Richard Kluger

Quite possibly the single best history book I've yet read. Incredible in its scope, impossibly detailed - never a light read but I always wanted to read it. I found Kluger's style refreshing - not that it was biased, it seemed merely to address the absurdity of Jim Crow and the systematic, ongoing denial of rights. The final decision, unfolding in gripping, almost novelistic fashion in seeming real time, was one of the most fascinating parts.

Eminently readable account of the history of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that held that "separate but equal" facilities are inherently unequal, and banned segregation.

"Here is the human drama . . . of the many plaintiffs. . . who made the hard decision to proceed. . . Here, too, is the extraordinary tale . . . of the black legal establishment, forced literally to invent itself before it could join the fight. . ."

It was clear from the start that this decision could show more not be a close vote, if it was to be supportable. Kluger's analysis of how Chief Justice Warren achieved what many thought impossible - a unanimous decision - is absolutely fascinating. show less

This is an extremely well researched, thorough, and careful book. It explores the history of white settlement in the Puget Sound (Seattle, WA) area, through the story of Leschi, a leader of the Nisqually people. Leschi was an early friend of the British and American settlers, but was incensed by the poor treatment of the Washington territory governor's treaty demands, which gave native nations very small and horribly poor quality reservations. Leschi became a guerilla leader staging sporadic show more attacks on territorial troops in an effort to bring about a more fair treaty allocation for the Nisqually tribe. In the process, he became Gov. Stevens' singleminded focus, and when Leschi was eventually turned in and tried, the process was a farce of justice.

The book wraps up the Leschi tale with a "historical trial" which found that Leschi should not have been tried as a civilian and hanged; but as a combatant in wartime should have been released when the nations were at peace. Finally, the book describes the current state of Nisqually tribal affairs, and their long-awaited hope for a future less desolate than their past under the white empire.

I'm rounding up from 4.25 stars, because this story needs to be told. It's slow and plodding at times, with a dry names-and-dates feel in early chapters, but the story itself is full of twists, turns and intrigue. show less

Kluger has written an encyclopedia documenting nearly every mover-and-shaker in the history of Phillip Morris and RJ Reynolds, as well as legions of anti-smoking activists trying to hold them accountable. The book starts in workmanlike prose, but gains momentum as Kluger examines the 1960s onward. Interesting details--the mechanization of cigarette rolling, the reasoning behind the classic ad jingles.... But you will feel frustration as you learn of the industry's slippery lies and their show more seeming immunity to all consequences. show less