African Books

I have read both of Timuel Black's books and recommend both highly. Black is the right person for this job, having a nearly perfect memory for a past that includes important work as an activist, educator and scholar. He knows what his subjects are getting at and knows how to tweek the most out of them. Timuel Black's memories intertwine with the memories of his subjects and create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is truly living history

This is a book that everyone should read but can particularly important to young people, black and white, who don't quite understand that they are standing on the shoulders of giants.

I loved Bridges of Memory Volume 1... and this book doesn't dissapoint either. I love his interviewing style and the variety of people he has choosen to interview about their personal Chicago experiences. This is a well written book and I am looking forward to reading the next volume when it is released.

Here's my bias. I like history. I like to hear people talk about their lives. I like intelligent, articulate, effective language. And I loved this book. The people interviewed are fascinating, and Timuel Black helps them tell their stories in an unpretentious but by no means diffident way. I learned a great deal and enjoyed myself for many evenings.

What a gift this collection is!

In 1988, Timuel Black began to record and preserve the recollections of people who had lived in Chicago a long time, particularly the first generation of the Great Migration. When he wrote the introduction to this book, he had recorded over 125 conversations and still had "many , many more people with whom I would like to speak." Thirty-six of those conversations are presented here, with two more volumes planned to follow.

The interviews are conducted using the "participant observer" technique, and since Dr. Black - a long time resident himself - is an "insider" these interviews are essentially honest, intimate conversations among old friends, many of whom have now passed. As Dr. Black makes clear, this book is not intended to be a history of Black Chicago and its institutions, but rather a collection of oral memories from people who participated in shaping those institutions. But his field work provides invaluable data for future researchers attempting to compile that history.

If this book contained nothing more than the biographical information about each of the 40 participants (some are joint interviews), it would make fascinating reading. But the interviews bring each vividly to life. We meet people from all walks, including civil servants, educators, politicians, jazz musicians, railroad workers, business people, even two generations of South Side Chicago represented by mother and daughter Mildred Bowden and Hermene Hartman. Some, like George Johnson, tell a story of "from rags to riches." Others fall into a category of "just keep on keepin' on."

But all are riveting. I look forward to the next two volumes!

The strength of this book is in its informality. Mr. Black is friends with nearly all of his interviewees (he has known several of them for over 40 years), and the sessions read as a conversation rather than an interview. This book is especially useful for one looking for supplimental material about the neighborhood of Bronzeville in Chicago, segregation (from an individual perspective rather than scholarly leaning), and smaller aspects of city history and social change that are often forgotten. Some of his interviewees include a man that owned a company that distributed hair straightener around the U.S., a man that started what would become the Illinois state lottery, well respected teachers, and military servicemen.

There is a great deal of repetition that could have been eliminated regarding DuSable High School, locations of buildings, boundaries of the neighborhood, and references to people that are not elaborated upon; it is possible that Black chose not to edit this out to keep the interviews intact. It would have been extremely helpful for maps of Bronzeville throughout the past 80 years were inserted among the small selection of pictures that are included, in order to help those unfamiliar with the neighborhood navigate through some of the interviewees' memories of businesses, theaters, and homes.

I echo the thoughts of the previous reviewers...I was taken back in time and felt Bull Jean as I read her story I longed for her to find her Mina! I cried at the end of the book. I'm a student as well as thespian and wish that one day I can bring Bull Jean alive on stage..This is a most have!

I have had this book for several years and each time I reread a story I gain a new appreciation for this book. I want more of Bull-Jean.

Sharon Bridgforth is a conjurer. She captures the voices of folks on the pages of this book whose stories would otherwise be lost in the wind. I laughed out loud, big old belly laughs, and read the stories aloud to friends and family. This writer is a descendant of Langston Hughes and all the folks who tell stories on the corner, in the back of the church, in the beauty parlor and on the porch, looking at the sunset. Her deeply felt prose and poetry is redeeming. Thank you for one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had as a reader in recent memory!

the openess to love that bulljean expresses and the ability to bounce back once a love is gone is so present in us all. I felt bulljean, when she tells Mina-Mina be my woman. Madam Bridgeforth has brought back the power of love to poetry and she didn't have to be political about.

