Saturday, October 6th, 11 am to 1 pm

Join us for a book signing with Peter Galuszka for his new book Thunder on the Mountain: Death at Massey and the Dirty Secrets Behind Big Coal.

“With Thunder on the Mountain, Peter Galuszka pieces together the true story of corruption and negligence behind the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch mine, and in doing so he has created a devastating portrait of an entire industry that exposes the coal-black motivations that led to the death of twenty-nine miners and fuel the ongoing war for the world’s energy future.

The mines former owner, Massey Energy, and its notorious former CEO Don Blankenship are part of an endless cycle of poverty, exploitation, and environmental abuse that has dominated the Appalachian coalfields since coal was first discovered there. And the cycle continues unabated as coal companies bury the most insidious dangers deep underground and hide the true costs from regulators, unions, and investors alike all in search of higher profits.

The disaster at Upper Big Branch goes beyond the coalfields of West Virginia. It casts a global shadow, calling into bitter question why coal miners in the United States are sacrificed to erect cities on the other side of the world, why the coal wars have been allowed to rage, polarizing the country, and how the world’s voracious appetite for energy is far too often satisfied at such horrendous cost.”