Book Description
The anthracite region of northeastern Pennsylvania, five hundred square miles of rugged hills stretching between Tower City and Carbondale, harbored coal deposits that once heated virtually all the homes and businesses in Eastern cities. At its peak during World War I, the coal industry here employed 170,000 miners, and supported almost 1,000,000 people. Today, with coal workers numbering 1,500, only 5,000 people depend on the industry for their livelihood. Between these two points in time lies a story of industrial decline, of working people facing incremental and cataclysmic changes in their world. When the Mines Closed tells this story in the words of men and women who experienced these dramatic changes and in more than eighty photographs of these individuals, their families, and the larger community.
Award-winning historian Thomas Dublin interviewed a cross-section of residents and migrants from the region, who gave their own accounts of their work and family lives before and after the mines closed. Most of the narrators, six men and seven women, came of age during the Great Depression and entered area mines or, in the case of the women, garment factories, in their teens. They describe the difficult choices they faced, and the long-standing ethnic, working-class values and traditions they drew upon, when after World War II the mines began to shut down. Some left the region, others commuted to work at a distance, still others struggled to find employment locally.
The photographs taken by George Harvan, a lifelong resident of the area and the son of a Slovak-born coal miner, document residents' lives over the course of fifty years. Dublin's introductory essay offers a brief history of anthracite mining and the region and establishes a broader interpretive framework for the narratives and photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Accurate View of Life in the Coal Regions.......2000-02-08
Most of us don't have books written about the neighborhoods and local institutions that we grew up with. This is particularly so for places off the beaten path like the Pennsylvania coal regions. I grew up in the 50's and early 60's just a few miles from the coal towns that form the geography of Mr. Dublin's book and went to some of the same schools as his narrator's children. My family worked for the coal companies and the garment factories at various times. These stories ring true from my experience - the reliance on family, the acceptance of 50 mile commutes to work rather than leave the area, the accurate concern that everyone for miles around knows your family business. The real value of this book for me is that these narratives show the commonality of experiences that I thought were unique. And, it also fills in many gaps about the social forces at work that I didn't realize existed in the lives of that generation. They shielded us from the dangereous aspects of some jobs, the lack of job security, labor-management tensions, and the potential need to migrate to make a living. For those readers without the personal ties to the coal regions this book provides a view of how tough the "golden years" of the 50's were for some Americans.
Colorful reflections from the dark world of coal.......1999-09-08
The beauty of this book lies in the fact that it does not attempt to analyze or comment upon. It simply presents the stories of ordinary men and women of this century in more or less their own words. All their lives in some way revolved around the dark world of Pennsylvania coal mining in the anthracite area of the Panther Valley. They are all refreshingly human, wonderfully straightforward, and tell deeply moving stories. Each in his or her own way reflects the rich cultural and ethical traditions brought here from European shores. The beauty of the book is its utter simplicity in approaching the mystery of the human personality against the backdrop of the drudgery of labor. It's a wonderful slice of life.
Book Description
An outline of the Molly Maguire sagas from the point of view of a descendant of one of the executed Molly Maguire leaders. It describes the trial and execution of Alec Campbell, and it reveals how he was framed in order to get a major trade union supporter out of the way. The book also exposes the dirty tricks employed by the mine owners to destroy the miners union.
Customer Reviews:
An outrage is exposed.......2006-02-24
Patrick Campbell did a wonderful job detailing an honest and truthful review of a dark chapter of our labor history. The injustice done to his relative who was falsely accused of being a criminal was an outrage, yet, Patrick managed to write this book in a calm and informative way. The tragedy of those wrongly accused for being Molly McGuires speaks for itself and the pain it caused their families lives on motivating Patrick to write this informative book. Get the book as it is an excellent take on the outrageous excesses of this era in our history of labor in the U.S.
Ignore some of those reviewers who appear to have written reviews of this book but obviously did not read it. One reviewer from Tannersville especially appeared confused in his/her review of this book. As someone who takes reviewing seriously I need to take such individuals to task as reviewing is very important and needs to be done well.
almost entirely subjective.......2004-03-20
Bitter about the death of his ancestor, the criminal act his ancestor committed, and hellbent on blaming everybody under the sun other than his ancestor, this book is completely laughable in its contradictions and citations - claims to be the best book on the topic, completely pompous. Without proper warrant, just self-aggrandizement, the author proclaims at the bibliography,"I consider the books listed below to be the most important of the many books written on this subject. However, since most ofthese books, in my opinion, are based on incomplete information, their value may be limited." Having examined some of those books, myself, this book is not better, and in many cases is the worse. The author has the audacity to claim others as biased while this book is little more than a vain attempt to exonerate his dead ancestor; he also cuts down the character of all who might be considered an enemy to his ancestor.
