Freedom’s Dominion (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize): A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power
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- Author：Jefferson R. Cowie
- ISBN：1541605128
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Reviews
Karen Young
，
Could be a PhD dissertation。 Depiction of “freedom’ as white man’s domination of others （ indigenous peoples， blacks）。 States rights means preventing the federal government from enforcing civil rights， voting rights，etc。 TRUMP has adopted many of Wallace’s tactics。
Rome Doherty
，
I rated this book so highly because I was surprised by what I learned from it。 The extent and depth of the oppression in the American South surprised me。 The persistence of the concepts and beliefs connected with this oppression through the centuries is daunting。 The other reference was the incredible similarity of George Wallace with Trump is mind-boggling。 The same ability to turn a legal or political defeat into an asset， the same language of grievance， and the same disregard of morality， fai I rated this book so highly because I was surprised by what I learned from it。 The extent and depth of the oppression in the American South surprised me。 The persistence of the concepts and beliefs connected with this oppression through the centuries is daunting。 The other reference was the incredible similarity of George Wallace with Trump is mind-boggling。 The same ability to turn a legal or political defeat into an asset， the same language of grievance， and the same disregard of morality， fairness or truth in the naked pursuit of power。 Really worth reading。 。。。more
Jason Watkins
，
Urgent read for the times。 Fills a critical gap in American History education。 It's an exhaustive， matter-of-fact， and in-depth unpacking of the Southern （and now contemporary conservative） notions of "freedom，" burgeoning from America's post-revolution westward expansion coupled with overt， rapacious fantasies of a white utopian society。 Cowie's examination focuses on the microhistory of Eufaula， AL in Barbour County， which serves as an archetype for the Southern white supremacist movement and Urgent read for the times。 Fills a critical gap in American History education。 It's an exhaustive， matter-of-fact， and in-depth unpacking of the Southern （and now contemporary conservative） notions of "freedom，" burgeoning from America's post-revolution westward expansion coupled with overt， rapacious fantasies of a white utopian society。 Cowie's examination focuses on the microhistory of Eufaula， AL in Barbour County， which serves as an archetype for the Southern white supremacist movement and arguably remains today a key virtue of the Republican party。 While this work provides rich， detailed information about the historical struggle for human rights in America we discover along the way that in many aspects America wasn't truly a democracy until perhaps the '60s/70s due to the effective voter suppression that occurred， specifically in the South。Cowie makes the case， with detailed research， that the idea of anti-statism under the espoused theory of a Jeffersonian Democracy in the Southern psyche， originates from the Southern white class to maintain control。。。or "freedom" and that is the freedom to dominate in a zero-sum game。 This anti-statist movement， reveals itself in the expulsion of the Creek Indians in Barbor County， in the Fed's attempt to protect Creek land rights。。。and failure; in Eufalan's / Alabama's overt secession from the Union， expressively to maintain the "liberty" to own and dominate humans; in the Fed's attempt to guarantee human rights following the Post Reconstruction 13， 14， & 15th Amendments， and the effectiveness and efficiency of Eufalans， and then Alabamanians， and then other Southern states， to systemically subvert these rights in absolutely every aspect of society henceforward up to the 1990s。 Cowie bookends the struggle by highlighting the influential success Governor， （and Eufalan） Geroge Wallace imprinted on Alabamanians， and then eventually， national society。 While this story focuses heavily and the legal aspect of state-vs。 federal rights， Cowie provides an ancillary understanding of how the Republicans walked away from the Party of Lincoln， to the Party of an anti-statism， rooted in white supremacy。 This book adds to the body of knowledge of how key factions and influences， essentially switched party lines and did so， ostensibly for the espoused notion of "freedom under attack" from the Fed。 That freedom was the white man's freedom。 Conversely， at many key intervals throughout history， the Fed attempted。。。and failed。。。to serve as the savior for black minorities。We can see this same polemic play out as I type。 Choose your favorite topic: reproductive rights， weaponization， education， etc。 Often， as a general theme， it takes overwhelming federal intervention to provide protections for various demographics， or else local control "states rights" wins the day for the controlling party which， paradoxically restricts the rights of the the disenfranchised minority。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Judi
，
2023 Pulitzer Prize for history winner
Anthony Conty
，
