Selected Reviews

Reviews of Bread & Roses

“A fast-paced, well researched narrative. . .  Bread and Roses is packed with facts, but Watson. . .  makes it an exciting read.”
New York Times
Editor’s Choice book

“Watson dramatically and effectively brings back to life the 1912 Lawrence strike.  With a keen eye for geographic and biographical detail, he captures the contours of industrial New England, re-creates the gritty neighborhoods populated by European immigrant groups, and carefully lays out the ideological beliefs and personal circumstances of the conflict’s many principal actors. . .  Bread and Roses is a story well-told.”
Chicago Tribune

“A spirited account. . . As events tumble upon one another—marches, protests, arrests, soup kitchens, negotiations—Watson. . . keeps firm control of the story.”
Boston Globe

“Well sourced, evenhanded and briskly paced, Watson's account of the dramatic textile mill strike in Lawrence, Mass., during the icy winter of 1912 presents a panoramic glimpse of a half-forgotten America.”
Publishers Weekly

“A stirring but studiously balanced narrative. . . Effecting a realistic, street-level vision of the strike, Watson earns and deserves the attention of readers.”
Booklist