The Death of Spring

by Silvio J. Caputo Jr.

"In 1913, the Southern Colorado coal fields exploded into a war between the newly organized United Mine Workers of America and the Rockefeller-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron. The company's history had been marked by violent deaths in mine explosions and infant mortalities from disease caused by squalid conditions in the company-owned camps.

The Death of Spring tells the story of Vincenzo, an Italian immigrant, who searched for the American dream only to find the harsh realities of life in the coal camps."

310 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have used some editing, and I was annoyed at the placement of the Hastings mine explosion prior to the Ludlow massacre (Ludlow happened a few years prior to the explosion), but it was a super interesting story and a good description of the Colorado Coalfield War. I was confused by the use of some folks real names, e.g. Tikas (union leader), but others like Mother Jones who playes a role in the events were given transparent aliases. Do we really need to protect Rockefeller from his role in these tragedies?

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice read. Enjoyed it.