In the haze of a Michigan Women's Festival delerium, standing next to Sharon Bridgforth in a bookstall, I bought her book, along with any other lesbian book of poetry I thought I might like. I've since reread this book repeatedly, recommended it repeatedly, and offer this opinion: If you like women, if you like to laugh, if you like a heart-breaking, soul-warming story, buy this book. Buy 12 of them.

I wish to commend Mr. Jaspin, the author of this work for his intelligence, his tenacity, moral integrity. I thank him for the sacrifices that he made to bring this powerful work to us.

This is a chapter in American History that I had not known before. I learned of Forsyth County for the first time when I read the accounts of the protest and its racist past in the New York Times. And I was born and raised in Atlanta during the time when segregation was the order of the day. Having read this work, I believe it is possible that my own family may have felt the terror of a racial cleansing and banishment. My father, now deceased, told me that my grandfather packed up his family and belongings, left Monticello and came to Atlanta in fear of the Klan in 1902.

This book makes one of the strongest cases for reparations. The problems of racism and inequity in economic relations in America will never be solved as long as the problems are denied. While there was an apology given by congress for its inaction at the height of the lynching era of blacks in America for the first time in June 2005, the apology is meaningless without an atonement with a compensation for the real and personal property that was lost and stolen under the threat of death in the early part of the 20th century. And finally, unless justice is rendered and actions are taken to protect the property rights of all Americans, then the perpertrators will be encouraged to continue their brutality and theft of the property of the citizens who are least able to protect their rights; the Hurricane Katrinas will continue and the entire American economic fabric will be destroyed as is occurring in the subprime mortgage crisis, though the fraud in these transactions initially targeted to African Americans, the victims now envelop the global economic community.

I was channel hopping and came across a PBS independent file "Banished" and was quite surprised when the 1st place they mentioned was Washington County, Indiana, where I am orginally from and where my family still is. I was curious, so I did a search on Amazon and came across this book. Again, 1st thing mentioned, Washington County, Indiana. Then, later on in the book I came across Laurel County, Kentucky, where my maternal grandmother's people are from! I never thought I could be so ashamed of where I came from. It hurts to read this book, that people can be so ignorant and cruel.

I definitely suggest reading this. As I mentioned, it hurts, but we all should know our history, and hopefully quit repeating it.

Elliot Jaspin does a superb job of uncovering the hidden history of about a dozen American counties where the white citizens used violence and the threat of violence to force their black neighbors to move out of the county. It's ugly history that many white people might be reluctant to hear about, which is why it's been hidden for so long. But Jaspin tells the stories with a compelling and passionate voice that makes for very accessible and important reading for anyone who cares about the American history of race.

However, this book is not only about history. In his final chapter, Jaspin, who researched this history for both this book and a series of newspaper articles, recounts the struggles over the publication of the newspaper articles. This chapter shows that the impulse to keep the hidden history hidden is still strong -- for example, by resisting the term "racial cleansing" and holding to the legend (that Jaspin refutes) that the black people were generally compensated for their loss of land and property. This final chapter ends on a hopeful note with a story of truth and reconciliation that shows that the truth can lead to healing.

I encourage anyone interested in the American history of race to read this important book.

I wish I could say that I cried over this book, but the truth is that I am so accustomed to America's legacy of genocide, social injustice, and external fraud, regime change, and invasion that I simply sighed and thought, "wow, about time this came to light."

This is a stunning book that should be read by every American of every race, creed, and class.

I previously reviewed a book today that discussed how white supremacy views were one of the causes of the downfall of democracy after the Civil War. I believe this. As a Marine, I learned there are only Marines, some dark green, some light green. That lesson has NOT been learned by all Americans, and that is one reason I favor a restoration of universal national service (including two years for any immigrant granted citizenship, at any age), with the option of armed, peace, or homeland service.

