Written in Blood Courage and Corruption in the Appalachian War of Extraction [Paperback]

Featuring Appalachia's leading scholars and activists, Written in Bloodoffers an accurate and uncensored understanding of coal mining history. Combining new revelations from the past with sketches of a sane path forward, this collection considers our past, present, and future. Sociologist Wess Harris further documents the infamous Esau scrip system for women, suggesting an institutionalized practice of forced sexual servitude that was part of coal company policy. In a conversation with award-winning oral historian Michael Kline, federal mine inspector Larry Layne explains corporate complicity in the 1968 Farmington Mine disaster which killed 78 men and catalyzed the passage of major safety reform. Moving to the next generation of thinkers and activists, attorney Nathan Fetty examines current events in Appalachia, and musician Carrie Kline suggests paths forward for people wishing to set their own course rather than depend on the kindness of corporations.

"For more than a century, the real history of the working people of our state has been deliberately scrubbed from our children’s schoolbooks and our collective knowledge.Written in Bloodhelps bring the true history of West Virginia working families back into the light of day. Read it. Learn it. Pass it on!" —Mike Caputo, International District 31 Vice President, United Mine Workers of America.

"Written in Bloodcuts through the fog and conveys with fearless clarity the truth regarding how common people have been hoodwinked for decades. A must read." —Dwight Siemiaczko, Retired coal miner, Past Chairman of the UMWA Safety Committee, Local Union 8843, Founder and President, Paint Creek Watershed Association, Inc. 

"Written in Bloodshines a critical light on the untold true history of the WV Mine Wars." —Mari-Lynn Evans, Director and Producer, Blood on the Mountain

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