A pioneering work in oral history, this book tells the story of the rise and fall of the industrial revolution and the apogee and crisis of the labor movement through an oral history of Terni, a steel town in Central Italy and the seat of the first large industrial enterprise in Italy. This story is told through a combination of stories, songs, myths and memories from over 200 voices of five generations, woven with a wealth of archival material.
"Biography of an Industrial Town is an ironclad book that is essential reading for everyone interested in oral history, the politics of resistance, and the privileging of the testimonies of narrators." (William Burns, The Oral History Review, Vol. 46 (2), 2019)