Customer Reviews

Unlikely Heroes

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Jack Bass has written an outstanding history of an often unacknowledged but essential component of the civil rights movement. This book is the story of a group of southern judges appointed to the Court of Appeals with jurisdiction over the deep South during the 1950's and early '60's. While the Supreme Court, led by Chief Earl Warren appropriately got the headlines for their groundbreaking decision in Brown vs Board of Education, the task fell to this Court to wrestle with the meaning of "deliberate speed" and more importantly (and also more of a challenge) to actually implement this decision in their home states.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals of this time period was the greatest collection of talent ever assembled in the history of American jurisprudence. Their story is testimony to their courage, often in the face of social ostracism, threats of physical violence and all manner of disrespect.

The subjects of this work, Judges Richard Rives, John Brown, John Wisdom and Elbert Tuttle are among the most courageous men ever to don the robes and swear to uphold the U.S. Constitution. They were true to the oath they took, and in living up to that affirmation, brought the South, kicking and screaming into the 20th century.

A wonderfully researched work, easily readable for lawyers and normal people. Essential to the complete understanding of the times and the efforts undertaken by those who sought to change them.

Through Unlikely Heroes, as well as Taming the Storm, his biography of Alabama federal Judge Frank Johnson, Bass brings to public light the role played by southern judges in the civil rights movement. This book truly does justice to Judges Wisdom, Rives, Tuttle, and Brown for their immense contributions to the civil rights movement. This is a great book!

Jack Bass is an detailed Southern Historian. In Unlikely Heroes he provides a walk through the Civil Rights movement with a view from the Federal Judge's perspective
who heard and decided the cases.

This book focuses on several judges who was not a household name; judges who sat on the 5th Circuit in the Federal Court system who had a strong "fidelity to the law"
approach.

In my opinion this is a must read for law school students, historians, and Social Science high school teachers.

President Eisenhower does not have a strong record on civil rights legislation but the Federal Judges he appointed, in the South, were on the front lines and at the time did more for civil rights than the U. S Congress.

This is an outstanding book