Reviews
What Nelson proves is the power of the John Henry myth. Whether or not John Willian Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a facinating guide to the world of the Southern railroads and the grim landscape of late 19th century America., "Nelson is a magnificent writer, and he tells a story as great and terrible as any... Steel Drivin' Man is a rarity among history books in that it is a concise one. It's like John Henry: It's short, and it does its job well."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution .,."fascinating...Nelson is an able storyteller, and the finding of John Henry opens up any number of tales to the telling...John Henry's story is also the story of the robber barons who built railroads (and, in John Henry's case, railroad tunnels) with slave labor and at public expense; it is the story of racial hatreds; it is the story of emerging technologies; and it is the story of how one particular song came to be used, and reused."--No Depression Magazine "In his remarkable book, Steel Drivin' Man, Nelson delves into American folklore to produce an original, compelling, sometimes speculative but always fascinating biography of the mythic figure...skillfully pieces together enough historical fragments to establish the credibility of Henry's existence. Nelson compensates for the paucity of detailed biographical information by providing a succinct, first-rate account of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Virginia, the growth of the Southern railway industry, the operation of the brutal convict-labor system and the migration of Southern blacks to the urban North...Nelson's accomplishment lies in eloquently breathing life into an iconic figure and elegantly re-creating his lost world in a mode that is respectful, moving and entertaining."--Chicago Tribune Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute andrequiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen "Traces the history of the folk ballad of John Henry, and discusses the true story behind the song, of a black Virginia convict who died building the railroad through the Appalachians."--The Chronicle of Higher Education "His deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."--The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched [book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country..."--The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John WilliamHenry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing together the biography of the real John Henry, and rarely is the tale of hours logged in archives so interesting. It's the story of fatal racism in the postbellum South. And it's the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but, in rem, "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., asScott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched[book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongfulconviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly, "In this compelling and consistently engaging narrative, Nelson reveals as much about the cultural politics of the twentieth century as he does about race, railroads, and Reconstruction in the nineteenth."--John C. Inscoe, The Journal of Southern History "In telling the story of a man, a myth, and history wrapped up together, Nelson's created a page-turning historical detective story."--Jeffery R. Lindholm, Dirty Linen "Nelson is a magnificent writer, and he tells a story as great and terrible as any... Steel Drivin' Man is a rarity among history books in that it is a concise one. It's like John Henry: It's short, and it does its job well."-- Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Fascinating...Nelson is an able storyteller, and the finding of John Henry opens up any number of tales to the telling.... John Henry's story is also the story of the robber barons who built railroads (and, in John Henry's case, railroad tunnels) with slave labor and at public expense; it is the story of racial hatreds; it is the story of emerging technologies; and it is the story of how one particular song came to be used, and reused."-- No Depression Magazine "In his remarkable book, Steel Drivin' Man, Nelson delves into American folklore to produce an original, compelling, sometimes speculative but always fascinating biography of the mythic figure...skillfully pieces together enough historical fragments to establish the credibility of Henry's existence. Nelson compensates for the paucity of detailed biographical information by providing a succinct, first-rate account of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Virginia, the growth of the Southern railway industry, the operation of the brutal convict-labor system and the migration of Southern blacks to the urban North...Nelson's accomplishment lies in eloquently breathing life into an iconic figure and elegantly re-creating his lost world in a mode that is respectful, moving and entertaining."-- Chicago Tribune "Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen "Traces the history of the folk ballad of John Henry, and discusses the true story behind the song, of a black Virginia convict who died building the railroad through the Appalachians."-- The Chronicle of Higher Education "His deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."-- The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched [book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country..."-- The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinati, "An engaging book! Nelson explores the many facets of the John Henrylegend and uncovers for the first time the actual person who was John Henry. Inthe process he offers readers a fascinating view of an historical detective atwork and a pointed commentary on the often contradictory uses this core Americanmyth has been put to across the last century." --Nick Salvatore, CornellUniversity, "Cultural history at its best, and part detective story, Steel Drivin' Man sings like John Henry's Hammer. What rings in these pages is the big-hearted, broken-hearted America of Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou, Woody Guthrie--and the real John Henry. Scott Nelson has busted a mystery and bangedout a landmark."