The Battle of Blair Mountain (2004)
- Author:
- Robert Shogan
The Battle of Blair Mountain is another event in our not-so-distant American history that I knew nothing about until a few years ago. I'd seen this book suggested multiple times and finally got in in at the library.
The story is told very well. Getting the level of detail right is difficult in history books like this. Too little detail and you feel you really don't know what's going on. Too much, and the narrative breaks down. Shogan hits the right balance here.
There's a lot of informaiton, yes, but you jump right into the story of the events that really began to kick off the violence. As you go along you are introduced to the people involved, with some background on each. Shogan adds more details as he goes, so the story keeps moving.
I wrote in my summary of it that the book is infuriating. The book clearly shows how much money just control so much, and it's extremely difficult - not to mention, dangerous - to oppose it.
I will also say that reading this book made me reflect on how many Southerners have gone from being suspicious of authority to flat-out bootlicking. I should format my Mastodon thread and post that.
If you're interested in history, unions, socialism, resistance against corporate masters, or any combination thereof, get this one.