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Cesar Chavez founded a labor union, launched a movement, and inspired a generation. He rose from migrant worker to national icon, becoming one of the great charismatic leaders of the 20th century. Two decades after his death, Chavez remains the most significant Latino leader in US history. Yet his life story has been told only in hagiography--until now. In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams. He was an experimental thinker with eclectic passions--an avid, self-educated historian and a disciple of Gandhian non-violent protest.



About the Author

Miriam Pawel

Miriam Pawel is an author, journalist and independent scholar who has spent most of the last decade writing about California farmworkers, agriculture, Cesar Chavez, and the United Farm Workers union. Her latest book, "The Crusades of Cesar Chavez," has been hailed in starred reviews as the first and definitive biography of this iconic leader. The biography picks up from where her first book left off; "The Union of Their Dreams" is the story of the heady and life-changing days of the farm worker movement, told through the eyes of eight key participants. Pawel worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor. Her recent work was supported by a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. To learn more, visit http://miriampawel.com, which features the new blog, "Field Notes," and links to multi-media websites for "The Crusades of Cesar Chavez" and "The Union of Their Dreams."



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