Module 12 - Ain' Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry

Book
Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry
Written by Scott Reynolds Nelson
with Marc Aronson

Citation
Nelson, S. R. (2008). Ain't nothing but a man: My quest to find the real John Henry. Washington D.C.: The National Geographic Society.

Summary
Using clues from songs about the legend John Henry, author Scott Reynolds Nelson embarks on a journey to find the "real" John Henry. His adventure is depicted in this biography, highlighting the ups and downs of research and discovery. At times, Nelson hit dead ends. At times, he put clues together quickly. Each road led to another which eventually led to another. In the end, the reader learns who the "real" John Henry is, his life as a railroad worker, and several surprises along the way.


Reviews
Horn Book (January/February 2008): The author of an award-winning adult book on John Henry joins with a notable writer of young adult nonfiction to lead readers through a search illuminating the mystery of history. Though sometimes temporarily stymied, Nelson follows clues, from song lyrics to census data, engineering reports, and prison records, tracking a folk hero who originated in the reality of 1870s racial injustice. Sepia historical photographs on buff paper, with scarlet captions and occasional overlays, depict the setting and cast for this gripping saga. We learn the likelihood that John Henry was a convict who might have died from a heart attack after his famous duel with a steam engine but more probably succumbed to the rock-dust-induced lung disease silicosis, after which he was secretly buried along with hundreds of other incarcerated African Americans hired out for railroad work. Given the dramatic role that photographs play in identifying the "white house" of the song (Nelson believes it was a reference to the Virginia Penitentiary), it is curious that there is no description of the process by which he discovered what may be an actual photograph of John Henry, but Nelson's archival sleuthing is otherwise meticulously documented. Appendices add background and suggest research guidelines, while a bibliography, source notes, and index support further investigation.

Publisher's Weekly (December 24, 2007):Nelson (Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend) offers a highly accessible version of his research into whether or not the John Henry of folksong fame was a real person. Piecing together a panoply of facts and personal anecdotes that go back to his boyhood, the author models the study of history as an active and passionate pursuit: "For years I had been following a trail, and it was stone cold.... And then... I suddenly saw it, the clue that changed everything." This cliffhanger at the end of the first chapter draws readers into Nelson's journey through the song lyrics, old prison documents, maps, photographs and other primary and secondary sources. From "trackliners" (workers, often African-American, who aligned rails) to steam drills to Civil War history, the first-person narrative follows Nelson as he plays detective. Seemingly diverse information presented in each of nine chapters becomes knit together by the conclusion, and visually unified by an aesthetically pleasingly layout that features a reddish brick palette with tinted photos and prints. One graphic--and telling--photo reveals the remains of two African-African men discovered on the grounds of a Virginia prison: John Henry, posits the author, was part of a huge prisoner work force hired out to tunnel through mountains for the railroad companies. Convincing and dramatic, this volume makes a good case that history is a living science. Ages 10-14.

Suggested Use
The treasure hunt of finding information about John Henry points the reader in the direction of how to do relevant research. Using Ain't Nothing But a Man, students are introduced to the research process, critical thinking skills needed to assess retrieved information, and the thought-processing skills necessary to piece together clues to create a picture of the past. Teachers can send students on an information treasure hunt, requiring students to find answers to specific questions about people or subjects. Multi-step research can add to the dimension of the activity.

Impression
Disney produced a movie on common Legends - John Henry is one of the legends sung about in the movie. I was immediately interested in this book as it guided me through the author's adventure of finding out more about this legend. There was enough mystery involved which kept me engaged. The facts and photo captions were also beneficial. I enjoyed this book very much.