Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
From the Civil War to the 1950s, just as the Pullman car was the mainstay of long-distance train transportation, the Pullman car porter was a fixture in American life. Primarily hired to fit the stereotype of black servants, these almost exclusively African-American men, at the risk of their jobs, eventually formed their own union in response to labor conditions. Here in their own words are their experiences -- and those of the Amtrak workers following them -- including their relations with passengers, their employers, their union, and among themselves, in candid, fascinating interviews. Those Pullman Blues conjures up the romance of a bygone era of railroad travel and at the same time seriously relates the workers' hardships and gains.
-- Explores the history of the Brotherhood of Pullman Car Workers
-- An engrossing book for anyone interested in railroad history, African-American history, American studies, and labor history.