I am Latino by culture, white by race, intelligent by design (pun intended). I believe that America genocided the native Americans, genocided the people of color, and is now in the process of disenfranchising the Latinos while making commons cause with the Asians. None of this bodes well for a Republic that is supposed to offer Liberty & Justice for all as the foundation for collective intelligence and the sovereign We the People.

The Constitution has been trashed by Dick Cheney and his neo-conservative and Christo-fascist supporters, and it is high time someone stood up and said ENOUGH--we must make common cause with the people of color, embrace their leaders, both self-selected and elected, and MOVE ON beyond the corporate socialism and the corrupt political party environments that have broken the middle class and impoverished the working ppor--which the author of the book by that title points out, should be but is not an oxymoron.

This is an important book. I hope it shames some, causes dispair in others, and that overall, it rises to be a liberation manifesto, a starting point for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission within America, to reveal, curse, and forgive all that has been done to the people of color on the assumption, the grotesque assumption, of white supremacy.

I share Martin Luther King's dream, and I am committed to seeing it fulfilled.

Semper Fidelis,
Robert Steele

Bonhoeffer
Improper behavior
The Populist Moment: A Short History of the Agrarian Revolt in America (Galaxy Books)
Al On America
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America
The Color of Fascism: Lawrence Dennis, Racial Passing, and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism in the United States

Jaspin should be commended for telling the stories of these towns, even when the information concerning these incidents is scant. Buried in the Bitter Waters serves as a reminder to its readers that racial cleansing in America took place throughout the country, not just the Deep South. It also reminds us that much of the history of our country has yet to be told. Selma, Birmingham, Memphis, and Montgomery are familiar names in the history of race in America. Jaspin shines the light on towns like Corbin and Commanche, not to disparage them but to remind us that the racial clensing in America was widespread.

I love mysteries and this book didn't let me down.The characters are funny and well thought out.The whole series is worth reading. I'm anxiously awaiting the next one.

I am a big fan of the Berger and Mitry mysteries. This one did not disappiont me. I was engaged throughout. I was also surprised at who actually "did it" and why. I was impressed by the feelings share by Mitch and Des. The end has left me anticipating the next book. Great job Mr. Handler!

This book is part of a series, and I reccomend them all. (It's fun to read them in order to see the development of the main characters' relationship -- this is the latest in the series, by the way). The strength of the book is the acceptance and warmth in Mitch and Des' romance, and the fact that neither of these two follow the conventions of society. The mystery is well-plotted, with attention to the emotional effects on all those involved.

It's not actually a manor house because it takes place in a mansion in Connecticut, not in England, but it has much the same feel as classic manor house cozy mysteries from the UK. However, there are -- and none of the other reviewers have mentioned this -- some up-to-the-minute sly comments about the US's current political climate. One of the characters is a clone of cable news's Tucker Carlson, complete with bow tie and smugness. He and his jaunty grandmother, Ada Geiger, 94, a newly rediscovered noir film director, get into some hilariously pointed arguments about the state of politics in America and the world. All this and a genuinely interesting murder mystery to solve.

A satisfying mystery featuring one of the current day's best detecting teams, State Tropper Des Mitry and movie critic Mitch Berger.

Scott Morrison

I love a mystery that keeps me involved. Until the inevitable murder, not only was I diligently trying to figure out who would get it first, and of course, who was responsible, but the added mystery of Mitch and Des's relationship status kept my mind busy as well. Mr. Handler is the master of engaging you in the story and holding you there until the bitter end. I love this series. Again, my hat's off to you Mr. Handler.

When I read Cassandra Dixon's "playbook" on how to beat a player at his own game I was relieved to discover that this wasn't yet another book bashing brothers. It's an enjoyable little book that is not a chore to read. It's light, but to the point, and although it is in some instances humorous it speaks seriously to today's woman on how to navigate through the nonsense to either make it happen with the man they presently have or make it happen the way it should happen when Mr. Right comes along. I have recommended it to both men and women alike.

