THE CHARACTER OF CLASS STRUGGLE: ESSAYS IN CANADIAN WORKING-CLASS HISTORY, 1850-1985. Edited by Bryan D. Palmer. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, c1986. 239pp, paper, $12.95, ISBN 0-7710-69464. (Canadian social History series). CIP Post-Secondary Reviewed by J.D. Ingram Volume 15 Number 1 1987 January As the title suggests, this book contains eight labour-centred papers, which are organized into three parts. The latter are entitled "Varieties of Capitalism, Varieties of Struggle: The Nineteenth-Century Experience"; "Monopoly Capitalism and The Unevenness of Class Struggle"; and, "Advanced Capitalism and Accommodating the Class Struggle." Two of the eight essays are original, the other six having appeared previously in publications such as the New Left Review, and Labour/Le Travail. Some examples of essay topics are: "Class Struggle and Merchant Capital: Craftsmen and Labourers on the Halifax Waterfront, 1850-1902 "; "1919: The Canadian Labour Revolt"; and "The Rise and Fall of British Columbia's Solidarity." This collection tries to present a picture of "the changing character of class struggle from the mid-nineteenth century to the present." The focus is on examples and instances of overt confrontation. The view is restrictive and selective, but over the time period, changes are evident. The "Notes" section is extensive. This is not a collection of objective or unbiased historical papers. As the title suggests, the author's sympathies are clearly on the side of labour. The complexity and the level of language used puts it beyond the secondary school level. J.D. Ingram, Gordon Bell H.S., Winnipeg, Man.