I know the author of this book, and that is what first interested me in reading it. But I quickly learned there was more to George White than the novelty of being the only African American in Congress (1897-1901). He was a talented, accomplished man--ahead of his time in choosing to combine successful public and private careers with an unusual attention to the less fortunate of his own race. He faced a momentous decision at the turn of the century: accept the new segregation oin the United States, and the disfranchisement that came with it, or condemn both and fight them. he chose the latter, and effectively ended his own political career. But he remains a fascinating man, and one well worth reading about. I recommend you read this book!

George Henry White represented North Carolina in Congress from 1897 until 1901. When he left, he became the last man of his race to be elected to Congress during the post-Reconstruction era, leaving a void which would not be filled for nearly 30 years (North Carolina didn't elect another African-American to Congress until 1992). White became, sadly, an historical footnote.

Benjamin Justesen has performed an intense labor of love in resurrecting White's story. Armed with prodigious amounts of careful research - reflected in the copious footnotes sprinkled throughout the text - and his own personal determination to bring this biography to public attention, Justesen has realized his dream of writing George Henry White's life story after becoming acquainted with his subject while working as a reporter in the 1970s.

He brings to life the issues and prejudices of the period, which only serve to magnify the high principles to which White held himself. Believing that education and one's own hard work got one where one wanted to go, White proved his beliefs in a time when Southern public sentiment was gradually moving into its shameful Jim Crow era.

A lawyer, politician, banker, real estate developer, family man and man of faith, George Henry White is a model for anyone today - black or white - who thinks, "I cannot." His life is an example to us all, and his biography a fascinating look at both a man and an era in Southern history.

At the outset: I'm the author, and of course, I'm partial to my own book. But I'm also immersed in the subject, having spent the last four years of my life bringing George White's story to readers. George White was a fascinating man, but one about whom little is known today: the first African American to serve in Congress in the 20th century (retiring in 1901) and the last of 22 to serve from the South after the Civil War until the 1970s. He was a stalwart Republican, and served alone in the Congress for four years. But he was more than a token--an accomplished teacher, lawyer, prosecutor, developer and banker. He deserves to be studied in depth; my attempt is the baseline, a painstakingly drawn outline, based on a careful study of limited evidence. Judge for yourself--and then place him in his rightful position in our history, as the intriguing, honest, flawed but eminently admirable individual he was. I recommend him--and this book--highly!

A one-of-a-kind book! I've never seen any other book on the shelves that discusses this topic. Certainly not as thoroughly as Mr. Paradise covers it. It's obvious he's done his homework. The research and time spent talking to the experts is also apparent.
I'm a librarian and I read a couple of hundred books a year so I don't waste any time on books I don't find interesting. I couldn't put this book down! Despite the catchy title this is a fun book to read. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in keeping abreast of current events of anyone who just wants to read a darned good book.

the definitive guide to commercial counterfitting available on the market.

Paul really delivers the goods in this page turning expose'.

I was very interested in the book, and really warmed up to the Slaymaker family as I continued reading. The writer's style is very easy to follow, mixing the family history with anecdotes from the present. It really makes you want to travel to Gap, Pennsylvania to meet the current squire and his family

With Indian Self-Rule, Kenneth R. Philp has assembled a compendium of first-hand accounts of twentieth-century relations of and between Native Americans and various state and federal administrations. Indian Self-Rule is divided into four major parts: The Indian New Deal; Termination; Toward Self-Determination; and Indian Self-Rule In The Past And The Future, and is enhanced further with a "List of Contributors", Bibliography, and an index. Each of the twenty-four essays comprising Indian Self-Rule are models of scholarship and together comprise a significant, seminal, and highly recommended addition to Native American studies reference collections, curriculums, and reading lists.

Hay, the young Assistant Presidential Secretary, was like a son to Lincoln. The President, in the diary often affectionately and irreverently referred to as "The Tycoon", relaxed around Hay as around few others, giving the diarist an insight into the character of Lincoln which is almost unique. This alone would make the book worthwhile, but Hay's views on other personalities and events of those dramatic days are also valuable, and engagingly written.
Hay's diary has been published before, but incomplete and poorly edited. This is the first complete edition, with all the entries restored and with extensive explanatory notes, which are necesary to follow Hay's refernces to obscure persons and events.
Essential for the Lincoln scholar and highly recommended for anyone's Civil War shelf.

(The numerical rating above is an ineradicable default setting within the page. This reviewer does nort employ numerical ratings.)

I have read this book twice now and, though, it is not in the fashion of the '90's, it offers an eternal truth: simple, dignified faith. So often, history is told by the victors and the bullies. This wondrous and tragic story shows the perspective of the losers, the forgotten. They are just as human and just as flawed in their own right but they deserve a better fate.