For a good laugh, read this book. Even the portion of the book where he is traveling in and around northern Ireland, a stretch for a story taking place in the Anthracite Coal Region of PA, is lenghthy, biased against Protestants, and is decidedly a loose connection to anything having to do with his story. His other contradictions include a conspiracy to hang the Molly Maguires by the coal company, yet he claims the Mollies didn't exist, and has Molly Maguire in the title? Amidst the other collaborations he then claims, later in his book, how most miners were Irish in this region (not true), that the conspiracy was actually against the Ancient order of Hibernians, which of course is also not true.
Clearly, the author wants to convince the reader of the conspiracy, using all the tools he can come up with of claims of anti-Irish sentiment from the time. This book is an attempt to lobby those similar to his background to believe something he has done a poor job of in this book - if you want to call it that. And the fact he wants to claim this was an attempt of objectivity is most laughable of all things. This book is truly a joke.
Great Book For Molly Lovers.......2001-03-13
I ahve never seen a better book about Irish home cooking. All the potato recipes are great and the tips for making "Easy Hibernian Hash" with porter and aged cabbage are fantastic. Some of my other favorite Irish recipes are Tamaqua Toast, Mock Chunky Campbell's Soup and Kerrigan's Squeal. Oh yeah, watch out for "Morgan Powell's Killer Cocktail," it's a drink you won't forget. The jury has rendered its verdict, this book is a winner!!
A Molly maguire story.......2001-01-16
The main point ,this book told ,was how the state of penna.,walk away from their reasonably to run the trial of these men,and turn it over to a corporation [Reading Railroad] to run these trials.With there own judge,,a hand pick jury ,and a execution date.let not forget this.to be Irish in the 1800's,and a union man, meant your guilt,over making money.
Read with Care.......1999-12-01
This book may be of interest to residents of the anthracite region of Pennsylvania and those interested in the Molly Maguires and the history of Irish immigration in general. However, it is necessary to take the book with a large grain of salt. It suffers for want of professional editing, and there are many factual errors. For general historical background on the history of the Molly Maguires, there are better sources available.
Book Description
Tales of the Mine Country is a collection of memories from the author's childhood in the Pennsylvania coal region of Shamokin during the 1930's. Some tales are true, some only partly so, but they all are authentic oral history.
Customer Reviews:
The Empty Coal Bucket.......2001-02-03
Not too bad for a self-published volume. Readers who grew up in Shamokin, Pa., may appreciate the descriptions of their familiar home-town surroundings. (Residents of small blue-collar towns, for some reason, are often tickled to see their town's name in print.) This little collection of stories succeeds in conveying a sense of the culture of this region, which provides endless fascination for the coal coterie, but may leave others out in the cold. The coal industry which once fueled American industry is dead and gone. As this book reminds us, there is not much left but culm banks and memories.
Memories of a region..........2000-08-18
Delightful stories written in a down-to-earth manner. Light and humorous without being technical. Having been raised in Shamokin from 1970 to 1980 and still visiting family and friends to this day, I only saw/see the remains of a town that was built with coal mining as its staple. Awaking in the morning to a view of the huge culm banks from my bedroom window one could only envision as a young boy how they would have gotten there. McKeever's book tells us how with stories of the hard work that went into the mining industry, complete with the dangers to the health and well-being of those involved. Supports my memories of several of my grandfather's friends over for breakfast on a Sunday morning with the terrible, raspy coughs that they developed while working in the mines beginning as young boys. Coughs that lasted for minutes sometimes while they tried to refill their lungs with air. All of these men are now passed on but this book provided me with many a memory of their stories of an area I was too young to have seen in its hey-day. A hard-working, hard-drinking region for many knew life could be short due to the dangers the mines afforded their health and well-being daily. In many ways, McKeever's stories combined with many I heard growing up make me glad that I was born several generations after mining was at its peak. For sure, it would not have been the chosen occupation for me!
