The Longshoremen

Life on the Waterfront

Fiction & Literature, Historical
Cover of the book The Longshoremen by Jim Lynch, iUniverse
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Author: Jim Lynch ISBN: 9781491741184
Publisher: iUniverse Publication: July 25, 2014
Imprint: iUniverse Language: English
Author: Jim Lynch
ISBN: 9781491741184
Publisher: iUniverse
Publication: July 25, 2014
Imprint: iUniverse
Language: English

These three, inter-related stories describe the lives of three generations of the McGowan family and their personal battles to make a living by working on the Boston waterfront. The common thread that runs through them is the challenges presented by the shape-up or pick-up system, a procedure that was archaic and rife with favoritism and was the sole determining factor whether you received a salary that day.

At a young age, Jim McGowan goes to work as a longshoreman not knowing one end of a ship from the other. Fighting alcoholism, bad companions and family hardship, he strives to make a decent living for his family.

Jim's uncle Owen is an immigrant from Ireland in 1920 who finds work on the docks, one of the few jobs available to him. Working alongside veteran longshoremen, he decides to become part of the political establishment in order to improve the working conditions on the docks. Owen's cousin Mike is a seasoned dock worker, content with his life but wanting something better for his children.

The Longshoremen details the working conditions and challenges of working on the Boston waterfront and is based on the real-life experiences of longshoreman, author Jim Lynch.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

These three, inter-related stories describe the lives of three generations of the McGowan family and their personal battles to make a living by working on the Boston waterfront. The common thread that runs through them is the challenges presented by the shape-up or pick-up system, a procedure that was archaic and rife with favoritism and was the sole determining factor whether you received a salary that day.

At a young age, Jim McGowan goes to work as a longshoreman not knowing one end of a ship from the other. Fighting alcoholism, bad companions and family hardship, he strives to make a decent living for his family.

Jim's uncle Owen is an immigrant from Ireland in 1920 who finds work on the docks, one of the few jobs available to him. Working alongside veteran longshoremen, he decides to become part of the political establishment in order to improve the working conditions on the docks. Owen's cousin Mike is a seasoned dock worker, content with his life but wanting something better for his children.

The Longshoremen details the working conditions and challenges of working on the Boston waterfront and is based on the real-life experiences of longshoreman, author Jim Lynch.

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