John Henry and His People: The Historical Origin and Lore of America's Great Folk Ballad

by John Garst

The song "John Henry," perhaps America's greatest folk ballad, is about an African-American steel driver who raced and beat a steam drill, dying "with his hammer in his hand" from the effort. Most singers and historians believe John Henry was a real person, not a fictitious one, and that his story took place in West Virginia--though other places have been proposed. John Garst argues convincingly that it took place near Dunnavant, Alabama, in 1887.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1476686114
• ISBN13: 9781476686110
• Release Date: January 2022
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 281 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up