My Dad loved it........2000-06-14
My Dad grew up as the son of a coal miner in Wyoming, Pennsylvania. Dad is getting old now and is disabled and I bought him this book for Christmas. He really loved this book. It brought back wonderful memories for him and he told the family lots of great stories that the book reminded him of. I think it was the best Christmas present I ever bought him. I plan on buying copies for myself and all my brothers and sisters to remind us of our Dad.
Helped me to better understand my mother's family stories.......1999-10-17
My grandfather was a miner in Shamokin, and lived the hard lives described in this book. This book describes the hardships of the miners occupation, but also brings the neighborhoods of that time "alive". Particularly interesting was the description of the children and their place in the town and their early introduction to the mines. By reading this book, I was better able to understand my mother's family stories about my grandfather, and explain this bit of American history to my daughter when we visited Shamokin, PA.
Average customer rating:
- A great look at the value of heritage, and a fantastic read!
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Stories from the Mines
Thomas M. Curra , and
Greg Matkosky
Manufacturer: University of Scranton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Pennsylvania
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ASIN: 158966051X |
Book Description
At the beginning of the twentieth century, hundreds of thousands of European immigrants came to northeastern Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines. Stories from the Mines chronicles the struggle of these miners to earn a decent wage, alleviate dangerous working conditions, and gain respect. The perilous work the miners performed for extremely low pay, Matkosky and Currà argue, laid the foundation for America’s Industrial Revolution and the modern labor movement.
This powerful book traces the miners’ epic human rights battle from their arrival in the United States to the Great Strike of 1902 and the inception of the United Mine Workers. Its companion documentary, available separately on DVD, blends dramatic reenactments and never-before-seen archival footage and photographs to recount a conflict that inspired the involvement of Clarence Darrow and Theodore Roosevelt.
Stories from the Mines highlights the indelible contribution to America’s history made by anthracite coal and the men who mined it.
Customer Reviews:
A great look at the value of heritage, and a fantastic read!.......2003-04-25
This book is a fantastic read!
Not only because of the fact it has so many great archive photos, some of which I haven't seen before, but because it takes a look at the immigrant anthracite coal miners personal story, including the organization of the UMWA, (United Mine Workers of America), as well as the role of coal mining being an integral part of the Industrial Revolutions starting drive. I found it to be well worth it's value, (29.99 plus ship/hand) especially since the 100th anniversary celebration of the Great UMWA Strike is here, (1902 was the Strike). It complements the PBS broadcast, and EMMY nominated film it was based on nicely. (the VHS of the film is available for purchase also, I got that too). But in any light, it makes a great coffeetable book, as well as a nice conversation piece for gatherings, and is highly recommended by this lover of heritage.
Book Description
On 24th July 2002, two shifts of miners—18 men in all—entered the Black Wolf Coal Company's Quecreek No 1 Mine, a few miles north-west of the town of Somerset, Pennsylvania. Some seven hours later, nine men were trapped by rapidly rising water in a cavern more than 200 feet below ground, and the nine others, drenched and exhausted, had managed to struggle out to safety. This is the story of a disaster that so nearly claimed those nine lives, and of the heroic efforts of the rescuers who, three days later, finally managed to bring the trapped miners safely back to the surface. It is, too, the account of an unfolding drama, as first Pennsylvania, then all America and finally the world watched and hoped as the rescue was played out in the full glare of the media.
Customer Reviews:
Close Call.......2002-11-26
The mining incident at Quecreek was something that shook the nation, but it shook Somerset, PA more than anything. I know someone that knows each miner, and to hear the story of their faith, courage and disbelief first hand is an eye-opening experience. Therefore, these books let you (someone that doesn't know any of the miners) get to know them better.
<9-for-9>
Book Description
The nation stopped and held its collective breath as word spread of the plight of the nine Pennsylvania coal miners who where trapped underground for 77 hours. Nine miners were below when water trapped in an adjacent mine burst through the wall of the new mine they were working. As the air grew thinner and the men grew colder, they listened to the water rising around them in the honeycomb of coal veins. Sitting in a small air pocket, the men wrote farewell notes to their families and sealed them in a lunch bucket.
On the surface, the rescue effort became hampered when a special drill bit snapped. The drill would lay idle for 14 hours, effectively halting the rescue, as a replacement was brought in. Hope and despondency alternated, as the determined rescue team made progress, then hit setbacks. Below ground, standing in water and chilling temperatures, the men rode the same waves of hope and despair, all in complete darkness.
