About
Forty Gavels is the ground-breaking story of Illinois AFL-CIO President Reuben Soderstrom (1930-1970) and the American Labor Movement he helped build. For four decades, Soderstrom led one of the nation's largest labor organizations through the most challenging, exciting, and impactful events of the twentieth century. From the depths of depression and war to the boom of postwar prosperity, through the birth of both the AFL-CIO and the Civil Rights Movement, Soderstrom was there, forging a legacy as one of organized labor's most prolific voices. Adopting a year by year approach, this revolutionary three-volume biography follows Reuben to the front line of violent strikes, inside rowdy union meetings in Chicago, and behind the scenes at White House summits, making it one of the most in-depth studies of the American Movement ever made.
Awards
Finalist:
Biography
Midwestern Independent Publishing
Awards
2019
Finalist:
Design (Interior)
Midwestern Independent Publishing
Awards
2019
Praise
“Reuben Soderstrom was a giant, one of the seminal figures of the labor movement...It is profoundly gratifying to see his story—and the story of labor itself—told in such an in-depth and celebrated fashion.”
Robert Bruno, Ph.D.
Professor of Labor and Employment Relations,
University of Illinois
“We honor and welcome this biography of Brother Reuben Soderstrom, and salute his life-long dedication to improving the lives of working families both in Illinois and nationwide.”
Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO
“Beautifully narrated, lavishly illustrated, and impressively documented, Forty Gavels is much more than a mere biography. It’s a vibrant history lesson and the story of principles, struggles, and achievements that we should remember…This is a book that any reader will relish.”
Kimberlee Benart
Reviewer, Readers' Favorite
“Forty Gavels> is more than a biography or a study of one family’s patriarch. It’s a chronicle of a movement...a reminder that even against overwhelming power, it’s possible to fight fear and frustrations by working with others."
Bill Knight
Professor of Journalism, Western Illinois
University
“Reuben Soderstrom’s legacy has been profound, lasting and inspiring. I encourage everyone to enjoy the great history of our state organization captured in the beautiful pages of this book. It is a real treasure worthy of the man it celebrates.”
Michael Carrigan
President, Illinois AFL-CIO
“For forty years, 1930 to 1970, Reuben G. Soderstrom stood at the top of the Labor Movement in Illinois….Soderstrom’s story is also the story of the rise of Labor in Illinois in those crucial decades. And now it has been told, in one of the biggest and most thorough biographies ever written.”