Allows us to revisit a monumental twentieth-century life. Bridges the man may not be widely known, but his philosophy of inclusive, democratic unionism imbues much of today's most ambitious organizing campaigns, from Starbucks and Amazon to the teachers' unions in Chicago and Los Angeles. --New York Review of Books
A detailed account of Bridges's life and achievements, using not only the extensive government files from his various prosecutions and the ILWU's voluminous archives but also Bridges's own papers, a number of interviews with him, and, crucially, CPUSA files in Russian archives. It is unlikely that a more complete story of the man will ever be told. --Commentary
A must-read for students of 20th Century US History. --Labor History
Cherny's text is about as complete a biography of Bridges as one will find. Politically astute and with a deep understanding of the complexities of labor organizing and union work, the text presents a portrait of a man, his politics, and his steadfast belief in the necessity and potential power of an organized working class. . . . One of the best pictures of labor unionism ever written down. --Counterpunch
Cherny's text is as complete a biography of Bridges as one will find. Politically astute and with a deep understanding of the complexities of labour organizing and union work, the text presents a portrait of a man, his politics, and his steadfast belief in the necessity and potential power of an organized working class. --Morning Star
A monumental achievement. More than thirty-five years in the making, it is exhaustively researched, gracefully written, and comprehensive. . . . Offers tantalizing details that may surprise even those who already know a great deal about Bridges and the ILWU. . . . It should appeal to everyone interested in Harry Bridges, the history of the ILWU, and the American labor movement in general. --Dispatcher
A deeply researched biography. . . this book will be valuable to readers interested in labor history, maritime history, the history of American communism, and California history. --Choice
Harry Bridges is little-known, but he was arguably the most important left-leaning union leader in twentieth-century America. Cherny has written the most comprehensive biography of Bridges that exists--or, I imagine, ever will exist.--Peter Cole, author of Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area