--Tim Tyson, author of Blood Done Sign My Name, "Who really was John Henry, the strongest man alive? Scott Nelson, astonishingly, thinks he's figured it out, and he makes powerful sense, not just in bringing a musical legend to life but in recounting a hard journey through some of the darker scenes of American history, from the swelteringSouthern towns of the Reconstruction era to the railroad convict labor camps of the Gilded Age."--Sean Wilentz, co-editor of The Rose and the Briar: Love, Death and Liberty in the American Ballad, Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country., "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry storya profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went intobuilding this country."--The Houston Chronicle, "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing together the biography of the real John Henry, and rarely is the tale of hours logged in archives so interesting. It's the story of fatal racism in the postbellum South.And it's the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but, in reminding workers to slow down or die, were a tool of resistance and protest."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), "Faster than a speeding drill. More powerful than a steam hammer. Able toleap generations in a single bound. It's a man--it's a legend--it's John Henry,a railroad worker whose race against his technological successor ended in bothhis death and his everlasting myth. In "Steel Drivin' Man," Mr. Nelson not onlytells of his discovery of Henry's grave, but also explores the history of theman, and the rise of his myth in both story and song."--David Pepose, TheWashington Times, "his deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."---The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researchedÝbook¨. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country..."--The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story ofpiecing together the biography of the real John Henry, and rarely is the tale of hours logged in archives so interesting. It's the story of fatal racism in the postbellum South. And it's the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but, in reminding workers to slow down or die, were a tool of resistance and protest."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads andthe grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times, "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, whichreduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from thearchives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant.He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grimlandscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times, "Faster than a speeding drill. More powerful than a steam hammer. Able to leap generations in a single bound. It's a man--it's a legend--it's John Henry, a railroad worker whose race against his technological successor ended in both his death and his everlasting myth. In "Steel Drivin' Man,"Mr. Nelson not only tells of his discovery of Henry's grave, but also explores the history of the man, and the rise of his myth in both story and song."--David Pepose, The Washington Times, "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country."--The Houston Chronicle, "Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect, Steel Drivin' Man is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen, "In telling the story of a man, a myth, and history wrapped up together, Nelson's created a page-turning historical detective story."--Jeffery R. Lindholm, Dirty Linen "Nelson is a magnificent writer, and he tells a story as great and terrible as any... Steel Drivin' Man is a rarity among history books in that it is a concise one. It's like John Henry: It's short, and it does its job well."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution , .."fascinating...Nelson is an able storyteller, and the finding of John Henry opens up any number of tales to the telling...John Henry's story is also the story of the robber barons who built railroads (and, in John Henry's case, railroad tunnels) with slave labor and at public expense; it is the story of racial hatreds; it is the story of emerging technologies; and it is the story of how one particular song came to be used, and reused."--No Depression Magazine "In his remarkable book, Steel Drivin' Man, Nelson delves into American folklore to produce an original, compelling, sometimes speculative but always fascinating biography of the mythic figure...skillfully pieces together enough historical fragments to establish the credibility of Henry's existence. Nelson compensates for the paucity of detailed biographical information by providing a succinct, first-rate account of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Virginia, the growth of the Southern railway industry, the operation of the brutal convict-labor system and the migration of Southern blacks to the urban North...Nelson's accomplishment lies in eloquently breathing life into an iconic figure and elegantly re-creating his lost world in a mode that isrespectful, moving and entertaining."--Chicago Tribune Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen "Traces the history of the folk ballad of John Henry, and discusses the true story behind the song, of a black Virginia convict who died building the railroad through the Appalachians."--The Chronicle of Higher Education "His deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."