They Say in Harlan County: An Oral History (Oxford Oral History Series)

I worked in Harlan Kentucky as a mining engineer from 1976 to 1978. Two years out of college and looking for a better salary, I went into coal mining without any knowledge of the region or it's history. Before completing college, I had worked in the steel mills as a member of the United Steel Workers union and as a mine surveyor and member of the Operating Engineers -- so I wasn't anti-union. I left Harlan in 1978 after a drive-by shooting of my house. A few years later, I saw the documentary ''Harlan County USA,'' which was filmed prior to my arrival in Harlan. It was then that realized what I had gotten myself into. Being a history buff, I bought this book on a whim to see what else I could learn about Harlan County. Wow, what a book it is. The author is Italian and brought a perspective to American oral history that is truly amazing. I felt like I was re-living the history of Appalachia from the days of Daniel Boone to the present. But more than that, this book turned out to be a history of racism, segregation, and the wars of labor, class, poverty and drugs in America. And even more than that, it gives a glimpse into the American psyche. For example, the communist led National Miners Union helped the coal miners to survive the beginning of the Great Depression (whereas the United Mine Workers union told the miners there was no money to help them). But eventually, the NMU lost the support of the miners, and had to leave Harlan County because their rivals and opponents labeled them ''un-American'' and ''anti-God.'' Anyway, I love history, and I love this book of oral history -- perhaps you will too.

I was sceptical when I purchased this book. I bought it as a gift for my mother who was born a coal miner's daughter in Harlan County in the early 50's. Two of my uncles were miners also. My mother and her family rarely speak of that time in their lives. I knew they had faced a lot of fears and overcome many hardships. At least I thought I knew.... until I read this book along with her. There is no truer way to record the history of any place: if you want to know what happened in Harlan County, ask the people who lived in Harlan. Not only did the narrators remember the events that occurred, they tell how it impacted the lives of everyone they knew and recall how they felt about it at the time. I learned how it impacted my family. This book told me all the things that went unsaid in my grandparent's house when my cousins and I asked questions about Pappy's mining days. The true judgment on this book came from my mother. As we finished reading the introduction, she said,"You're uncle Clarence needs to read this." And he will, because I'm buying him a copy too.

An excellent resource for those interested in Harlan County history during an extremely difficult time for many Kentucky families. My grandfather, Bill Randolph, was shot and killed during the summer of 1931 while serving as a sworn deputy sheriff under Harlan County Sheriff Blair. My family, and many others, sacrificed so much to provide the comforts and luxuries made available from the use of Kentucky coal.

I had read a review of this book several months ago and looked for it in vain at all the libraries available to me. I have a 45 year interest Appalachian music and history, I especially love stories of real people, so I had to buy it. It is well put together with enough background information. But the best parts are the transcriptions of real peoples experiences. I will be going back to it for a long time.

Being originally from Appalachia I found this book very interesting and it brought back a lot of memories of my childhood there. When I was young I couldn't wait to escape those hills. Now I realize just how wise most of those people were. For the most part Folks from there are honest, hard working,God fearing, Compasionate people :-)

Love this book. My daddy was a coal miner, as was my uncles, life long, in Harlan county My.

My grandfather and other relatives were coal miners in Harlan County. This book is wonderfully written and having been aware of or known some of the characters, it was interesting to hear some of the lies told to the author. Book is well written and I absolutely loved it.

My parents grew up in thus area and my granddads were miners in Harlan. Very interesting history and what they had to endure.