A Seventh Man

By John Berger,

Book cover of A Seventh Man

Book description

"Why does the Western world look to migrant laborers to perform the most menial tasks? What compels people to leave their homes and accept this humiliating situation? In A Seventh Man, John Berger and Jean Mohr come to grips with what it is to be a migrant worker--the material circumstances…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked A Seventh Man as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Berger published this in 1975 at a time when Turkish, Greek, and Portuguese guest workers were arriving in Western Europe, having been recruited by employers to fill vacancies in factories during the years of sustained economic growth. Berger succeeds in humanising these workers, helped by photos taken by his long-term collaborator, the Swiss photographer Jean Mohr. Berger could not anticipate that these young men would later be joined by their families and put down roots. His book speaks of adventure and opportunity, but also of exploitation and humiliation. Numerous memorable vignettes stick in my mind, including his observation about migrant…

Want books like A Seventh Man?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like A Seventh Man.

Browse books like A Seventh Man

Book cover of Unsettled: Refugee Camps and the Making of Multicultural Britain
Book cover of Voices from the 'Jungle': Stories from the Calais Refugee Camp
Book cover of Making Refuge: Somali Bantu Refugees and Lewiston, Maine

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in migrant workers, Europe, and presidential biography?

Migrant Workers 14 books
Europe 956 books