This is the first book about how the Pennsylvania anthracite story is told in the postindustrial age, and it places this discourse in the broader context of environmental and socioeconomic change. It is a work of regional history that is scholarly in tone yet written in a style accessible to the general reader. It explores the various ways in which anthracite history has been represented and remembered since 1960, the chosen date for the start of the "posthistorical" era coinciding approximately with the Knox mine disaster (1959) and the beginning of the Centralia mine fire (1962-), two cataclysmic and fateful events that symbolize the beginning of the end for widescale deep anthracite mining in northeastern Pennsylvania.

An original work of historical analysis, the book cannot be compared directly to others in the field, since it is believed to be the only one of its kind. Though much anthracite historiography and related cultural activity exists, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the field. The purpose is to draw together the multifarious strands that make up the fabric of anthracite history in the present day. It is aimed a general audience interested in the subject but not necessarily in a specialized way. Moreover, the author shares his passionate interest in the subject.