Why was Winnipeg the scene of the longest and most complete general strike in North American history? Bercuson answers this question by examining the development of union labour and the impact of depression and war in the two decades preceding the strike.

David J. Bercuson is the director of the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies. A celebrated military historian, he has published on a wide range of topics including modern Canadian politics, Canadian defense and foreign policy, and military history. He has written, co-authored, or edited over thirty books, including The Fighting Canadians: Canada's Regimental History from New France to Afghanistan; The Patricias: The Proud History of a Fighting Regiment; and Blood on the Hills: The Canadian Army in the Korean War. In 1997 Dr. Bercuson was appointed Special Advisor to the Minister of National Defence on the Future of the Canadian Forces. A member of the Minister of National Defence's Monitoring Committee from 1997 to 2003, he also served on the Advisory Council on National Security from 2005 to 2008. Until 2010 Bercuson was an Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, a Land Force Reserve military engineer unit of the Canadian Forces. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, which awarded him the J.B. Tyrrell Historical Medal in 2002, and serves on the board of the Royal Military College. In 2003 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

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"will become the standard work on Canada's epic strike." Canadian Forum. "Bercuson has been able to flesh out much of the early background ... and to provide insights into developments on the employers' side of the struggle." Calgary Herald. "an important addition to the literature ... helps to explain why a general strike broke out in Winnipeg rather than elsewhere." This Magazine. "Bercuson's perceptive and provocative study is the best yet." Canadian Historical Review.