"Freedom Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power" by Jefferson Cowie has a ton of research and goes back 300 years。 Shocking， he decided to focus only on Barbour County， Alabama before finding out that was the home of George Wallace。Fear not， Conservative friends: neither Donald Trump nor January 6th come up before the conclusion。 The emotion comes from The Trail of Tears and America's lynching phase。 There is more than enough pathos there。George Wallace plays a key role and， like "Freedom Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power" by Jefferson Cowie has a ton of research and goes back 300 years。 Shocking， he decided to focus only on Barbour County， Alabama before finding out that was the home of George Wallace。Fear not， Conservative friends: neither Donald Trump nor January 6th come up before the conclusion。 The emotion comes from The Trail of Tears and America's lynching phase。 There is more than enough pathos there。George Wallace plays a key role and， like any good historian， Cowie spends an equal time condemning him and trying to understand what made him so popular。 Wallace's political method influenced many after him。A casual observer would not have known how many elections carried the stink of skepticism and how people tried to suppress the vote after the fact。 The freedom to dominate others and take away their freedom resonates。Some people want us to avoid telling parts of history and others want us to tear down statues。 Somehow， this book manages to serve both audiences and give their viewpoint a voice。 There is so much to learn。 。。。more
Elsie
，
Wow！ This history provides background to today’s political environment。 Freedom caucus means freedom for white males， not freedom for all people。
Baxter Hodge
，
This book valuably contributes to the often studied story of the contradictions in American democracy。 It accomplishes this by narrating the history of Barbour County， Alabama from the Creek Wars， to Reconstruction， and up to the Civil Rights Era and rise of George Wallace。 Through its narrative it continually asks the questions: What is American freedom？ Who does that freedom benefit and at what cost to whom？Throughout the book， it demonstrates a consistent pattern which includes the failure of This book valuably contributes to the often studied story of the contradictions in American democracy。 It accomplishes this by narrating the history of Barbour County， Alabama from the Creek Wars， to Reconstruction， and up to the Civil Rights Era and rise of George Wallace。 Through its narrative it continually asks the questions: What is American freedom？ Who does that freedom benefit and at what cost to whom？Throughout the book， it demonstrates a consistent pattern which includes the failure of local and state government to protect the rights of minorities， the positive though temporary impact of federal intervention， and the subsequent backlash against federal intervention by the white citizenry。 The book ends with a thorough discussion of how George Wallace recognized this pattern and used it to consolidate political power at the state and even national level。 This is a must-read book for anyone interested in Alabama history and also a valuable contribution to the study of the relationship between states and the federal government。 I would also strongly recommend this book for any reader （especially conservatives） that wants to wrestle with a fair critique of the painful history of federalism in the United States。 Although the author definitely has a strong political agenda that shows itself a few times throughout the book， he still treats the history very fairly。 My only serious critique of the book is his seeming implication that George Wallace and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the primary catalyst of the political party realignment that occurred in the 1960s。 Although that is definitely a large part of the picture， it was a mistake to not at least mention the other factors that led to a loss of confidence in the Democratic Party’s leadership including Cold War setbacks， the Vietnam War ， the counterculture movement， and race riots to name a few。 。。。more
Lisa Biewer
，
I will echo Publisher’s Weekly， this gripping & haunting history…makes for distressing yet essential reading。’ I hope CJCS & CSAF put this Pulitzer Prize winner on their recommended reading lists。
Paul
，
Excellent。 The author。 focusing on one county in Alabama， makes a persuasive argument that many white Americans have historically defined freedom as their unfettered ability to dominate and oppress everyone else。
Scott Holstad
，
Sadly underwhelming， especially with all of the worthy competition。
Steve
，
A very well written book ！ It gives you some insight into the motives behind those who seek limited government and limited Federal oversight ！
Paul Szydlowski
，
This book seeks to prove the old saying that your right to throw a punch ends where your fist meets my nose carries no weight among those whose mantra might be "You're not the boss of me。" That group of proclaimed freedom fighters weaponized freedom to enslave， intimidate and discriminate。 It's a warning for those who see the same mindset at work among those who argue against anything that would infringe on their right to arm themselves， wear a mask or， God forbid， have to interact who makes the This book seeks to prove the old saying that your right to throw a punch ends where your fist meets my nose carries no weight among those whose mantra might be "You're not the boss of me。" That group of proclaimed freedom fighters weaponized freedom to enslave， intimidate and discriminate。 It's a warning for those who see the same mindset at work among those who argue against anything that would infringe on their right to arm themselves， wear a mask or， God forbid， have to interact who makes them uncomfortable。 。。。more