Finally a book that says it all! I should have had this book 20 years ago.I could have saved myself a lot of undue stress from the opposite sex. The book says in simple english what everyone woman knows but denies to herself when in love.I sincerely hopes Ms.Dixon writes a follow up but only longer and in more detail.

Ms.Dixon appears to be on the right trail in her delightful yet thought provoking essay. As a police officer with two daughters her work speaks to the young adults of today's world in the street language that they understand. It is not clinical nor is she trying to dazzle anyone with big words. Well done Ms. Dixon and thank you.

I found Ms. Dixon's book to be down to earth and to the point. She shows a remarkable sense of humor while pointing out some remarkable insight on how to stay true to yourself. I felt that she had true insight into men & women who "played the game". Ms. Dixon has explained very simply how to get what you want out of a relationship without compromising who you are as an individual. I am sure anyone who reads this book will find a piece of themselves here. Pick up the book ..learn a little, think alittle and laugh a little

MS.DIXON'S BOOK IS VERY ENTERTAINING AND TRUTHWOTHY, CONCERNING THE ONGOING RELATIONSHIP OF MEN AND WOMEN.A MUST HAVE FOR BOTH SEXES, WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE CONTINUING GAMES MEN AND WOMEN PLAY.A REAL POSITIVE BOOK THAT ALSO BOOST YOUR SELF-ESTEEM AND CHARACTER AS WELL.

(My review is on Thoreau's Cape Cod rather than this specific edition).

While some literary critics seem to slight this work by Thoreau, saying that it is not as "powerful" as his other works, etc., I personally find this one very enjoyable. Sure, it does not have as much "philosophizing" as other books by him, but it is full of humor and very fun to read. The part where he describes the old man spitting into the hearth is particularly hilarious. The part about him sleeping in a lighthouse is also very funny. It lets us experience the more jovial side of Thoreau. This is probably one of the easiest to read among Thoreau's books.

Published posthumously, this volume is surprisingly consistent and complete (unlike "The Maine Woods" which is chopped into three different parts), it gives one the feel of walking along the entire cape, although the materials are quarried from several different trips. One only wish Thoreau had lived longer and had seen the West, imagine him taking a trip in the Sierra! Oh, well, meanwhile, we still have this one to enjoy.

Thoreau visited Cape Cod in 1849, 1850, and 1853. These trips formed the basis for a series of essays, several of which Thoreau published in magazines. After Thoreau's death, the essays were gathered together and published as "Cape Cod" in 1865.

Thoreau's "Cape Cod" is different in tone in theme from his earlier books. The tone is leisurely and light. Instead of solitude or the wild woods, the picture that remains with me from this book is that of a long walk, or, as Thoreau puts it, a "ramble" through the sand and dunes of Cape Cod. The book is picturesque, full of humor and wry observation. Thoreau unforgettably describes the ocean, in its storms, vicissitudes, and moments of peace, the fish and the fishermen, the sands, birds, plants and lighthouses of Cape Cod, and the people. I have visited portions of the Masachusetts coast, but I have never been to Cape Cod. Thoreau took me there in his book.

The book is arranged into ten chapters. It opens with a description of the shipwreck of the St John on a rock off the Cape. Thoreau then describes a ride by coach across the Cape. But the heart of the book lies in the following chapters in which Thoreau with a companion walks the 30 mile beach from Nauset Harbor to Provincetown with many stops and diversions along the way. I felt the salt air and saw the fishermen and the sandy beach as I walked with Thoreau.

The most vivid characterization in the book is in the chapter "The Wellfleet Oysterman", as Thoreau describes a grizzled, taciturn, and ancient native of Cape Cod and his family who offer him hospitality for the night. Another memorable chapter involves the description of the Highland Lighthouse, no longer standing, and its keeper. The stops with the Oysterman and the Lighthouse punctuate Thoreau's long walks through the day over the beach and his meditiations about and descriptions of what he finds there.

