Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry: the Untold Story of an American Legend
by Scott Reynolds Nelson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Scott Reynolds NelsonEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-09-28
ISBN: 0195300106
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry: the Untold Story of an American Legend
Book Review: A great American story
Summary: 4 Stars
Scott Nelson's Steel Drivin' Man is a wonderful story about the author's intriguing search for the real man behind the American folk hero John Henry. His search leads him down southern backroads, through forgotten railroad tunnels, and to some of the deeper secrets of American history. This is both a well-written personal narrative and a meticulously researched and engaging history of the man and the songs he inspired. Nelson unravels the mystery of John Henry's life and death, and powerfully explains how the folk song that recounted John Henry's battle with the steam drill came to have such an important place in American folklore (Did any of us NOT learn a version of the John Henry song in school?)Though John Henry's story was sad, his song became an inspiration to workers, folksingers, and schoolchildren alike, and Nelson writes powerfully of the ways that the song brings us together despite the differences that could divide us. He is a beautiful writer and a trained historian and it's clear that he researched this book diligently. This book is about many different things, but anyone interested in a great American story, or railroads, or folk music, or American labor history will love this book.
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