--The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched [book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognizedlabors that went into building this country..."--The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing together the biography of the real John Henry, and rarely i, "In this skillful and captivating work, Scott Nelson offers up a historyof a song that is also a history of labor and race in the post-Civil War South.Nelson illuminates the real life--and death--of the mythical John Henry withclarity and verve, in a book that takes hold of you page after page." --MarthaHodes, author of A Sea Captain's Wife: A True Story of Love, Race, and War inthe Nineteenth Century, "Cultural history at its best, and part detective story, Steel Drivin' Mansings like John Henry's Hammer. What rings in these pages is the big-hearted,broken-hearted America of Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou, Woody Guthrie--and thereal John Henry. Scott Nelson has busted a mystery and banged out alandmark."--Tim Tyson, author of Blood Done Sign My Name, "Nelson is a magnificent writer, and he tells a story as great and terrible as any... Steel Drivin' Man is a rarity among history books in that it is a concise one. It's like John Henry: It's short, and it does its job well."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Nelson is a magnificent writer, and he tells a story as great and terrible as any... Steel Drivin' Man is a rarity among history books in that it is a concise one. It's like John Henry: It's short, and it does its job well."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Steel Drivin' Man gives us both a wonderful bit of sleuthing and a fascinating tour of life on the lower fringes of the post-bellum South, the disturbing reality behind the heroic individualism of one of America's most famous folk songs. "--History Book Club "...fascinating...Nelson is an able storyteller, and the finding of John Henry opens up any number of tales to the telling...John Henry's story is also the story of the robber barons who built railroads (and, in John Henry's case, railroad tunnels) with slave labor and at public expense; it is the story of racial hatreds; it is the story of emerging technologies; and it is the story of how one particular song came to be used, and reused."--No Depression Magazine "In his remarkable book, Steel Drivin' Man, Nelson delves into American folklore to produce an original, compelling, sometimes speculative but always fascinating biography of the mythic figure...skillfully pieces together enough historical fragments to establish the credibility of Henry's existence. Nelson compensates for the paucity of detailed biographical information by providing a succinct, first-rate account of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Virginia, the growth of the Southern railway industry, the operation of the brutal convict-labor system and the migration of Southern blacks to the urban North...Nelson's accomplishment lies in eloquently breathing life into an iconic figure and elegantly re-creating his lost world in a mode that is respectful, moving and entertaining."--Chicago Tribune Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen "Traces the history of the folk ballad of John Henry, and discusses the true story behind the song, of a black Virginia convict who died building the railroad through the Appalachians."--The Chronicle of Higher Education "His deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."--The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched [book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country..."--The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing, "Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect,Steel Drivin' Man is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men whobuilt this country."--Bruce Springsteen, "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slenderbook is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing together the biography ofthe real John Henry, and rarely is the tale of hours logged in archives sointeresting. It's the story of fatal racism in the postbellum South. And it'sthe story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but,in reminding workers to slow down or die, were a tool of resistance andprotest."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), "In telling the story of a man, a myth, and history wrapped up together, Nelson's created a page-turning historical detective story."--Jeffery R. Lindholm, Dirty Linen, "Steel Drivin' Man gives us both a wonderful bit of sleuthing and a fascinating tour of life on the lower fringes of the post-bellum South, the disturbing reality behind the heroic individualism of one of America's most famous folk songs. "--History Book Club "...fascinating...Nelson is an able storyteller, and the finding of John Henry opens up any number of tales to the telling...John Henry's story is also the story of the robber barons who built railroads (and, in John Henry's case, railroad tunnels) with slave labor and at public expense; it is the story of racial hatreds; it is the story of emerging technologies; and it is the story of how one particular song came to be used, and reused."--No Depression Magazine "In his remarkable book, Steel Drivin' Man, Nelson delves into American folklore to produce an original, compelling, sometimes speculative but always fascinating biography of the mythic figure...skillfully pieces together enough historical fragments to establish the credibility of Henry's existence. Nelson compensates for the paucity of detailed biographical information by providing a succinct, first-rate account of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Virginia, the growth of the Southern railway industry, the operation of the brutal convict-labor system and the migration of Southern blacks to the urban North...Nelson's accomplishment lies in eloquently breathing life into an iconic figure and elegantly re-creating his lost world in a mode that is respectful, moving and entertaining."