Thoreaus walk ended at Provincetown, on the northernmost portion of Cape Cod, with its wood walkway, shanty houses, and ever-present scenes of fishermen, boats, and drying fish. Thoreau offers what I found an affectionate portrait of these hardy fishermen and their families. Following a description of what he found at Provincetown, Thoreau offers a great deal of historical background on the exploration of the Cape, from the Pilgrims reaching back to earlier French, Icelandic, and English explorers.

Thoreau's "Cape Cod" is a worthy companion to his books describing his experiences inland, on Walden Pond and on the rivers and woods of New England and Maine. It is beautifuly written with unforgettable descriptive passages. It made me want to get up and go from my life in the city, and over 150 years after Thoreau wrote, wander and walk for myself along the dunes and sands of Cape Cod.

This hardcover edition from Peninsula Press is unquestionably the best available edition of Thoreau's Cape Cod, for these reasons:

1) While all other editions are based on Thoreau's journal entries from only his first three visits to the Cape, this edition includes an epilogue compiling Thoreau's notes from his fourth and final visit, in which he traveled south to Chatham and Monomoy.

2) This is the only edition to translate the many, many Greek and Latin phrases Thoreau includes throughout the work, and it is also the only edition to provide illustrations, maps, and sidenotes in-text.

3) This is the only indexed edition ever created.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of both Cape literature and Thoreau in general.

This book details the flora, fauna and people that Thoreau found in Cape Cod in the 1850s. Thoreau organizes the book around a single trip to Provincetown, although much of the material that he uses in the book came from various visits to the Cape, and to the ocean in general. He starts with a description of a shipwreck at Cohasset, then a stagecoach ride from Plymouth, then a walking trip with a companion along the outer shore to Provincetown. Along the way, he describes not only the plants and animals he encountered, but also the people who he met. The book finishes with a lengthy academic historical account of the discovery and mapping of the Cape.

I found this to be the most humorous of all Thoreau's work. The character sketches he provides in this book, sharpened with his trained eye for observation of natural phenomena, are legendary. The cultural description of the Cape and its environment is quite fascinating for those interested in the history of daily life in 19th century Massachusetts. As Thoreau describes the desolate, treeless desert that made up the far reaches of the Cape, one begins to comprehend what it meant for an economy to be based on wood and whale oil for fuels. Thoreau stresses how valued driftwood was for residents of the Cape, as one of their main sources of heating and cooking fuel. Doubtless, he would not recognize the Cape today with its lush new forests. Or its Wal-Marts--switching to an oil economy has brought mixed blessings for the Cape. For those who think Thoreau to be a humorless didactic philosopher, this book shows a very different aspect of Thoreau as a writer.

You will forget about the outside world when you read this; nothing but sand, wind, and water. Plus some natural history, local folklore, a few shipwreck tales. Typical Thoreau; he finds beauty, interest, detail in the wilderness. The desolate landscape will help to clear your mind. Highly recommended.

This book was given to me as a gift - a very special gift. At 42 years of age - I found this story to be inspirational and beautiful. I read this story aloud to myself and caught the magic! Ms. Hubbard catches the essence of a traditional African Ancestry family and Marcenia's dream of playing baseball. Children teach us all the time - if we take a moment and accept the lesson. Marcenia did not let any obstacles such as gender, economics or a dress deter her from her dream. Faith, perseverance and a spiritual connection are all wrapped up in this beautiful story that is enhanced by stunning artwork done by Mr. Randy DuBurke. No matter what age - we all have dreams - how we make them a reality is another story. "Catching The Moon" is truly a keepsake in any personal library!

This is one children's book that adults will learn from too.

This is the story of Marcenia "Toni Stone" Lyle, who grew up to be the first woman to play on a professional men's baseball team.

Even now women are banned from the Majors, so it's fascinating to read a story about a young girl who achieved her dream of playing in a major league ballclub.

Catching The Moon is an inspiration to anyone, child or adult, who's had a dream that seemed impossible.

