John Henry Days

Building the railways that made America, John Henry died with a hammer in his hand moments after competinc against a steam drill in a battle of endurance. The story of his death made him a legend. Over a century later, J. Sutter, freelance journalist is sent to West Virginia to cover the launch of a new postage stamp at the first John Henry Days' festival. The book gives a riveting portrait of America, and through a patchwork of inteweaving histories it reveals how a nation creates its present through the stories it tells of its past.