In Pilgrim Pathways: Essays In Baptist History In Honour Of B. R. White, William H. Brackney (principal of the Divinity College and professor of Historical Theology, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), Paul S. Fiddes (principal of Regent's Park College and a member of the Faculty of Theology at University of Oxford), and John H. Y. Briggs (principal of Westhill College of Higher Education in Selly Oak, Birmingham) collaborate to assemble fifteen contributors whose outstanding essays in Baptist history comprise an enduring memorial to Barrington Raymond White, an ordained Baptist Minister in the Baptist Union of Great Britain and tutor in Ecclesiastical History at Regent's Park College, and elected Senior Research Fellow in Ecclesiastical History in the College, Pastor in the college community, and dedicated to enriching the training for students in the Christian ministry. Pilgrim Pathways is highly recommended, informative, rewarding reading for students of Christian studies in general, and Baptist history in particular.

Unlike the author--who consulted with Clinton on his State of the Union speeches--most of us are too embarrassed to admit we were seduced by Clinton's intellect. Through the vehicle of memoir, Prof. Barber is at once candid about his expectations of the President, his own ambition, his seduction, and his ultimate disappointments. The best parts of this book are Prof. Barber's discussion about the way that language shapes our understanding of civic life; and how Clinton's inability to use language effectively left his legacy empty.

As a mixed race Mexican/Anglo myself, I saw my own childhood as well as parts of my adult life in Dean Johnson's writing. While reading like an autobiography, this book is not lacking in scholarship. The numerous and current scholarly references for each chapter provide a wealth of resources for those who desire to learn more about the topics of which Dean Johnson speaks. I am enriched by having read this book.

I am an American born Hispanic, from a large family. Like a great percentage of families in this country, my siblings and children have married non-Hispanic partners, thus we have experienced several of the issues raised by Dean Johnson in his poignant history. This book was begging to be written. It was a treat to read things that have long remained unsaid, or possibly said by those who have not lived its sad truths. Since massacres of innocent multitudes by racially intolerant psychopaths are becoming commonplace, this book should be included in every school library.

As a person of Latino/Anglo heritage, I was quite excited when I saw this book at my favorite bookstore. We do not often hear about us when racially-mixed people are discussed. Johnson's experiences mirrored many of my own and I found myself verbally agreeing with him as I read the book! As a future scholar in the area of multiracial identity, I will certainly utilize this book in my classroom!

Who doesn't love Sam Cooke? Well, a lot of people, but they are a misguided bunch. This book provides finely researched insight into the talented mind of Mr. Cooke. Why hasn't his story been made into a major motion picture? And I don't mean one of those crummy VH1 movies, either. Sam's life was a story of scandal, faith, outstanding talent, women, shady record deals and murder. Author Daniel Wolff writes with flair and honesty throughout the entire book. I loved his descriptions of Sam's songs and their different stages of creation. For fans of Sam, as well as devotees of pop and gospel music, "You Send Me" is well worth reading.

I didn't know Sam Cooke beyond a few of his old hits (I was born in 1971) but picked up this book on the advice of a friend. 'You Send Me' is a fascinating study of the man and his music.

There is stuff in there for everyone... his religious roots... early fame at the helm of the most famous gospel group of his day... the illegitimate children... his tragic marriages... his relationships with Aretha, Lou Rawls and Muhammed Ali... his refusal to play to segregated audiences, blazing the way for integration across the South... spirited, behind-the-scenes stories of his recordings and live performances... his everlasting love of soul and gospel music and how he founded his own label to showcase otherwise overlooked talents. And, of course, his controversial death in a cheap motel and subsequent investigations.

'You Send Me' is a wonderful picture, as well, of the South at the turn of the 20th century, Depression-era Chicago and a teenage America finding a common love of rock and roll.

In the end, the reader is left with a satisfying read as well as a sense of tragedy over a life so filled with potential cut so short by misadventure (he was not yet 34 when he died). I almost cringe to draw this comparison, but like Princess Diana, another charismatic celebrity, Sam Cooke is beloved because despite the glamour, he was altogether too human.

This book stands up to repeated readings. Then, listen to his music. You will smile, because Daniel Wolff will have taken you there.

Excellent read! Sam happens to be my favorite male singer and this book gave me the deep, in-depth look into this musical genius' life that I was searching for. Amongst the most enlightening topics was the controversy that arose when Sam decided to sing secular music. I had no idea that the church community turned their back's on him the way they did. Secondly, It was no surprise that Sam was a playboy, however, I did not know he fathered as many of the children mentioned. Most sadly, the tragic death of Sam still remains a mystery to me, and I would love to know if his killer is still incarcerated on her unrelated sentence, or even still alive for that matter. But the real shocker in the book deals with Bobby Womack's marriage to Sam's widow shortly after his death! And to even wear his clothing in public- how bizarre! The foolish things we do in our youth. This was a thoroughly researched, well written book, with great attention paid to detail. This book is a must have to add to your home libraries.