The untold story of the real man behind the iconic American folk hero John Henry, and how he came to be immortalized through blues music and art, beautifully written by the historian who discovered his existence.

Ch. 1: The Search for John Henry Ch. 2: To the White House Ch. 3: Wiseman's Grocery Ch.4: Ward-Well Ch. 5: Man Versus Mountain Ch. 6: The Southern Railway Octopus Ch. 7: Songs People Have Sung: 1900-1930 Ch. 8: Communist Strongman Coda Notes Acknowledgments Index

"Readers looking for the roots of African American popular culture in the Jim Crow South, for the relationships between work like and popular culture, for the ways in which such popular culture is re-created and transformed over time, can do no better than Steel Drivin' Man.--James R. Barrett, Peace and Change "A fine example of engaged writing, one that deserves to be read and used to understand the world of the hammer men."--Rosemary Feurer, Reviews in American History "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 "Nelson manages to piece together a portrait of Henry -- a black convict laborer who died drilling railroad tunnels -- offering an illuminating course in Reconstruction history along the way. Part biography and part cultural history, this slender volume, nicely illustrated with maps and photographs, is at heart a detective story by a sleuth with a PhD and a healthy dose of skepticism."--Washington Post Book World "A beautifully written, unique essay in social and cultural history that tells a multilayered story about labor, race, and railroads in the era of Reconstruction.... Elegant, accessible, and engaging [it] reveals the archaeological process of historical research and history writing, compelling readers to understand how all of us come to understand the past. Based upon astonishing research, Nelson tells an eloquent story about injustice, racism, and most important of all, why we study history and how those in the present become engaged with the past."--Merle Curti Prize Committee [Henry Yu, Professor of History, UCLA,; Mary Murphy, Montana State University; Mae M. Ngai, Columbia University; Hal Rothman, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Jeffrey Sklansky, Oregon State] "It is thrilling to follow the exegesis of the 'John Henry' lyrics through to the discovery of John Henry's identity. Many disciplines are necessarily examined in the course of this detective tale: history of course, but also geology, forestry, engineering, anthropology, anatomy, sociology, law, music, literature, poetry, art and popular culture. Yet Mr. Nelson stirs the brew with the effortless touch of a master chef, deftly adding ingredients at just the right temperature (a dash here, a sprinkle there) to serve up a most enticing gumbo."--National Awards for Arts Writing Committee [Alan Cheuse, Professor of English, George Mason University; Rita Dove, Former Poet Laureate of the United States, Joyce Carol Oates, Professor of English, Princeton University] "Steel Drivin' Man begins as a fine historical detective story. Through dogged work and serendipitous strokes Nelson, a labor historian, pieced together the story...a wonderful bit of sleuthing and a fascinating tour of life on the lower fringes of the post-bellum South."--Elliot West, Professor of History, University of Arkansas [review in History Book Club] "It is a grim story...a black man who fought for the Union is convicted of a petty theft...Nelson's reconstruction of John Henry's identity from prison records, railroad archives, and census data is fascinating, a remarkable feat of historical sleuthing."--Henry Louis Gates, Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University [in speech for the Anisfield-Wolf award]

Selling point: "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history -- there are hundreds of version of the John Henry Ballad, it is routinely taught to American schoolchildren -- the song is enormously popular. Selling point: Winner of the National Award for Arts Writing Selling point: Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf prize Selling point: Author Scott Nelson made the discovery that the fabled John Henry was a real young man and has lectured extensively about the discovery, serving as an on-air consultant for two forthcoming documentaries on John Henry.

Scott Reynolds Nelson is Associate Professor of History at the College of William and Mary. The author of Iron Confederacies: Southern Railways, Klan Violence, and Reconstruction, he has served as a consultant on the forthcoming PBS documentary on John Henry.

Selling point: "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history -- there are hundreds of version of the John Henry Ballad, it is routinely taught to American schoolchildren -- the song is enormously popular. Selling point: Winner of the National Award for Arts Writing Selling point: Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf prize Selling point: Author Scott Nelson made the discovery that the fabled John Henry was a real young man and has lectured extensively about the discovery, serving as an on-air consultant for two forthcoming documentaries on John Henry.