King Coal

King Coal by Upton Sinclair is a major work of American political fiction and social realism, first published in 1917. Set in the coal mining regions of the western United States, the novel exposes the brutal realities of industrial mining, labor exploitation, unsafe working conditions, company towns, strikebreaking, and corporate control over workers’ lives during the Progressive Era. The story follows a young man who enters the coal mines undercover, allowing Sinclair to document in detail the daily lives of miners and their families. Through depictions of mine accidents, wage theft, blacklisting, private security forces, and violent suppression of unions, King Coal reveals how industrial capitalism operates at the expense of human life. The novel draws directly on real labor struggles and mining conflicts, presenting fiction grounded in investigative reporting and firsthand observation. More than a historical novel, King Coal is a sustained critique of corporate power, class inequality, and the criminalization of labor organizing. It is essential reading for those interested in American labor history, socialist literature, industrial capitalism, workers’ rights, and political reform. Alongside The Jungle and Oil!, this novel forms a core part of Sinclair’s campaign to expose systemic injustice in early twentieth century America. This edition presents a powerful American classic that remains relevant to contemporary debates about labor, regulation, and economic justice. Available in Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback formats.