Toward a Social History of the American Civil War. Exploratory Essays. Ed. by Maris A. Vinovskis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge \etc.] 1990. xii, 201 PP. £ 25.00. (Paper: £ 8.95)

syndicalist propositions were simply wrong, especially in underestimating the role of politics, state, and culture. In other respects though, most of the contributors conclude, the legacy lives on in the idea of workers' control, industrial unionism, and the tactics of direct action. This volume provides an excellent introduction to a complex but important phenomenon. There is room for further collaborative work but it is to be hoped that future national studies of syndicalism and its influence will start from here.