I'm looking to broaden my knowledge of that period of U.S. history, with particular interests in labor conflicts, especially those of the West. Think the Ludlow Massacre and the Johnson County War, and figures such as Mother Jones. I've looked at the book recommendations page for that time period of U.S. history, but I was wondering if people could offer specific suggestions for what they feel are the best introductions for new students on the subject, with possible suggestions for jumping off points after a few good foundational texts.
I'd also be interested in more broadly oriented works on that time period - roughly 1880-1920, especially books that provide important context to U.S. labor conflicts.
IMO, the best overview of the Progressive Era is Michael McGirr's A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920. It's very well-written and, because it's an overview, will get you up to date on the most recent scholarship.
For the Gilded Age, a good overview is H.W. Brands' American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900
A great book that places the Progressive Era within an international context is Daniel T. Rodgers' Atlantic Crossings: Social Politics in a Progressive Age
For labor conflicts, I think the following are particularly good:
Thomas Andrews, Killing for Coal: America's Deadliest Labor War
James Green, Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America
David Montgomery, The Fall of the House of Labor: The Workplace, the State, and American Labor Activism, 1865-1925