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Aug 03, 2008

Roxanne Hsu rated it:

I thought that the meandering way of Nelson's research process in discovering the truth (as he believes it) behind the John Henry song/legend is highly effective and affecting. Readers do get inspired and excited about the research process. It never claimed that what Nelson "uncovered" is the absolute truth except for the authors stating (on page 57) that he "finally had the full story" -- but even there, he wrote "the record of one man who most probably was the John H More...

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Mar 10, 2011

Heidi rated it:

Very interesting, and a good look at how the historian works to find answers to their research questions.

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Feb 06, 2012

David rated it:

This is a book about the identity of folk hero John Henry. There's also railroads, civil war, racism, and rocknroll. Nelson writes about his research process as a historian, making this book an educational and enlightening read. He also highlights how a librarian helped him get access to key documents when he was scouring primary sources for more info about John Henry's identity.

I would certainly recommend this book to tween readers who interested in history and folklore. More importa More...

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Oct 30, 2011

Annie rated it:

I thought this book was really interesting, but I'm not sure who the audience is. It's too short to "count" for older students' book reports (something I'm working on...) but the content does not seem to me to be appealing for a younger student. The book does tell the history of John Henry, which is very intriguing, but it does so through the lens of the process of historical research. The author describes his thought process and how he went about searching for information. I think thi More...

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Dec 30, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

Even though Ain't Nothing But A Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry is a children's book I had a real problem putting it down. That is certainly not to say the content will fly over the head of children. Rather, the content is so stellar it will keeps kids and adults alike riveted to the pages as the author recounts his quest to find the real John Henry.

We've all heard of John Henry, most probably in a chapter sidebar in a US History textbook during our elementary years. Altho More...

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Sep 28, 2011

528_Kristin rated it:

Summary: Ain’t Nothing but a Man is non-fiction text about the author’s search for the folk tale legend of John Henry. Nelson is a historian who has been honored in many circles for his contributions to understanding race and racism. This text is his story of finding the real John Henry and the other 40,000 African Americans who helped to build the southern US railroads. These men are rarely mentioned in history, but they played a critical role for the growth of our country. The real John Henry More...

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Mar 11, 2010

Karyn The Pirate rated it:

Author Scott Reynolds Nelson seeks to find the truth behind the folksong “John Henry”, the story of a contest between John Henry, a strong steel drivin' man, and a steam drill. Was there really a man named John Henry? Did he challenge and beat a steam drill? Nelson takes us step by step through the process that he used to answer these questions and more to find the real John Henry.
I put this book on my "must read" list. John Henry is a icon in American folklore - the symbol of More...

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Dec 06, 2009

Julie rated it:

This is a lively, well-paced adaptation of historian’s Scott Reynolds Nelson’s acclaimed "Steel Drivin’ Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend." As much about the process of historical research as it is a history mystery, the first-person narrative begins as Nelson attempts to study the lives of the 40,000 men—most of them African-Americans and most of them illiterate—who laid railroad tracks in the southern United States in the nineteenth-century. Faced with a lack of More...

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Nov 23, 2008

Elizabeth rated it:

A great example of both history and the historian's journey. Follow Scott Nelson as he has an "ah ha!" moment tracking down the 'truth' behind a folk song. . . was there really a John Henry, how and why do the fit into history and what can the story of the trackliners tell us?

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May 01, 2011

Leah rated it:

This book is phenomenal! A non-fiction account of a historian's search for the real man behind the tall tale, it's written in a suspenseful first-person account. The author collects bits of evidence for competing claims about who was the real John Henry, and pairs them with photos, drawings and lyrics from version of the song. At the end, he compiles a list of interesting resources for further inquiry as well as directions for how to be a historian. This book is compelling both in its own right More...

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Aug 14, 2010

Andrea rated it:

I completely fell in LOVE with this book. It has such a fresh approach to history and the work of a historian. Readers follow the author through his question asking and mystery solving as he tried to uncover the truth about John Henry. The process was totally fascinating. I loved the duality of following the process but also learning the story behind such a legend. You will be surprised by his findings. I also loved that I felt so connected to the story as a Virginian. I found myself following m More...

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Apr 03, 2010

Danielle rated it:

Railroad historian Scott Reynolds Nelson tells his story and search to find who the real John Henry of folksong lore truly was. This book unfolds like a mystery keeping the reader engaged through early railroad history, the pitfalls of reconstruction, and the discovery of who was the real John Henry. Using examples from Nelson’s story, Marc Arson wraps up the book with a great discussion of how history is always changing, what primary and secondary sources are, and why they are so important. You More...

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Feb 02, 2009

Adam rated it:

Nelson did an awesome job of adapting his grown up book for a big kid audience. The narrative unfolds like a history detective sifting through the clues dug up in primary resources. No gimicky cartoon hipness faked that just turns off any self-respecting kid here, it is just an engaging narrative on an instantly recognizable figure... written honestly and with the respect for a kids ability to think (no oversimplified language that fails to communicate anything other than some stereotyped genera More...

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Dec 31, 2008

Lisa rated it:

Fascinating story of how historian Scott Reynolds Nelson searched for and found information about the real John Henry. Engaging writing and pertinent illustrations and photos detail the detective work that led to Nelson's conclusion that John Henry was a convict of the Virginia Penitentiary hired to the C&O Railroad to help lay track and drill the tunnels. The song is a warning passed on by convicts not to do drilling and get killed by what's now known as black lung. Nelson reveals that historia More...

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Mar 04, 2009

Mara rated it:

The author made an interesting choice to make the story of his own research the focus of this book. I think it worked really well in this case, given that there's so little known about the actual John Henry. Nelson is very up-front about the fact that much of his results are based on theory or conjecture, but overall the transparency of his research process gives a lot of weight to his conclusions. This is an interesting book both for what it tells us about the research process, but also for wha More...