Dennis McCrea
，
This is another recent Pulitzer Prize winning book I’ve read in the last month and it did not disappoint。 Probably the most poignant White Privilege， African American historical book （of at least 30 plus） I’ve read in the last 20 years。I’ve grown up （as we all have since at least the 1950’s） in the Dog Whistle， coded language civil rights era， where politicians such as Joseph McCarthy （Red Scare/Baiting/Communists and Socialist everywhere， Barry Goldwater/Ezra Taft Bensen （individual liberty）， R This is another recent Pulitzer Prize winning book I’ve read in the last month and it did not disappoint。 Probably the most poignant White Privilege， African American historical book （of at least 30 plus） I’ve read in the last 20 years。I’ve grown up （as we all have since at least the 1950’s） in the Dog Whistle， coded language civil rights era， where politicians such as Joseph McCarthy （Red Scare/Baiting/Communists and Socialist everywhere， Barry Goldwater/Ezra Taft Bensen （individual liberty）， Richard Nixon （Southern Strategy） and Ronald Reagan （limited federal government） all utilised what can only be described as coded language to communicate their aquiesence to Southern political thought。 What many from the South （best epitomised by George Wallace and his rhetoric） would describe as Individual Freedom。 But it is what a Southerner would define as their right to have the freedom to treat that others of a different morality would describe as mistreatment。The book takes the limited historical reference of Barbour County， Alabama （the birthplace of George Wallace） and its historical reference of freedom。 And juxtaposes it with what the rest of the country’s reference of what comprises freedom and the book takes on its mind altering depth and reference alteration。 Well worth one’s investment in time and meditation as the book is read。 As for my shelf of books that have truly altered my life and its perceptions， this book is right up there along with Dr。 Lopez’ ‘Dog Whistle Politics’， Edward Bernay’s ‘Propaganda’， and JFK’s ‘Profiles In Courage’。 。。。more
Sue Vanwassenhove
，
Excellent。 One more exclamation point on the atrocious behavior that is our undeniable history。
Sheri
，
Wow！ What a great book！ Cowie recounts white racism & resistance to federal intervention from the days of white settlers stealing native land through the present （and by the present， I mean the January 6th insurrection by the Proud Boys and other rioters）。 He sets the main body of his narrative in Barber County， AL， the home of George Wallace， but all is writ large to drive his points home。 When one thinks about the concept of "freedom，" it's counter-intuitive to think of people demanding freedo Wow！ What a great book！ Cowie recounts white racism & resistance to federal intervention from the days of white settlers stealing native land through the present （and by the present， I mean the January 6th insurrection by the Proud Boys and other rioters）。 He sets the main body of his narrative in Barber County， AL， the home of George Wallace， but all is writ large to drive his points home。 When one thinks about the concept of "freedom，" it's counter-intuitive to think of people demanding freedom to engage in racial discrimination， to lynch black men， to steal Indian land， to enforce school segregation， etc。 But apparently that's what "freedom" means to many in this country， especially in Alabama and the American South。 By the time Cowie arrives at January 6， 2021， the reader is no longer surprised to see the insurrection denominated a "Freedom Rally"。 。。。more
Andrew Rothstein
，
Freedom。 A powerful word in America - Land of the Free。 How it's interpreted has immense implications to our country。 Is it freedom from constraints？ All of them？ Is it civic freedom to fully participate in society？ Or， more darkly， is it freedom for one group to impose its will on another group？ At the heart of Cowie's Pulitzer Prize winning book is the argument that for a large percentage of white Americans， it's the latter。 The people they've wanted to dominate were often Native Americans or Freedom。 A powerful word in America - Land of the Free。 How it's interpreted has immense implications to our country。 Is it freedom from constraints？ All of them？ Is it civic freedom to fully participate in society？ Or， more darkly， is it freedom for one group to impose its will on another group？ At the heart of Cowie's Pulitzer Prize winning book is the argument that for a large percentage of white Americans， it's the latter。 The people they've wanted to dominate were often Native Americans or African Americans。 These groups had something they wanted - land in the case of Native Americans。 Free or cheap labor in the case of African Americans。 The only force available to create and， later defend， the rights of Native Americans and African Americans was the Federal Government。 The Federal Government was also the means for their oppression。 Gradually， with extreme effort， rights were created and the means to protect them put into law - imperfectly。That effort generated intense opposition， often accompanied by violence。 White resentment of the Federal government's enforcing civil rights morphed into a broad white antipathy towards the national government on many issues。 A view that is still a major force in American politics。 One that has created an increasingly polarized society。This book is cogent and very well written。 It puts much of our current political problems into perspective。 Certainly worth reading。 。。。more
Mary Kesson
，