The text is lively and colorful, and the illustrations match it perfectly. I enjoyed this book as much as my children did.

In the early 1930s, Marcenia Lyle was a young girl who loved baseball and could hit, field, and run better than the best of the boys. When Gabby Street (the baseball manager of the St. Louis Cardinals) came to recruit children for his baseball camp, Marcenia realized that his camp could be her first step from the sand lot to playing baseball with the pros. But Mr. Street didn't allow girls at his camp and Marcenia's parents want her to give up her baseball dreams and act like other girls her age. Dramatically told by Crystal Hubbard and superbly illustrated by Randy DuBurke, Catching The Moon: The Story Of A Young Girl's Baseball Dream is a picturebook for young readers based on the true story of the determination and passion of a young girl who would one day become the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro league. Highly recommended -- especially for school and community libraries of the inner cities.

Catching The Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream is the story of a little girl named Marcenia, who dreams of being a professional baseball player. This ambition is most unlikely since Marcenia is a female black child growing up in America in the 1930s. Catching The Moon is a fantastic example of how determination and hard work can make any dream no matter how improbably it seems to come true. This true story of Marcenia Lyle, who really did grow up to be the first woman to play baseball in the Negro Leagues, is inspiring not just to children but to anyone who thinks it may be too late to pursue a dream. This book serves as an example to all that anything is possible. It is truly a remarkable story brilliantly told by Crystal Hubbard and wonderfully illustrated by Randy DuBurke.

Tomboy Marcenia wants to play baseball but knows the options for an African-American girl in the 1920's are limited. That doesn't stop her and in the Author's Afterward the reader finds Marcenia's persistence and love of the game prevails over adversity. Children will enjoy the acrylic
illustrations which convey the action of the game.

In Caught Up, Deatri Bey-King takes you on a trip through a tangled web of mystery, romance, and suspense in the life of Rosa Bolivar, daughter of one of the most powerful players in the drug and technological worlds. Her life had been one lifted off the pages of a fairy tale until she overhears a spat between her mother and father where she finds out her life just isn't what she thought it was. Through life altering decisions, Mrs. Bey-King brings her characters and us to the light. Definitely the caliber of writing Urban fiction needs.

Rosa Bolivar has loved her father, Ernesto, all of her life. In her mind he can do no wrong, despite her mother's claim during drunken rages that he is a monster. Just days after Rosa's thirtieth birthday, hidden truths come to light and secrets long ago buried come back to haunt Ernesto. When Rosa discovers Ernesto may not be who she thinks he is she begins a journey on a path towards the truth--a journey that begins at a Florida prison where a drug king sits on death row. During Rosa's visit she meets Samson, a DEA agent who is out to prove Ernesto is not the high-powered business man that Rosa believes him to be. To Rosa's dismay, she quickly finds herself falling in love with Samson and for Samson, the feeling is mutual. Suddenly, Rosa finds herself torn between remaining loyal to Ernesto and exploring her new found feelings for Samson.

I found this to be an excellent read. The characters were well-developed and the plot unfolded at a nice and steady pace. King-Bey's ability to draw her readers into the story and keep them turning pages is outstanding. I anxiously await her second novel, as her talents will only age like fine wine. I definitely recommend that you get caught up with King-Bey.

T. RHYTHM KNIGHT
APOOO BookClub

"Caught Up" was apparently one of Mrs. Deatri King-Bey earlier novels. I had to back track to some of her earlier work after reading and enjoying "Beauty and the Beast". I found this novel to be fresh and captivating. The book started off a little slow for me, and I got worried thinking I wouldn't be able to get through it. However, I was seriously mistaken, after getting to the second chapter, it definitely turned out to be well worth the read. It was a very intriguing romance, drama and suspense. I thought the way Mrs. King-Bey combined the present with flashbacks to the past flowed nicely, as if you were getting two stories for the price of one. She develops a solid set of characters. I found myself empathizing with their situations and how their pasts issues influenced many of the decisions they made, be it a right or wrong decision. This novel had a fast-moving and unpredictable plot, that constantly kept you wonder what would happen next. I loved Samson's character. He is definitely every woman's fantasy man, attractive, thoughtful, intelligent, and ever the protector. I enjoyed the instant attraction between Samson and Rosa and the fact that David (her real father) even thought that it was fate that brought them together and approved of Samson taking care of his daughter when he couldn't. Definitely a novel you will enjoy getting "Caught Up" in!

