The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Pawel (former editor, Los Angeles Times; The Union of Their Dreams) returns to the theme of her earlier work in this comprehensive biography of both Cesar Chavez (1927–93) and the movement he led, cofounding the National Farm Workers Association. Chavez was many things—a brilliant community organizer, a self-effacing man with little education, a Machiavellian intriguer unwilling to share power, and a leader committed to nonviolence and social justice. Pawel paints a complex portrait of Chavez with all his strengths and weaknesses. He wanted to do things his way, was happiest leading a movement rather than simply a bread-and-butter union, and clearly understood his symbolic power. He demanded complete loyalty from his followers. As he rose from unpaid community organizer to inspiring leader of a fledgling farm workers union and finally a mythic hero, Chavez worked harder than anyone else, sacrificed his health and his family to the cause, and deliberately cast aside those who questioned his need to control everything around him. The author's insightful, painstakingly researched, and thoughtful work makes Chavez all the more dimensional and nuanced by recognizing his failings as well as his successes.