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The following are but a selection of books and videos available about the Battle of Blair Mountain.

Books

Storming Heaven
by Denise Giardina
A mayor, a union organizer, a nurse, and a Sicilian immigrant describe the events leading to a violent clash between miners and the U.S. Army.

Available at:

When Miners March: The Story of Coal Miners in West Virginia
by William Blizzard
When Miners March is the definitive history of the coal miners of West Virginia. William C. Blizzard wrote the text in the early 1950s while his father, miner's hero Fearless Bill Blizzard, was still alive and able to comment. Political realities kept the book in a box for more than half a century--unavailable to either scholars writing their own accounts of the mine wars or Union families seeking to pass on their own proud heritage.

Available at:

The Battle of Blair Mountain: The Story of America's Largest Labor Uprising
by Robert Shogan
Depicts the relatively unrecognized but highly dramatic confrontation culminating at Blair Mountain in West Virginia, between unionized mineworkers, mine owners, and the federal government in the largest armed uprising since the Civil War.

Available at:

Videos

Hillbilly: The Real Story
A History Channel original documentary
As this wide-ranging documentary makes clear, the disparaging label "hillbilly" should actually be worn with pride. Join host Billy Ray Cyrus on a journey into the hollers and runs of Appalachia to discover the proud legacy of the region's mountain folk. Learn how hillbillies, long misunderstood and maligned as isolated and backward, actually have a 300-year history of achievement and success that has contributed significantly to our national identity.

Available at:

Webpage on History Channel (for viewing times)
Purchase the DVD

Razing Appalachia
Produced and directed by Sasha Waters
A documentary that explores the controversial issue of mountaintop removal mining by following a grassroots fight to stop the process in West Virginia. The movie contains a significant section on the Battle for Blair Mountain.

Available at:

Matewan
Written and Directed by John Sayles
An American drama made in 1987 that illustrates the events of a coal mine-workers' strike and attempt to unionize in 1920 in Matewan, a small town in the hills of West Virginia. The events at Matewan lead up to the eventual Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. The film stars Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, David Strathairn, Kevin Tighe, Will Oldham, and Jace Alexander.

Available at:

IMDB.com entry
Wikipedia article
Buy the video: Amazon.com, Google product search