I have to admit that it's been a long time since I've read an entire book in one day. But after reading the first chapter of this novel, I knew that I wouldn't be able to rest tonight until the last page was turned. I give this book five stars because it surpassed all genres. It was a 1) mystery, 2) romance, 3)suspense, 4)thriller, and 5) everything else rolled into one. I loved all of the characters in this book (even the bad ones had their redeeming qualities). I appreciate the storytelling skills of Deatri King-Bey. She has a distinctive style of writing that pulls you into the story and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page. I'm adding her to my list of "new" favorite authors, and I look forward to reading her future novels. I understand that she has several books waiting to be released, and I'm waiting to read them. Thanks for the great read!

Caught Up is a contemporary novel. A hard and fast fiction/mystery. The characters are well flushed out and fascinating. Rosa is Caught Up but strong and holds her own-- the death-cell scene proves that. The drug cartel depiction is deadly, yet the story has its endearing moments between daughter and fathers as well. Yes I said fathers. Deatri knows how to smooth the hard angles and not lose the power of the scene. If you like intriguing mysteries this is the book to read, not doubt. It really is a page-turner! I'm most interested in knowing her next project.

while in France recently at Chalon-sur-Soane I visited their photography museum. They were doing a special exhibit of this work. I was so totally impressed on how Miller could capture these photos while seeming to be invisable to his subjects that I investigated when I returned and discovered that this book was available. I bought TWO; one for myself and one for my daughter who is a serious photographer.

These striking images of Bronzeville -- "Chicago's Harlem" -- will blow you away. The humanity they portray, in all its beaten-down, lifted-up, heartbreaking reality, makes me wish I knew personally every man and woman depicted herein.

Wayne Miller, a white photographer now well into his 80s, went into the Bronzeville ghetto over a two-year period and made these touching pictures; then they "went into a drawer" for 40 years, until finally the Univ of Calif Press published this book. (The book itself is as well-produced a book of photographs as you are likely to find anywhere.)

My grandfather Nathan Joseph ran the States Theatre at 3507 S. State St., in the heart of Bronzeville, for some 50 years (unfortunately the States is not depicted herein). I myself have written a novel of Bronzeville called "To Love Mercy" (Mid-Atlantic Highlands, ISBN 0-9744785-3-9). A historical Afterword appears at the end of "To Love Mercy;" it is an oral history of Bronzeville, in the voices of a dozen people who lived there in the '40s and '50s. This Afterword is illustrated with seven of Wayne Miller's photos from "Chicago South Side, 1946-1948."

I have given close to a dozen copies of "Chicago South Side" as gifts. I was coming to Amazon to buy two more copies when I saw this opportunity to write a review.

These photos have moved me to tears. Buy this book.

This is a marvelous collection of images from everyday Balck Chicago life in the late 1940s. There are scenes of street life, back alleys, patrons at a pool hall and tavern, and night life ranging from a female personator dressing to Duke Ellington hunched at a piano at rehearsal and an ebullient Louis Jordan on stage.

This book is a treasure. I wish I could find more by this photographer (my searches have come up empty). The photographs take you right inside each scene, and often pack a powerful punch of sadness, joy, intimacy, life. The printing quality is excellent. If the publisher can collect more of his work, I will be the first customer.

This is one of the best photographic books I've seen -- ever. Wayne Miller manages to make personal contact with the human beings who lived on Chicago's South Side in a way that few photographers have ever matched. The warmth and complexity of these photographs, the compassion and human understanding involved, are most remarkable -- especially since the photographer stood on the other side of America's terrible racial divide from his subjects. Anyone who loves classic documentary photography, or who simply loves human beings in their complexity, should order this book.

