Witnesses to the Struggle: Imaging the 1930s California Labor Movement - Tapa dura

""Witnesses to the Struggle" is a wonderful book, beautifully written and must read for labor, ethnic, economic, Western, and social/cultural historians, and for those who treasure Americana." "CHOICE" "The 1930s were a time, as [John] Steinbeck put it, when a tremendous amount of human drama unfolded for artists, writers and photographers to record. Loftis has captured the sense of drive and urgency that was felt then, both by the labor organizers and those recording the events." "Palo Alto Weekly" The 1930s were a time, as [John] Steinbeck put it, when a tremendous amount of human drama unfolded for artists, writers and photographers to record. Loftis has captured the sense of drive and urgency that was felt then, both by the labor organizers and those recording the events. Palo Alto Weekly" "Witnesses to the Struggle is a wonderful book, beautifully written and must read for labor, ethnic, economic, western, and social/cultural historians, and for those who treasure Americana." Choice"

In Witnesses to the Struggle, Anne Loftis focuses on the work and activities of John Steinbeck, Carey McWilliams, Paul Taylor, and Dorothea Lange, who brought the story of California's labor struggles to the rest of the country. The realism and documentary expression of their art grew out of their personal involvement in the problems of society, and Loftis explores the lasting influence of their work as well as its remarkably immediate impact. One of Steinbeck's unintended legacies was his treatment of California farm workers as victims - the simple pawns of larger forces. In her study, Loftis reveals that the workers were not victims, but rather the strong and resourceful creators of their own histories.