Life of an Ironworker: The Collected Works of Joseph ”Red” Irving

Joe Irving, the oldest living ironworker, returns after his first book to tell us stories of not just his construction days, but from his entire life. Life of an Ironworker is a collection of stories, memories, opinions and events told from the hand of a 99-year-old man, now retired and living in the Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada. Born in 1911, Joe grew up in the pioneer days in rural B.C. and then joined the Local #97, International Union of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Ironworkers, Machinery Movers, Derickmen and Riggers with whom he had a wonderfully successful career. He later retired and purchased the Rainbow Pines Ranch, in the Slocan Valley, with his wife Sylvia where they lived the better part of forty years farming, ranching, and milling. Joe has travelled the world, graduated high-school at 93 years old, lent a helping hand whenever he could and read and researched his way through thousands of books. His collected works span a lifetime of 99 years and truly show the amazing character that has allowed Joe to survive in the world for the past one hundred years, and still to be alive, healthy and strong, telling those stories today.