Freedom is one of those concepts that every political movement wants to spin for its own purposes。 In this book， the author covers four periods of Alabama's history: the removal of the Creek Indians from their lands in the 1830's， Reconstruction， the convict leasing， lynching and Jim Crow period， and finally the rise of George Wallace in the face of integration and the civil rights movement。 The older sections were particularly interesting， as I hadn't read much about those periods of history。 T Freedom is one of those concepts that every political movement wants to spin for its own purposes。 In this book， the author covers four periods of Alabama's history: the removal of the Creek Indians from their lands in the 1830's， Reconstruction， the convict leasing， lynching and Jim Crow period， and finally the rise of George Wallace in the face of integration and the civil rights movement。 The older sections were particularly interesting， as I hadn't read much about those periods of history。 There's a recurring theme where the citizens would demand help from the federal government （kick out the Creeks， make land available， help stabilize agriculture， etc。） when necessary and then turn around and complain about its centralized tyranny when it acted to protect the rights of oppressed people。 Of course， the local （white） political class didn't really have a problem with tyranny as long as they were the ones exercising it。 That's freedom！The stories of the George Wallace campaign will resonate with anyone who's watched the Trump base converge at his rallies over the past eight years。 He knew how to play to the crowd in much the same way。One minor error on pages 278-9， where a quote from Alabama Magazine is repeated。 。。。more
Jerilyn Jackson
，
An excellent review of the prevalence of white supremacy over the course the U。S。 history。
Jarred Goodall
，
I can see why this book won a Pulitzer。。。it represents a masterpiece， which more than proves its historical argument。。。
Reuben
，
Beginning as a focused micro history of Barbour County and a kind of side biography of George Wallace， Freedom’s Dominion instead uses these focal points to spring board into a greater discussion: who decides what freedom means in America？ and who gets to benefit from， and exercise the power of， that Freedom？In doing so， Freedom’s Dominion becomes an examination of power in the South， specifically white power and the post-reconstruction “Redemption” of the South。 Written with quick， incisive pro Beginning as a focused micro history of Barbour County and a kind of side biography of George Wallace， Freedom’s Dominion instead uses these focal points to spring board into a greater discussion: who decides what freedom means in America？ and who gets to benefit from， and exercise the power of， that Freedom？In doing so， Freedom’s Dominion becomes an examination of power in the South， specifically white power and the post-reconstruction “Redemption” of the South。 Written with quick， incisive prose， Freedom’s Dominion kept my interest throughout and showed powerfully why Mr。 Bowie deserved the pulitzer prize for his work。 。。。more
Jeremy
，
Laws represent the interests of the people who make them。 The American federal government has broader interests than its state governments do。 The American Federal government wanted to protect people that the Alabama state government wanted to dominate。 The author wants to describe Alabama's position as representing white freedom to dominate and to point out this insidious， concealed aspect of American notions of freedom。I think this is an enlightening peek into the history of southern political Laws represent the interests of the people who make them。 The American federal government has broader interests than its state governments do。 The American Federal government wanted to protect people that the Alabama state government wanted to dominate。 The author wants to describe Alabama's position as representing white freedom to dominate and to point out this insidious， concealed aspect of American notions of freedom。I think this is an enlightening peek into the history of southern political culture。 But I also think that the author is neglecting the inherently coercive aspect of all laws。 This is the story of Alabama succeeding at dominating racial minorities because the federal government failed to dominate Alabama。 。。。more
Chris
，
Wow！This book has so much to say about American Democracy。 It would be too much to ask everyone to read this， but I wish its theme were more widely understood。Cowie tells the story of Democracy in America as one of tension between the enviable ideals authored by the Founding Fathers and the local impulse of some citizens to impose their will on vulnerable populations。 The Federal government was called upon to enforce the Constitution many times and its track record of efficacious action or even Wow！This book has so much to say about American Democracy。 It would be too much to ask everyone to read this， but I wish its theme were more widely understood。Cowie tells the story of Democracy in America as one of tension between the enviable ideals authored by the Founding Fathers and the local impulse of some citizens to impose their will on vulnerable populations。 The Federal government was called upon to enforce the Constitution many times and its track record of efficacious action or even willingness to act is woefully inadequate。The word “Freedom” winds its way through the book almost always in opposition to the concept of Equality under the Law。 