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Stand Up for Alabama: Governor George C. Wallace (Modern South)

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George Wallace dominated Alabama politics for a quarter century. Consider the six elections Alabama held for Governor between 1962 and 1982. Voters elected Wallace four times and elected his wife once (when he was ineligible to run for re-election).

Wallace has been the subject of many books (such as Dan Carter's The Politics of Rage and Stephen Leshar's George Wallace: American Populist). But previous books focus on Wallace's impact on national politics. In Stand Up for Alabama, Jeff Frederick examines Wallace's impact on Alabama.

Stand Up for Alabama is a success. Frederick portrays Wallace as a governor who spent his time campaigning instead of trying to run Alabama. The book shines when Frederick explains how Wallace and Alabama's legislature interacted; the relationship was contentious and the relative power of each side shifted as voters' opinions of Wallace shifted.

The book has a few drawbacks. Conservative readers won't like Frederick's steady criticism of Wallace's opposition to tax increases. At times, the narrative bogs down when it cites reams of statistics comparing Alabama's government programs to those of neighboring states.

At 400 pages, Stand Up for Alabama requires a commitment from its readers. But politics junkies with an interest in state government and civil rights will want to read Stand Up for Alabama.