The successful rescue of the Nine for Nine miners lifted the spirits of an entire nation. Now everyone can hear the complete story of this harrowing accident -- how these men and their families had the strength and bravery it took to survive the incredible ordeal, and of the frantic efforts to save them.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2004-05-12
This book really brought alive the story of the trapped miners! I loved it.
Wanted more.......2003-03-01
Pretty easy read and insightful into the ordeal these nine men and their families went through. But... it could have been so much more. Goodell simply justs organizes their comments and adds a little info here and there. I would have prefered to have read an account researched by an author where he took those interviews and created a mesmorizing narrative. What it is now is an okay book that you can read in a day. But what it could have been would have been a gripping story that made you feel like you were in that mine with them or waiting in the fire station with friends and family hoping for the miracle that came. Also, the pictures left a lot to be desired. The diagram of the mine was helpful but most of the pictures were of rescuerers not mentioned in the book or faint photos of the men as they came to the surface. Also I kept having to look back at the jacket to connect who was whom because the author used nicknames but the diagram had real names. Otherwise an okay book so I give it 3 stars. The story of the miracle itself is worth 5 stars.
An emotional read.......2003-01-22
To anyone with doubts that there is a God and that HE does perform miracles - this is a MUST READ. In their own words, the 9 miners tell the story of what it was like to be trapped over 200 feet below the surface with water rising all around them. A very emotional book.
Average customer rating:
- History of Southwestern Pennsylvania Remembered
- Open-minded accounting of early mining and coke making
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Cloud by Day: The Story of Coal and Coke and People
Muriel Earley Sheppard
Manufacturer: Univ of Pittsburgh Pr (Trd)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Pennsylvania
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ASIN: 0822954591 |
Customer Reviews:
History of Southwestern Pennsylvania Remembered.......2000-04-18
I bought this book for my grandfather in January of 2000. He immigrated to America with my grandmother and father from Lago, Calabria, Italy and worked as a miner and mine rescue worker in Pennsylvania during the days of H.C. Frick.
He turned 91 in December of 1999, but he vividly remembered his days in those mines until his death in April of 2000, when black lung finally weakened his heart, causing him to pass. Reading this book was one of the final acts of his long, admirable and often difficult life, and he assured me that this book portrays conditions inside the mines and in the company towns very accurately. The book tells the tales of the coal barons, but it is much more. It recalls the coal mining region's contribution to the building of the United States and is a testament to the immigrant spirit of those who made it possible.
Open-minded accounting of early mining and coke making.......1999-02-06
This is an historically correct accounting of the beehive coke industry of Fayette and Westmoreland Counties of Pennsylvania (Connellsville Coke Region), which dominated the region from the end of the Civil War until the end of World War Two and was largely responsible for the growth of the Pittsburgh steel industry. Ms. Sheppard tells the story of the Coal Barons and their miners, mostly European immigrants, without taking sides in an issue which continues to this day. Financial manipulations and the growth of the unions are described in great detail. Her account of the rise and fall of Uniontown, Pa. coal baron J.V. Thompson is particularly intriguing, as is the story of Henry Clay Frick, one of America's premier industrialists. A must-read for any student of Pennsylvania mining or industrial history.
Average customer rating:
- Hoping for a sequel
- Left me deflated
- Not my cup of Tea.
- A Fine Novel
- Amazing development of a wife faced with a horrible situatio
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Nine Bells at the Breaker: An Immigrant's Story
Geraldine Glodek
Manufacturer: Inkabilities Creative Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 0966594312 |
Customer Reviews:
Hoping for a sequel.......2004-09-19
I rate the book short of a five because it was more tragic than I wanted to see. It really is a sad book with many dashed hopes. Actually, it is more of a roller coaster of hope and disappointment, hope and disappointment. Yet there is the seed of enduring promise rising from the ashes that makes me wish for a sequel. The book is very well written with historical authenticity that rings true to the stories told by my grandparents who lived in the same time and region of Pennsylvania as this novel. Chapters begin with intriguing titles, such as "In!" and "If to be hungry" and one extra surprising one, "Iowa's Funny Like That." I was especially moved by Casimir's wish to be decent and loving, a good father and husband as he prays so often to Saint Joseph to help him be. But he is awful in his departure from what he would hope to be. I had to keep reminding myself that he didn't ask for the madness that decended on him through the generations.
Left me deflated.......2004-08-17
Sorry to say even though I finished the book I did not enjoy it. I found myself very flat at the end even though I anticipated the ending early on.
