Steel Drivin’ Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend

"The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history, and John Henry - the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill - is a towering figure in our culture. But for over a century, no one knew who the original John Henry was - or even if there was a real John Henry." "In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains.