The Glassworkers of Carmaux: French Craftsmen and Political Action in a Nineteenth-Century City

Q: Socialism in the face of rapid industrialization? How can a student of the 19th century world come to appreciate the human qualities of such a struggle? The answers given by most historians are far too simple, a point which Joan Scott brings to light through her highly analytical, and yet delightfully readable account of the history of one French city. Her comparative analysis of the many significant, subtle cross-currents finally makes the conflict between Socialism and Industrial-Age progress clearly understandable.