King Coal Paperback – February 9, 2014

I have a great deal of interest in the business of coal mining, as my grandmother's father and older brothers were lost in the Monogngah W V mining disaster in 1907. I want to understand the world that she lived in and the horrors of the work they did and sadness that must have permeated all of their life. This book helps me to understand the mindset of that time and how my great grandmother must have felt waiting for word after the mine collapse. While I have a special interest in this time in history, the interest to you may be in the authentic voice he gives to coal mining specifically and our American Industrial history In general, in his other, well researched books.Of course, Mr. Sinclair wrote this book many many years ago and so there is a odd formality to the storytelling. I have read many old books, and I enjoy that style, if you are new to the style, please hang in, you will come to enjoy the difference. I am going to look at his other books now, and expect to learn more about where the roots of our middle class came.

My Grandfather was a coal miner in southwest Virginia at the turn of the last century and he died of black lung. A union man he fought hard to better his lot in life. Two weeks before his retirement they fired him, leaving him without a pension. He was so poor and sick he had to move in with his sister in law and a cousin. It is for him that I read this book.

This book is an historical novel of life in the coal mines in the early 1900's before and during the time of developing of unions. The characters have a lot of depth and are recognized as individuals, each different.They are entire families. The development of the story is done with most of the characters being immigrants with their own spoken language and an understanding between them based in non verbal understanding and caring for one another. The main character is a wealthy young man who is embedded in the camp to learn about the industry in disguise an becomes "one of the guys" to study the culture.. He is not interested in displaying his wealth which doesn't mean much to him. He goes to bat for them and helps start a union. It's a great read.

I found it just a bit better then Upton Sinclair's "Jungle" this time we got about 85% story with out the political stuff Sinclair always seemed to jam into his novel...I guess great writers always have something to toss in their novels about what ever subject is on their mind..Jules Verne loved to put Latitude and Longitude numbers in most of his story as if we really cared about those page fillers, Sinclair always seems to drop a bit of Socialism in his books..again as if we care....other then those take always the stories are always interesting.

Just a heads up that the print in this book is very, very small. Seems like a formatting issue, perhaps.

It is a well written story with gritty aspects to it, but I thought it wrapped up a little too neatly at the end . Having the main character being so well connected made it a little too convenient, While he is put in some rather dreary circumstances there is always a very bright light at the end of the tunnel for him. The desperation of the conditions in the coal mines is not his ultimate reality.

I found this book to be a truly captivating representation of the hypocrisy and oppression that the early 20th century coal miners encountered. While the plot is not as notable as his earlier work, The Jungle; King Coal is laced with it's own gruesome depiction of the corruption caused by greed and apathetic treatment toward the mine workers.Upton Sinclair devoted his life to exposing the flaws of big industry and I think everyone could benefit from reflecting on his work.I would also recommend Germinal by naturalist, Emile Zola or The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The latter book illustrates the life of a family of sharecroppers during the Dust Bowl while the former concerns the lives of workers in the French mines.

Goes a bit far, but certainly reinforces notion that unbridled capitalism, same as any other institution, is untenable and not in the best interests of society.

I have no idea about this story because I cannot read it. I've tried using a Kindle and the Kindle App on a tablet. The book was converted to an ebook in such a way that the text is very large and, not only are there no margins, the beginning and ending letters on some lines are missing. I have tried to adjust the font with no luck. I wish I could return the book for a refund