The fates of those who sacrificed during the 60s to make America a more perfect union were varied; Some were cut down by assassins. Others re-defined the struggle by securing historic victories at the ballot box. Most simply returned to anonymity, choosing to bear the scars of battle in silence.
While many of these heroes remain unsung, the legacies of the more prominent among them have been well-documented in mainstream media outlets dutifully marking civil rights anniversaries as a way of gauging how far we've come since then. In some cases, these stories have now been re-told so often they seem dated and stale.
But John Blake's compelling new book, "Children of the Movement" traces those human blood lines forward and breathes life into these intimate -- but largely unknown-- family portraits. His interviews with the sons and daughters of those who fought for America's soul are at once inspiring, depressing, universal and utterly unpredictable.
Blake's sparing but effective writing frames each vignette, putting them in context without overwhelming you with tons of historical detail that might have detracted from the narrative. His book is not only a pleasure to read, but also informative, captivating and timely.
Most of all, "Children of the Movement" reminds us that while the struggle for civil rights has changed much in a generation, it is still far from over.

This is really one of the most fascinating books to deal with the civil rights movement in recent years. The author does not rehash old ground, but instead strikes out to see what happened to the next generation born of the activists, heroes, martyrs--and even the repulsive racists--of the 1960s. The older generation that we all know in another context turn out to have been parents ranging in quality from wonderful to awful--and those who knew them 40 years ago may sometimes nod their heads knowingly and say "Told you so!" It adds a human element to our knowledge of that great movement that shaped modern America and inspired the world.
I should add that I took this book with me on two hurricane evacuations this year (you can see that I am from Florida, The Hurricane State), and I could not have wanted for a better literary companion. I recommend it highly.
It does not pretend to tell the whole story of the civil rights movement--but it does tell an aspect of it that no one before John Blake has put between hard covers. No library dealing with that era is complete without this book.

As a child born in the late 70's, I've often felt, in some sense, that the Movement was something in the "past tense"...something that was really (according to History Books) only associated with MLK and other "icons".

After reading Children of the Movement, I realize I was reading the gaps of my childhood history books. I was also hearing the story told from the children...the youth of the 50s/60s...the ones that essentially "gave up" their fathers and mothers for the cause.

Wow...what sacrifice...John Blake makes you look at MORE than the leaders we often hear about, but forces the reader to face how the movement affected children of the time and how the pain and loss weighs on all of us today.

The only way to ensure this perspective is HEARD is to recommend this book to an educator you know...a History professor, a Social Studies teacher...someone who can truly ensure that children today absorb this rich perspective...

This book should be required reading for anyone from the age of 10 to 100, but particularly for those members of the last several generations who may take certain freedoms and rights for granted. For anyone who may be only slightly familiar with the struggles, sacrifices, pains and scars of those who fought for civil rights in America, Blake's book is a vital history lesson, presented in fascinating narratives that captures the reader's attention from beginning to end.
By focusing on the children of the movement, Blake gives a fresh and often unpredictable view of the civil rights movement. The extensive use of photographs was an important compliment to each and every chapter.

John Blake's book, "Children of the Movement," provides a powerful, if painful, glimpse into the heart and soul of the Freedom Movement of the Sixties, as, an insightful portrait of its legacy, through the lens of some of its children--one of whom is my own daughter, Ericka Abram. Blake's tenderly-written report reveals many common themes in the perspectives and lives of these offspring, the most compelling for me being that Movement parents seemed to have been so committed to our cause and protecting our children from the social ills we fought, we forgot to tell them what and why we were fighting. The resulting common disconnection between parents and children is more broadly reflected in the confusion and despair of today, in dealing with unrelenting racism and poverty and oppression, that stand in the stead of the clarity of purpose and commitment of the past. Blake's book opens the door to a healthy discussion toward healing familial wounds and easing generational divisions so as to bring us together in a new effort to finally find freedom in America.