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Jan 30, 2011

Sarah rated it:

I picked this up for my class visit on biographies for 4th graders. It is a very different kind of biography, more like a case study to show how historians do their job and how they can discover people who seem to have disappeared into the historical record. In fact, I plan on using this for my program at the end of the month on different kinds of history for Weber Reads. While the tone may not be simplified enough for the audience it intends to reach, it is a great story of a man that many thou More...

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Mar 09, 2009

Sherrie rated it:

I vividly remember learning the song about the steel driving man John Henry in elementary school chorus, but it never occured to me that the man who "died with a hammer in his hand" was a real person rather than folklore. Historian Scott Reynolds Nelson spent years searching for proof of the existance of the real John Henry. This brief but beautifully illustrated book explores many facets of the search and of the times in which John Henry lived. Highly recommended for grade 6 to adult

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Feb 08, 2009

Beth added it

This is a kids book (Intermediate Level) but I thoroughly enjoyed it as a grown-up! The author explains not only his findings about John Henry but the process that led him to his findings. It also has tips for young historians in the back of the book. Lots of great photos of his research too! I got this book because I was studying John Henry for a class I'm going to teach, but I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to get kids interested in history.

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Feb 29, 2008

Gabriel rated it:

Oh this one tore up the household. I have no recollection if the writing was good or bad as we were far too involved in the storyline. Mr. Nelson writes of his research process for understanding the lives of the thousands of trackliners who kept the railroads straight and safe and in the process uncovers the story of the man they were singing about in keeping their hammers timed (who was pounding steel for blastholes, not lining track, but they were still very connected). Does a brilliant job More...

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Jun 05, 2009

Laura rated it:

This is a model for what historical writing for children should be about! The author starts with tall tales and folk songs about John Henry and outlines the research process that led him to tantalizing bits of actual historical data. He shows history to be the painstaking yet rewarding detective work it actually is - rather than the dry recitation and memorization of facts. The appendices are also very useful, and the many archival photographs.

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Jun 18, 2009

Jill rated it:

I thought this author did a really good job of telling this story. He from first person, telling the reader how he became interested in this story and how he went about finding the real John Henry. Interspersed are facts about how the railroad was built. I found it very interesting to know what certain lines in the songs about John Henry meant--and it was somewhat of a surprise to find out who he really was.

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Dec 21, 2008

Monica rated it:

Completely engaging. Gives a wonderful sense of the way a historian doggedly tracks down every possible source to find things out. Beautifully designed. The voice of Nelson is just right. I especially appreciated the captions for the photographs as too often an otherwise excellent work of nonfiction will be too skimpy about the art. I would imagine this book would really fire up some young history-buffs!

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Sep 10, 2010

Susie rated it:

I really liked the way this nonfiction book read like a story. I can see many classroom applications. It has aspects of mystery, history, music, and more. At times I almost found it too informal. This would be great inspiration for anyone interested in history, and teaches a lesson of persistence. The extra material at the end does an excellent job of modeling resources and validating information.

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May 02, 2008

Nomi rated it:

Another beautiful book put out by National Geographic. This is the kid's version of Nelson's (a history professor) more academic tomb about folk hero John Henry. "Ain't Nothing But a Man" reads like a mystery, as Nelson sets out on a research adventure. Determined to locate the actual John Henry (mythologized in the song "John Henry" recently sung by the Boss on his Seeger Sessions album) Nelson gleans clues from the song itself, a historic photo, railroad history, Reconstru More...

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Nov 05, 2009

Karlan rated it:

How amazing that historian, Scott Nelson, was able to find the real John Henry whose song is known by most. Now I wonder if Clementine was a real girl. Marc Aronson provides an afterword on how to be a historian which should inspire adults and young people. The photographs and art reproductions show the puzzle of the quest as it proceeds in this handsome book.

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Jul 06, 2009

stillme rated it:

In 2nd grade I read a "biography" of John Henry and have been fascinated by him ever since, so this was really fun for me to read.
A great teaching tool about research, and also a great way to show kids that history can be very interesting. Excellent resources for further research included at the end.
ALA ALSC Notable 2009.

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Sep 25, 2010

Annie rated it:

I am so excited by this book. It is not a standard biography, but a model for doing historical research. The author walks the reader through the process of discovering who John Henry really was and how he got his information.
This book is a fabulous introduction for students on how researchers work.

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Aug 10, 2008

Lars rated it:

Nearly every day I try to convey my love for reading and studying history to kids, and Scott Nelson successfully does this here, in his search for a real John Henry. The steel drivin' man does not elude him (completely, anyway) and his tale of how a historian works fascinates. The words are great and worth five stars. My only complaint is the graphics. Despite the very cool photograph of the possible John Henry, all the illustration is presented monochromatically in sepia. This might play i More...

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Jun 22, 2008

Lynn rated it:

"I suddenly saw it, the clue that changed everything." Scott Nelson's journey to discover if John Henry was a real person makes for exciting reading in this beautifully designed book. He takes the reader step by step through the research process, from dead ends and roadblocks to the hard work and inspiration that helped him to solve the problem. Young readers get a taste of what it is really like to do historical research and along the way they will learn a lot about the time, the More...

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Jan 31, 2008

Nick rated it:

This short book, while nominally written for older children and teens, works well for adults wanting an overview on the history behind one of the most famous American folk songs. Historical research, detective work and perseverence led the author to at least a possible, believable real identity for the man in the old song, complete with specific locations for his death and burial.
The sad truth behind the song is even more powerful than the song itself...a man convicted of a crime under sus More...

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