Customer Reviews

The Battle of Ole Miss: Civil Rights v. States' Rights (Critical Historical Encounters)

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The Battle of Ole Miss is quite simply one of the best books I've read. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. I finished it in 1 day.

I was assigned to write a review of the book for a scholarly journal--an often tedious task. But the review I wrote was glowing, which is uncommon for me. Lambert's method of story-telling is detailed and engaging. The underlying story is amazing, and Lambert did it justice.

I shop on Amazon all the time, but this is the first review I've ever written. The book is that good. Quite simply, it will move you.

I found this account of James Meredith's struggle to receive an education at Ole Miss in the early 1960s well written, informative, and enlightening. It began by describing Mississippi society during the Jim Crow era, placing Meredith's childhood in that setting, then introduced persons who had important roles during the integration process on both sides of the issue so the reader is well informed as to who's who. I found it very easy to follow because events are in chronological order, and included the personal story of the Evers brothers as well as those of other significant African American Mississippians. It also explained the formation and influence of the local White Citizens Councils and state-level Sovereignty Commission, organizations that worked hard to maintain the "Mississippi Way" of segregation. I also found the behind-the-scenes political maneuverings between the state government under Ross Barnett and the federal government under President John Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy fascinating and well told. All in all a great book and highly recommended for all interested in the Civil Rights Movement in general and Mississippi history in particular.

It's like reading a textbook(I was promised by my professor that it wouldn't be :(). There are a few interesting parts but most of the time it feels like I'm sitting in a history class. The book is all over the place. Your going from one thing to another and it's hard to remember what the previous thing was or even where the story is heading. The book seems bias as well, although I do agree with the author. Overall not well written and BORING(with the exception of a few chapters). I would not recommend reading this book there is another author who wrote about the same events, which is probably better.