William D. "Big Bill" Haywood rose from the ranks of the miners in Nevada and Idaho to become one of the most renowned and feared labor leaders of his time. He was a leader of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM), a founder of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and a defendant in a highly publicized murder trial. Haywood's image as a violent, anti-American radical led to his being jailed during World War I; he eventually chose exile in the Soviet Union rather than spending the remainder of his life in prison. During his time in Russia, he wrote Bill Haywood's Book: The Autobiography of William D. Haywood (1929), which became one of the best-known autobiographical writings by an American radical and is the primary source of information about Haywood and his life. He was a prolific writer, a powerful orator, and a master of public relations...