. Other radical orators such as Haywood, Flynn, and mill owner William Wood of the American Woolen Company all come alive on the pages, and through Watson's tremendous craft we gain sympathy for both oppressor and victim alike. And we root for Elizabeth Gurney, an individual who struck down two mores of her time: she was a woman and she stood up for to poor. Joseph Ettor, otherwise known as 'Smiling Joe', inspires us as the young charismatic organizer who came to lead their campaign. We see and experience the inspirational and sometimes-eccentric leaders through their eyes, live their history with them, and feel their sense of injustice and rancor.

Through Watson's unforgettable prose, we are drawn into the lives of those textile workers on the icy cold winter streets. Replete with descriptions of unforgettable acts of cruelty, and the dedicated and inspiring acts of sacrifice of participants from fifty-one nations, with the inclusion of a protracted murder trial that centers around the issue of free speech, the Bread and Roses strike is a story that is as pertinent as ever. It engaged the attention of the International Workers of the World (IWW), also known as the Wobblies, and the American Federation of Labor, and, from thence, absorbed nationwide interest with charismatic and fearless veterans of other strikes involved.

The strike, in early 20th century New England, commenced on Januwith textile workers storming out of a mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Watson's book deals with a period in America's labor history that most history books ignore, and it captures this period in a fresh, unforgettable manner.

Bread and Roses by Bruce Watson