Publication: Labour/Le Travail
Publication Date: 22-SEP-07
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Goutor, David
Article Excerpt
John Barnard, American Vanguard: The United Auto Workers During the Reuther Years (Detroit: Wayne State University Press 2004)
FROM THE OUTSET of this book, John Barnard leaves no doubt about his sympathy and support for the United Auto Workers, and particularly longtime President Walter Reuther and his allies. He acknowledges the encouragement and financial grants he received from a number of UAW leaders, although he also makes clear that this "is not in any sense an 'authorized' or 'official' history." (xiii)
The greatest strength of Barnard's study is his massive research base. He makes extensive use of union archives and conducted interviews with a wide array of UAW leaders. Barnard also makes good use of the secondary literature on the UAW, particularly Nelson Lichtenstein's magnificent biography of Reuther, The Most Dangerous Man in Detroit. Barnard is certainly aware that much of the scholarship on Reuther and the UAW is far from favourable, but he rarely engages these critics, or interpretive debates of any kind.
Rather, Barnard devotes himself to building a narrative that emphasizes the achievements and contributions of the union. To be sure, Barnard pays much attention to the many controversial aspects of the...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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