A Seventh Man

A Seventh Man documents the lives of migrant workers in Europe during the 1970s through a combination of photographs by Jean Mohr and text by John Berger. The book captures the experiences of workers who left their homes in southern Europe and North Africa to find employment in the industrialized nations of northern Europe. The narrative follows the journey of these workers from their departure through their working lives in foreign countries. Mohr's black and white photographs work alongside Berger's prose to present both intimate portraits and broader social documentation. This work examines the economic forces that drive migration and the human cost of labor movement in post-war Europe. The personal stories and images reveal the intersection of individual lives with larger systems of power, economics, and social transformation.

Readers appreciate Berger's focus on the human experience of migrant workers in Western Europe, with many noting how the combination of photographs and text creates a documentary-style impact. Several reviewers mention the book remains relevant decades later due to ongoing migration issues. Readers highlight: - The personal narratives and individual stories - Jean Mohr's black and white photography - The blend of sociological analysis with human elements Common criticisms: - Some sections feel dated - The writing style can be dense and academic - Limited geographic scope (focuses mainly on Turkish workers in Germany) Ratings: Goodreads: 4.24/5 (190 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) One reader on Goodreads notes: "The photographs alone tell a complete story of loneliness and determination." Another comments: "This book transformed my understanding of labor migration in Europe." Most negative reviews focus on the academic tone, with one Amazon reviewer stating: "Important content but dry reading at times."

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson The stories of African American migrants moving from the South to Northern cities during the Great Migration parallel the experiences of guest workers documented in A Seventh Man.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid This narrative follows migrants moving through magical doors between countries, examining the human costs and cultural transitions of migration in the modern world.

The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantú A border patrol agent's firsthand account reveals the complex realities of migration at the US-Mexico border through personal experiences and encounters.

Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli This examination of undocumented children's migration stories through immigration questionnaires illuminates the mechanisms of migration bureaucracy and human displacement.

No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani Written via text message from a detention center, this chronicle documents the lived experience of asylum seekers in the Australian immigration system.

• The book's title "A Seventh Man" refers to the statistic that one in every seven workers in Western Europe at the time was a migrant laborer. • Photographer Jean Mohr captured over 3,000 images during the project, though only a carefully curated selection appears in the final book. • John Berger donated his Booker Prize money from another work to the Black Panther movement, demonstrating his lifelong commitment to social justice causes. • The book was groundbreaking in its multimedia approach, being one of the first major works to combine documentary photography with sociological analysis and poetic narrative. • Many of the migrant workers documented in the book came from Turkey to Germany through formal "guest worker" programs, which were meant to be temporary but led to permanent communities.