I was raised in the coal region and part of a family of several miners, some of which got out of the mines and improved their lot but at the same time the family did not completely escape tragedy. That is what I feel this book is - a tragedy. Not knowing that when I started to read the book I was disappointed while reading the story, anticipating where it was going and knowing what to expect before I finished the book I felt deflated at the end. I can attest to the realistic depiction of the scenes and life at the time depicted in the book and described pretty good but a few footnotes would have helped the reader unfamiliar with the coal region to understand some mine terminology.
My memories of that time show a picture of miners devoted to their family and how they tried to ensure that they were taken care of as best possible under the circumstances that they had to live within. My own family was one of a mixed ethnic background (as well as my wives) and there were dramatic moments in the family history but never any tragic incidents or enough to drive anyone to this extreme.
These characters are forced to work out their problems alone but I don't believe that is human nature. Victoria would have gone to her mother no matter how tough it would have been to admit that her parents were right from the start, at least for advice on what to do. Most women at the time confided in their church and with neighboring wives but Victoria did none of that. She waited until it was to late.
It was also hard for me to believe that in a small "patch" the family life would have gone to this extreme with out some body butting in (Charlie's friend Danny, the midwife, the neighbor's wife, the understanding mine supervisor and other miners) and telling stories about what was going on. They saw it happening and even though they were uneducated they would have been able to see through the front put on by Casmir. These two people had none of the traits of the average coal mining family I knew or heard about and there were a few crazy people around that we all heard about.
The book is written well enough to keep you hooked but in the end it was too tragic. A major inconsistency in the book was that no one understood what was going on or they did not see anything wrong yet her uneducated coal region parents knew it was wrong after one meeting with Charlie.
I believe the book did describe the area as it was but only showed an extreme psychological issue that was one unique incident. "Nine Bell's at the Breaker" is not my recommended reading to understand life in the anthracite coal region even with its hardships. --This text refers to the Paperback edition
Not my cup of Tea........2004-08-05
I really did not enjoy this book. Not to say that the story itself was not engrossing, because I found myself still awake at 1:00 a.m. reading, but I found myself getting more and more irritated with Casimir's mental illness, and subsequent cruelty to his family, irritated with Victoria's subserviant behavior, and irritated with the other character's narrow, judgemental and ignorant views and opinions of the Turek couple. I found it a little unbelievable that the towns people would take Casimir's drunken rantings about Victoria at face value, without hesitation or question that something was not quite right about Casimir, even though Victoria's parents both felt that something was wrong with Casimir after one meeting. It was hard for me to have much sympathy for any character besides the Turek children.
While the book may have been well written, I found it to be rather gloomy and dismal; leaving a funny taste in my mouth when finished. I would recommend Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" to anyone wanting an accounting of early 20th century immigrant life. While both are gloomy, "The Nine Bell's at Breaker" was just not my cup of tea.
A Fine Novel.......2000-12-10
A fine novel, well written, and oddly uplifting in spite of the grim circumstances of immigrant coal miners in Pennsylvania in the early 1900's and the personal struggle against mental illness of Casimir Turec, the main character. The book took me where I wouldn't otherwise have gone and affected me in unanticipated ways. The writing is clear and unsentimental. When I laid down the book and looked out my window, I missed seeing Casimir and Victoria's house, the lane, the mine, and the enclosing mountain ridges. Historically accurate and pyschologically acute. A brave book.
Amazing development of a wife faced with a horrible situatio.......2000-09-09
I was amazed at the turn-around Victoria, Casimir's wife, did as she tried to cope with his mad behavior, especially the ways he tried to break her down by targeting the children. In a time and place where easy mobility was not an option, answers did not come easy. I grew up in the coal region of Pennsylvania, so can attest to the realistic depiction of that life in this book. The author remains true to this reality, as the characters are forced to work out their destinies within the hard demands of the coal-mining life in the early 1900's, where labor practices are brutal and coal barons are utterly uncaring of the lives of those whose backbreaking work, including children's, make them rich. It is impossible to describe Victoria's solution without giving away what readers would be best to discover themselves, but I can say that the author does not insult a careful, intelligent reader with a fairytail answer that just couldn't happen. The story gets the deeply moving, complex, yet accessible-to-general-readers outcome that the situation merits. I left it with many mixed feelings about the characters. An excellent read.
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