A comprehensive history of American labor, capturing the full sweep of working people's struggles in the U.S., from indentured servants & slaves in the 17th-century Chesapeake Bay region to high-tech workers in contemporary Silicon Valley. Written with great narrative force by an American history professor & a librarian, this book surveys the historic efforts of working people to win the rights we take for granted today: basic health & safety standards in the workplace, fair on-the-job treatment for men & women, the minimum wage, & even the weekend itself. With dramatic cartoon narratives by acclaimed artist Joe Sacco, this marvelously informed, far-ranging book brings labor history to life.