The action takes place in Barbour county Alabama， but Cowie insists that the concepts are applicable to events across our nation。The 1830’s saw a treaty between the Muscogee （Creek） nation and the federal government in which the Creek were granted land in eastern Alabama along the Chatahoochee river。 When White settlers swindled or just seized these lands， Andrew Jackson （incredibly） sent federal marshals to enforce the treaty by restoring the lands to the Muscogee。 A combination of federal weakness and local determination doomed the effort。 This is Cowie’s first tale of the federal government in opposition to the White settlers’ “Freedom。” The next section deals with Reconstruction。 This is probably the clearest episode of the federal government imposing itself in opposition to White Freedom （to dominate the newly emancipated Black population）。 The Civil War both strengthened the federal government and provided resolve to enforce the 13-15th amendments。 Voting rights were a brief reality in Barbour county and the Freedmen （no women） used them to elect Black representatives。 But again a combination of lack of federal commitment and a very determined and unscrupulous local White population meant that federal power， and the civil rights of black people， withered and died。 After mass violence at the 1874 elections， the Black population was effectively disenfranchised for nearly a century。Book 3 “Federal Power in Repose” deals with the long period between Reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement。 Cowie deftly outlines how voter disenfranchisement （including poor whites when the elites had to defuse William Jennings Bryant era agrarian populism）， celebration of local “customs，” and barbaric acts of racial violence defied American ideals by maintaining a throughly undemocratic racial hierarchy。 New state constitutions across the South at the turn of the century simply legalized the disenfranchisement of African Americans as a class as well as many landless Whites。 The national Democratic Party turned a blind eye in return for Southern collaboration in Congress as Alabama used state prisoners as forced laborers in mining operations in flagrant disregard of civil and labor rights。The last section deals with the Civil Rights movement and its resistors。 Barbour County native son George Wallace was emblematic of White resistance， but hardly unusual。 Extraordinary in his political skills， not his views on race。 The take home message from this section is that process was and， importantly， is the result of the concerted and relentless efforts of legal and social activists。 Its easy to think that societal attitudes on race became more enlightened， but the truth is that progress in extending the civil rights promised by the Constitution to all Americans has been fought every step of the way。 。。。more
Jeff
，
This is an important book。 The only problem is that it is very long， highly detailed， and a bit repetitive。 This makes it a bit tough to recommend。 Freedom is highly valued， but not always understood。。。this book won't solve that， but will give one a deeper appreciation of that conundrum。 This is an important book。 The only problem is that it is very long， highly detailed， and a bit repetitive。 This makes it a bit tough to recommend。 Freedom is highly valued， but not always understood。。。this book won't solve that， but will give one a deeper appreciation of that conundrum。 。。。more
Kelly
，
Great book。 Again， it won’t be read by the people most in need of its contents。 There’s a longstanding belief among American conservatives that “government” is an inherently malignant force; Cowie traces the intellectual history of that idea， and it’s a journey to （and through） some very dark places。 Power doesn’t have an agenda， but the people who wield it （or oppose it） always do—and the subtitle of this book embodies the heart of White America’s interest in the matter。
Mark Walker
，
The title lays bare the real issue: Parse the expression， and then consider the paradox of whether Freedom and Dominion can truly co-exist。 In this book Jefferson Cowie illustrates—across centuries of historical fact—that use of the word freedom as meaning the right to dominate others was （and is） applied without irony by those who would influence society for their sole profit。 Although centered on the local history of Eufaula， AL， Cowie demonstrates the relevance of this community to the US nat The title lays bare the real issue: Parse the expression， and then consider the paradox of whether Freedom and Dominion can truly co-exist。 In this book Jefferson Cowie illustrates—across centuries of historical fact—that use of the word freedom as meaning the right to dominate others was （and is） applied without irony by those who would influence society for their sole profit。 Although centered on the local history of Eufaula， AL， Cowie demonstrates the relevance of this community to the US nation as a whole。 In many ways this book exposes the sordid soul of white supremacy throughout America。Cowie traces the history through the initially illegal white settlements in Native American territory， through the introduction of slaves once the Indians were removed， through the suppression of the non-slave holder class （both black and white） before and after the Civil War。 The inconsistent federal efforts to expel the white settlers， through faltering Union control during Reconstruction， through hamstrung federal attempts in the New Deal era， were all inadequate to dampen the ultimate control of the elite class whose status and wealth （before and after the war） were based on white dominance and the associated attitudes necessary to maintain their position。 