--Chicago Tribune "Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen "Traces the history of the folk ballad of John Henry, and discusses the true story behind the song, of a black Virginia convict who died building the railroad through the Appalachians."--The Chronicle of Higher Education "his deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."---The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched[book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country..."--The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing together the biography of the real John Henry, and rarely is the tale of hours logged in archives so interesting. It's the story of fatal racism in the postbellum South. And it's the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero bu, "Who really was John Henry, the strongest man alive? Scott Nelson,astonishingly, thinks he's figured it out, and he makes powerful sense, not justin bringing a musical legend to life but in recounting a hard journey throughsome of the darker scenes of American history, from the sweltering Southerntowns of the Reconstruction era to the railroad convict labor camps of theGilded Age." --Sean Wilentz, co-editor of The Rose and the Briar: Love, Deathand Liberty in the American Ballad, "...fascinating...Nelson is an able storyteller, and the finding of John Henry opens up any number of tales to the telling...John Henry's story is also the story of the robber barons who built railroads (and, in John Henry's case, railroad tunnels) with slave labor and at public expense; it is the story of racial hatreds; it is the story of emerging technologies; and it is the story of how one particular song came to be used, and reused."--No Depression Magazine "In his remarkable book, Steel Drivin' Man, Nelson delves into American folklore to produce an original, compelling, sometimes speculative but always fascinating biography of the mythic figure...skillfully pieces together enough historical fragments to establish the credibility of Henry's existence. Nelson compensates for the paucity of detailed biographical information by providing a succinct, first-rate account of Reconstruction in post-Civil War Virginia, the growth of the Southern railway industry, the operation of the brutal convict-labor system and the migration of Southern blacks to the urban North...Nelson's accomplishment lies in eloquently breathing life into an iconic figure and elegantly re-creating his lost world in a mode that is respectful, moving and entertaining."--Chicago Tribune "Written at the crossroads where American myth and reality intersect Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend is a tribute and requiem to the real steel drivin' men who built this country."--Bruce Springsteen "Traces the history of the folk ballad of John Henry, and discusses the true story behind the song, of a black Virginia convict who died building the railroad through the Appalachians."--The Chronicle of Higher Education "his deft detective work, in effect, serves as a search warrant, authorizing him, as he traces the evolution of the song, to drill deep down into the scorched earth of the South in the years after the Civil War to lay bare the lives of African Americans under the notorious Black Codes."---The Philadelphia Inquirer "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry with his ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communist radicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulky strongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott Reynolds Nelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched[book]. He sifts through prison records, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs and art--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins with racist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpected journey to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly "Readers will find his imaginative reconstruction of the John Henry story a profound and welcome acknowledgement of the unrecognized labors that went into building this country..."--The Houston Chronicle "What Mr. Nelson proves is the undying power of the John Henry myth, which reduces almost to a pinpoint the historical figure he resurrects from the archives. Whether or not John William Henry is the man seems almost irrelevant. He is a fascinating guide to the world of Southern railroads and the grim landscape of Reconstruction."--William Grimes, The New York Times "A remarkable work of scholarship and a riveting story.... This slender book is many-layered. It's Nelson's story of piecing together the biography of the real John Henry, and rarely is the tale of hours logged in archives so interesting. It's the story of fatal racism in the postbellum South. And it's the story of work songs, songs that not only turned Henry into a folk hero but, in reminding workers to slow down or die, were a tool of resistance and protest."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), "Over the last century, the legend of macho steelworker John Henry withhis ''two twenty pound hammers'' has been appropriated by chain gangs, Communistradicals, and Johnny Cash. The real Henry, usually envisioned as a bulkystrongman, was in fact a 5' 1'' convict from Elizabeth, N.J., as Scott ReynoldsNelson shows in his slim, meticulously researched[book]. He sifts through prisonrecords, railroad progress reports, and census data--as well as songs andart--to create a multilayered portrait of a poor teen, his tragic run-ins withracist Black Codes laws (and his likely wrongful conviction), and his unexpectedjourney to iconhood."--Michelle Kung, Entertainment Weekly
