"Anthracite coal was mined in Northeastern Pennsylvania throughout the nineteen and twentieth centuries. The industry was a major employer in the region. It has been fifty to sixty years since the decline of the industry, and the coal breakers are now gone, but images and memories remain.

Author Michael G. Rushton, an amateur photographer and industrial archaeologist, grew up in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area; there, the remains of the anthracite and railroad industry formed his playground. In this book, he guides readers through the history of anthracite mining in Northeastern Pennsylvania through the display of numerous images related to the industry."