THREAD OF VICTORY: A Story of Industrial Reform in Britain's Cotton Mills

Glasgow in 1805 was a city threatened by inner turmoil; labor reform was in the air, and Robert Owen was one of those at the center, looking restlessly for change. When his best friend dies as a result of poor conditions, young Roy MacCleish is fired with seething energy. Working for Owen, he puts his strength and brain to worthwhile use. The story of the young Scot's struggles, failures and romance -- secondary to the labor issue-- is told in vivid detail by the author of Becon's Rebellion (1959, p. 12, J-12). Solid reading for young devotees of historical fiction. The one big weakness is that the plot is loosely organized and occasionally confusing.