ANTHRACITE BOOT CAMP is a non-fiction story about life around Pennsylvania coal mines, including small dungeons that miners typically called Dog-Holes . It occurs in the middle of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of a boy as he grows from age 8 through 17 while working under the direction of his hard-working father. With maps and figures included, it recalls events that are historical, amusing, and/or danger-filled, such as:
A collection of frightening episodes, as when the boy witnesses a dragline operated by his father about to topple into a pit as shown on the book’s cover, or when the boy must crawl under the screaming dragline as it strains to crawl up a steep hill, or when he observes a dog-hole’s sudden roof collapse at his feet.
A collection of humorous episodes as when miners frighten the 9 year-old into believing he is pursued by a hungry bear, or tease him with crude mature adult questions that the boy doesn’t understand, but tries to comprehend later by naively repeating the question to his horrified mother, or when the boy eventually adopts his father’s practice of occasional, but often dangerous, pranks on co-workers and friends.
An adventure as when the boy travels underground at age eleven to assist miners in dog-holes where they barely fit, or when at age thirteen he enters an abandoned mine with his father to help drill and blast a drain hole beneath a water-filled mine pit, or when as a young teenager, he enthusiastically operates large bulldozers, steam-shovels, and dump-trucks, but occasionally with alarming results. . Amusing references to the cultural standards of the boy’s Italian ancestors, including angry linguistic outbursts when mining equipment failed to function, or their joyful linguistic outbursts in exciting sporting events at the miners’ social clubs, or their fearful reactions when initially introduced to their future spouse prior to a pre-arranged marriage imposed on them by others in their family.
Introductory chapters with historical reminders of hardships of early immigrants, and review of their typical battle for survival prior to and during The Great Depression, to help readers understand the roots of the odd behavior of miners in the story who were direct descendants of those European immigrants.
A reliable account of typical coal-mining means and methods applied by miners at that time, including definitions of terminology, figures of equipment, and diagrams of mines.
A final chapter of lessons in honor, team collaboration, and hard work handed down from previous generations of miners, including a description of the manner in which these GUNG-HO lessons can inspire our current society to improve service to family, country, clients, and friends. ANTHRACITE BOOT CAMP is an educational and entertaining story for readers of all ages with many references to famous hit songs, including Italian classics, that help the reader interpret and appreciate the level of passion within highly emotional events.
