Black Fury is an historical novel

Historical novel

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...

 by the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer and judge Michael Musmanno

Michael Musmanno

Michael Angelo Musmanno was an American jurist, politician, and naval officer of Italian heritage.Musmanno was born in Stowe Township, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, an industrial neighborhood a few miles west of Pittsburgh.Musmanno rose to the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy...

 developed from his script of the same name: Black Fury (1935 film)

Black Fury (1935 film)

Black Fury is a 1935 American crime film starring Paul Muni, Karen Morley, and William Gargan. It was adapted from the short story "Jan Volkanik" by Judge Michael A. Musmanno and the play Bohunk by Harry R...

.

The concept for Black Fury was adapted from the short story "Jan Volkanik" by Musmanno and the play Bohunk by Harry R. Irving, based on an actual 1929 incident in which John Barkoski, a striking coal miner, was beaten to death by company detectives.

Set in the Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...

 coal fields outside of Pittsburgh, the novel is the story of Jan Volkanik, a miner who agitates for recognition of the United Mine Workers of America.