Tracing the erosion of white elite paternalism in Jim Crow Virginia; Douglas Smith reveals a surprising fluidity in southern racial politics in the decades between World War I and the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.Smith draws on official records; private correspondence; and letters to newspapers from otherwise anonymous Virginians to capture a wide and varied range of black and white voices. African Americans emerge as central characters in the narrative; as Smith chronicles their efforts to obtain access to public schools and libraries; protection under the law; and the equitable distribution of municipal resources. This acceleration of black resistance to white supremacy in the years before World War II precipitated a crisis of confidence among white Virginians; who; despite their overwhelming electoral dominance; felt increasingly insecure about their ability to manage the color line on their own terms. Exploring the everyday power struggles that accompanied the erosion of white authority in the political; economic; and educational arenas; Smith uncovers the seeds of white Virginians' resistance to civil rights activism in the second half of the twentieth century.
#313902 in Books Harry W Pfanz 1998-03-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x 1.39 x 5.98l; 1.92 #File Name: 0807847305624 pagesGettysburg The Second Day
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Civil War Buffs Will Love This BookBy Scott L. GibsonHarry Pfanz's 457 page narrative of the battles that took place at Gettysburg on July 2 is sure to be a welcome addition to many libraries. Unlike many books that focus attention on Lee and Meade and their corps commanders; Pfanz focuses his attention on the brigades and regiments. The book is filled with interesting and colorful vignettes of those well known and others not so well known. The book is well written but too often Pfanz gets bogged down in minutia. A serious problem with this book is the lack of maps to help the reader follow troop movements. The 13 maps found in the book are of little help and I found myself constantly consulting Bradley Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg.This book is a standard account of of the battles fought on July 2 and there is nothing new or ground breaking in the book that would cause anyone to reconsider his understanding of the day's events. On numerous occasions; Pfanz makes questionable judgments in his discussion of the battles. Example: on page 161 he writes of the Confederate attack on the Union left flank; "Hindsight tells us that the key to the division's success or failure was John Bell Hood." The fact is that Hood was seriously wounded very early in the battle and played virtually no meaningful role in his division's attack. On page 212 in discussing the position of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top; he writes that they took up a position "near the base of the slope...[because] it had the advantage of a few boulders." He does not explain why the 20th Maine did not seek the higher ground that would have given them a significant tactical advantage. In the Epilogue he describes Daniel Sickles as a "competent" commander. This is surprising because Sickles decision to move his Third Corps forward created a gap in the Union line that nearly cost the Union army victory on July 2. Had Sickles not lost his leg in combat on that day; he may very likely been court marshaled for insubordination.For those looking for a book that analyzes decisions made at the command level; I recommend works by Edwin Coddington; Stephen Sears and Allen Guelzo. If you wish to read the stories of the men who fought at the brigade and regiment levels; Pfanz's book is a good place to start.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very well written and researched!By smithI have visited the battlefield twice. I walked the key battle areas and after reading this book I can visualize through this book in great detail what I had physically saw there. The book is very detailed and I used a map of the battlefield to supplement the descriptions of the battles to enhance the reading. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the details of the second day of the battle.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The Greatest 3 hours of fighting during the Civil WarBy Robert C. OlsonThe Greatest 3 hours of fighting during the Civil WarHarry Pfanz's outstanding Gettysburg-The Second Day is the definitive study of that day's pivotal 3 hours of continuous battle on the Union's tenuous left flank. In 3 bloody hours the Confederates lost 6000 men while the Union had 9000 casualties: 15;000 men or approximately 83 soldiers a minute were killed; wounded; or simply became missing. The din of battle was breathtaking; and the smoke so fierce that at times the men found it hard to breath must less see. As General Longstreet said; his corps's assault of 2 July was the "best three hours' fighting ever done by any troops on any battle-field". It was simply a field of valor strew with carnage. Those that survived were never forget; and those that died so gloriously would never be forgotten. Death was like a shadow that stalked everyman until the sun went down.Harry Pfanz expertly followed the battle at the regiment level through the eyes and ears of the commanders and basic soldiers of both sides. Like his Gettysburg-The First day; his description of events although superb were a little out of order for ease of understanding how the actual battle flowed. A few more maps would have really helped. I strongly recommend the reader use Bradley Gottfried's The Maps of Gettysburg as an additional aid to help with the Order of Battle. I still don't know why most civil war historians do not include time stamps on their maps. A time stamp on each map would greatly aid in following the flow of battle. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Pfanz's little vignettes about both the major and minor participants. The strategically placed individual's photographs also made the battle more personal. All in all an extremely well done portrayal of the second day of battle of Gettysburg. Be forewarned that this history ONLY covers the 3 hour battle on the Union's left flank.A must read for Civil War history buffs. Might be a little over the top for the casual Civil War reader but worth the effort. A superb book in all respects.