Those attitudes incorporated a religious justification of white supremacy conveniently crafted two centuries before Europeans settled in the region around what became Eufaula—since then， African Americans have turned that erroneous impetus on its head， and expressed a Christianity more aligned with the Gospels。 A key thread throughout this entire historical narrative is the notion that concerns of white persons—in this case， people of European extraction—supersede any concerns of anyone not of that racial stock。 It was （and remains） a effective method to artificially maintain wealth and status。Another key thread is the manipulative ethos of white supremacy culture—the efforts of whites who are not on board with white supremacy are by themselves insufficient to alter the course of that culture。 This is rarely the fault of the individual white people who attempt to be on the right side of history。 A major factor is those with wealth often have acquired their wealth through white supremacy—they prefer the status quo and they take extreme measures to keep their ill-gotten profits。 These measures include provoking poor and less educated whites to hate their neighbors （and would-be allies） of color。 A close cousin to white supremacy culture is the laissez-faire mantra that gained mainstream traction in the late 20th Century。 There are significant similarities between neoliberal economics and the white supremacist culture that lives on today—this book illustrates the natural relationship between the two。 It's been a proven strategy spanning centuries， and shows no signs of slacking off as it continues to work so well。As Cowie demonstrates throughout this book， the only effective solution to white supremacy and its associated false freedom to dominate others is conclusive federal intervention。 The removal of freedom to dominate is not the removal of essential Constitutional freedoms—it's the only way to ensure these essential freedoms are truly there， as long as the impulse （by anyone） to dominate remains active。 Fortunately there are signs that the public is becoming more aware of the need for federal intervention in several areas—and these increasingly aware people are voting accordingly。 。。。more
Lois
，
Fairly academic and really depressing about one Alabama county and its history of white supremacy interpreted as "freedom。" Many implications for the current state of affairs。 Fairly academic and really depressing about one Alabama county and its history of white supremacy interpreted as "freedom。" Many implications for the current state of affairs。 。。。more
Diener
，
When I first picked up this book at my local library I did not realize it had won the Pulitzer Prize in History。 When I later found that out， I was not surprised。 This is a masterful exploration into that loaded， ubiquitous and quintessentially American term - freedom。 Page-turning history。 When it became due at the library， I had to return it as there was understandably a waiting list for it。 Not wanting to deprive the next person in line， I returned the book - inadvertently a couple of days la When I first picked up this book at my local library I did not realize it had won the Pulitzer Prize in History。 When I later found that out， I was not surprised。 This is a masterful exploration into that loaded， ubiquitous and quintessentially American term - freedom。 Page-turning history。 When it became due at the library， I had to return it as there was understandably a waiting list for it。 Not wanting to deprive the next person in line， I returned the book - inadvertently a couple of days late - and immediately purchased it on Amazon。 After it arrived in the mail I devoured the remaining chapters。 。。。more
Gretchen Hohmeyer
，
This is really difficult to review because I don't know that it's necessarily the kind of book you "enjoy" in the traditional sense。 When I first realized that this was going to be a microhistory of the town/county where George Wallace came from in Alabama， I did wonder how well that frame would work for the larger goal。 Turns out， really well。 This single county has plenty of stories from the start of America through the Civil War and Civil Rights Era to make the point soundly。 The connections This is really difficult to review because I don't know that it's necessarily the kind of book you "enjoy" in the traditional sense。 When I first realized that this was going to be a microhistory of the town/county where George Wallace came from in Alabama， I did wonder how well that frame would work for the larger goal。 Turns out， really well。 This single county has plenty of stories from the start of America through the Civil War and Civil Rights Era to make the point soundly。 The connections cross generations in ways that Cowie makes cleanly and clearly。 Given that they often involve violence， it's a book that is not easily readable in large portions if you plan on well and truly sitting with the information。 Cowie's larger point - which he makes repeatedly through clear and precise recitation of facts - is that "freedom" in America is often defined as the freedom to dominate others regardless of the stance of the federal government。 It also has a strong， forceful epilogue with a single， clear point to make - which in nonfiction sometimes feels like a missing element。 If American history is your interest， I would certainly recommend it。 。。。more
Kita
，
An incredibly important book。
Charles Stephen
，