Long Steel Rail

By Norm Cohen

Book Overview

Impeccable scholarship and lavish illustration mark this landmark study of American railroad folksong. Norm Cohen provides a sweeping discussion of the human aspects of railroad history, railroad folklore, and the evolution of the American folksong. The heart of the book is a detailed analysis of eighty-five songs, from "John Henry" and "The Wabash Cannonball" to "Hell-Bound Train" and "Casey Jones," with their music, sources, history, variations, and discographies. A substantial new introduction updates this edition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0252068815
• ISBN13: 9780252068812
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 768 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 7.0" x 10.0"