Diana Cook recounts some of the rich history and little-known facts about the magnificent Wisconsin State Capitol building, in a volume of interest and value to every Wisconsin resident and to all who tour this building and marvel at its sheer grandeur. With this book in a visitor's hand, the Capitol will make sense and be fun to discover. -- Wisconsin State Journal

In early 2011, the nation was stunned to watch Wisconsin's state capitol in Madison come under sudden and unexpected occupation by union members and their allies. The protests to defend collective bargaining rights were militant and practically unheard of in this era of declining union power. Nearly forty years of neoliberalism and the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression have battered the labor movement, and workers have been largely complacent in the face of stagnant wages, slashed benefits and services, widening unemployment, and growing inequality. That is, until now.