The Cruel Years offers a vivid, poignant, and candid glimpse of the turmoil, oppression and injustice of the early 1900s through the words of 22 working women and men who reveal the anger, despair, and resiliency of their lives.

"William Loren Katz has poineered in the presentation of little-known history—especially of African Americans and Native Americans—to the American public. In this book he uses his considerable experience as a historical detective to let us hear the words of...working people, whose voices are ignored in traditional histories...These ordinary men and women tell their personal stories of living in an America that too often did not pay attention to them. We need to listen to the voices assembled in this remarkable collection. Hearing the words of these people is a requirement for a truly democratic society." —Howard Zinn (from the Preface)

William Loren Katz is the award winning author of 40 books, including the eight-volume A History of Multicultural America.

Laurie R. Lehman, Associate Professor of Education at Long Island University, has written on culture and disability in U. S. education. She and William Loren Katz are married.

Howard Zinn is the author of the highly acclaimed A People's History of the United States and many other volumes.