Author Russ Chandler explores the true story of a pair of riots, of two violent assaults on the organised working class that happened around the little town of Peekskill in New York State in late summer 1949.

When a concert for The Civil Rights Congress was attacked and smashed by a mob, the workers of New York responded by re-staging the event under their own control. The response to this act of defiance was a second mass assault, one that was pre-planned and saw the rioters, the police and the local media working together to unleash a brutal and bloody vengeance on the concertgoers.

This book tells the true story of a society divided against itself by politicians who didn't hesitate to use racism, fake news, paranoia and violence to stay in control.

In the world of President Trump, Charlottesville and the rise of the far right across the world the echoes of Peekskill are increasingly relevant and urgent.