Nobody But the People (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: lady bird, limited martial law, muscadine wine, Phenix City, John Patterson, Albert Patterson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

In telling this important and multi-layered story, Trest has given us a history that is vivid and alive. -- Frye Gaillard, author of Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America

The author tells Patterson's story in a highly readable narrative style. -- First Draft

Product Description

In this first authorized biography of former Alabama governor John Patterson, historian Warren Trest offers new insights and rich details in to the life of a significant Southern politician whose career touched some of the key struggles of the twentieth-century civil-rights movement. Patterson is revealed as a complex and likable politician and jurist whose career was unfortunately blighted by decisions he later regretted on racial issues.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 450 pages
• Publisher: NewSouth Books (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588382214
• ISBN-13: 978-1588382214
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #863,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome addition to American biography and Alabama state history collections., May 5, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Award-nominated historian Warren Trest presents Nobody But the People: The Life and Times of Alabama's Youngest Governor, the first authorized biography of former Alabama Governor John Patterson. A crime-fighting attorney general propelled into the governor's office following the brutal murder of his father, John Patterson dedicated himself to keeping Phenix City cleaned up. He led the state's resistance to federally ordered desegregation; later, he admitted to regret that he had neglected to do more to help Alabama's black citizens achieve equal rights. His administration improved public education, highway construction, law enforcement, old-age benefits, and brought about the state's first program of medical care for the elderly, among other accomplishments. He put loan sharks out of business and changed Alabama law so that low-income and middle-income families could borrow money without paying debilitating interest rates. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this compelling, true-life story of Patterson and the many achievements he made during his four-year administration - achievements that are all too often overlooked when examining his stance on civil rights. Highly recommended, and a welcome addition to American biography and Alabama state history collections.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book of National Historic Interest, October 23, 2008

By	Jack P. (Virginia) - See all my reviews

Undoubtedly, former Alabama Governor John Patterson placed himself on the wrong side of history in enforcing Alabama laws against civil rights activists in the 1950s and 1960s. However, there is a great deal more to this biography of Patterson than racial segregation in the South and the civil rights movement. The reader will learn the gripping story of Patterson's effort to rid his home town, Phenix City, of organized crime and help solve one of the Nation's most bizzare crimes - the murder of his father, Attorney General nominee Albert Patterson, by crooked State and local officials. Beyond the exclusive realm of Alabama politics, the reader will discover little known facts about John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign and the disaster at Cuba's Bay of Pigs. The student of military history will be interested to read about Patterson's World War II experiences in North Africa and Europe. A most recent event covered by Patterson's biography is the ouster of Alabama's Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who displayed a monument to the Ten Commandments at the Court, by a special Supreme Court panel presided over by Patterson. The book is highly readable and entertaining, a real page turner.