Who was the real John Henry? The story of this legendary
African-American figure has come down to us in so many songs, stories,
and plays, that the facts are often lost. Historian Scott Nelson brings
John Henry alive for young readers in his personal quest for the true
story of the man behind the myth. Nelson presents the famous folk song
as a mystery to be unraveled, identifying the embedded clues within the
lyrics, which he examines to uncover many surprising truths. He
investigates the legend and reveals the real John Henry in this
beautifully illustrated book.
Nelson's narrative is multilayered, interweaving the story of the
building of the railroads, the period of Reconstruction, folk tales,
American mythology, and an exploration of the tradition of work songs
and their evolution into blues and rock and roll. This is also the story
of the author's search for the flesh-and-blood man who became an
American folk hero; Nelson gives a first-person account of how the
historian works, showing history as a process of discovery. Readers
rediscover an African-American folk hero. We meet John Henry, the man
who worked for the railroad, driving steel spikes. When the railroad
threatens to replace workers with a steam-powered hammer, John Henry
bets that he can drive the beams into the ground faster than the
machine. He wins the contest, but dies in the effort.
Nelson's vibrant text, combined with archival images, brings a new
perspective and focus to the life and times of this American legend.
