Crossing Hoffa: A Teamster's Story - Hardcover

Harper, Steven J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0873515803 ISBN 13: 9780873515801

Publisher: Borealis Books, 2007

Synopsis

On a spring day in 1961, over-the-road trucker Jim Harper was en route from Mauston, Wisconsin, to his home in Minneapolis. At 70 miles per hour, with a combined 60,000 pounds of man, machine, and material, he approached a curve along the Great River Road and hit the brakes. The tractor-trailer didn't slow. Harper's brake lines had been cut.

In preceding months, Harper had led an insurgency in his Teamsters' Local 544 to clean up corruption among its leaders. His efforts drew the attention of none other than Jimmy Hoffa, at the time focused on securing his right to lead the national Teamsters organization without government intervention.

Jim Harper had his reasons for confronting his local's leadership—a hardscrabble childhood and a stint in Angola prison had left him seeking redemption, and Jimmy Hoffa had publicly called for union reform. But Hoffa, under federal investigation for questionable financial dealings, had deep, dark secrets; the last thing he needed was a spotlight on Minneapolis. Despite the increasing threats to his life and those of his young family, Harper continued to press his case.

In this fascinating account, Harper's son traces the interwoven paths of these two men—a criminal icon and a determined vigilante—from their formative years through their unbelievable face-off.
Accolades for Crossing Hoffa:
Best Books of 2007, Chicago Tribune
Best Books, 2008 New York Book Festival
"Honorable Mention" in the 2008 Hollywood Book Festival's Biography/Autobiography category.

About this title

About the Author:

He is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and regular contributor to "The American Lawyer (AM LAW DAILY)." Since "Crossing Hoffa," he has written two books: "The Partnership - A Novel" and "Straddling Worlds: The Jewish-American Journey of Professor Richard W. Leopold."

His award-winning blog is "The Belly of the Beast" (thebellyofthebeast.wordpress.com).  

Steve is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. For thirty years, he was a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, a large law firm that he joined upon graduation from Harvard Law School. He received combined B.A. and M.A. degrees in economics from Northwestern. He and his wife have three adult children and live in suburban Chicago. Visit his website at stevenjharper.com

From AudioFile:

Harper details the life and times of his father, trucker Jim Harper, as he clashed with Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa and received death threats and repeated attempts on his life in the early 1960s. Told in remarkable detail, the story reveals unknown incidents and details relating to Hoffa, who was infamous for his iron rule of the Teamster's Unionbefore he simply disappeared, the victim of foul play. Narrator Mort Crim reads with intensity and passion, his voice an echoing bass line that rivets from start to finish. Crim's tone, not often found in today's narrators, is reminiscent of newscasters of the fifties and sixties. The story is presented matter-of-factlydespite the author's personal involvement with the real-life protagonist. L.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Borealis Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0873515803
• ISBN 13: 9780873515801
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248