Dynamite and Roses
Lucy and Albert Parsons and the Haymarket Bombing
by Robert Benedetti
Publication date: January 2010
Paperback: $15
Purchase from AK Press
Workers' militias, bombs, anarchists, unions, the struggle for the eight-hour day culminating in the Haymarket riot set in fire-ravaged Chicago. This is the true story of Lucy and Albert Parsons, the political storm that swirled around them and the men who were hung for practicing free speech too recklessly. Bendetti's narrative is both vigorous and engrossing. Presenting Albert and Lucy Parsons' stories in fictional style, he uses documents, biographic materials, court records, and first person accounts to recreate dialog and action that is history—a history that is swiftly paced and alive with all the drama of frantic real life.