Strikes and union battles have occurred throughout history, but few of those stories compare to the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1912 and 1921. The two workers' rebellions quickly drew attention to an area known principally for its 'black gold', the coal that was vital for the factories, power plants and warships of that age. This eye-opening historical collection chronicles those union battles as seen by the leaders, rank-and-file participants and the journalists who came to West Virginia to cover them for the papers, including The Nation and the New York Times.