We take the two-day weekend for granted, but for most of history, it didn't exist.

Historian Arthur Miles narrates the struggle for leisure in "The Saturday Strike." Miles takes us back to the 19th century, where the 6-day work week was standard and "Saint Monday” was an unofficial tradition where hungover workers simply refused to show up.

The book details the unholy alliance between labor unions, who wanted rest, and religious puritans, who wanted workers sober for church. It explains how Henry Ford didn't invent the weekend out of kindness, but out of the realization that people needed time to buy and drive his cars.

"The Saturday Strike" is a gritty social history of strikes, riots, and factory politics. It reminds us that every hour of free time we enjoy was fought for in the streets, and warns that with the "always-on" gig economy, we are slowly sliding back into the 19th century.