Synopses & Reviews
Explore this title online! In 1931, nine black youths were falsely accused of raping two white women on a freight train traveling through northern Alabama. They were arrested and tried in four days, convicted of rape, and eight of them were sentenced to death. The ensuing legal battle spanned six years and involved two landmark decisions by the Supreme Court. One of the most well known and controversial legal decisions of our time, the Scottsboro case ignited the collective emotions of the country, which was still struggling to come to terms with fundamental issues of racial equality.
Scottsboro, Alabama, which consists of 118 exceptionally powerful linoleum prints, provides a unique graphic history of one of the most infamous, racially-charged episodes in the annals of the American judicial system, and of the racial and class struggle of the time. Originally printed in Seattle in 1935, this hitherto unknown document, of which no other known copies exist, is presented here for the first time. It includes a foreword by Robin D.G. Kelley and an introduction by Andrew H. Lee. Mr. Lee discovered the book as part of a gift to the Tamiment Library by the family of Joe North, an important figure in the Communist Party-USA, and an editor at the seminal left-wing journal, the New Masses.
A true historical find and an excellent tool for teaching the case itself and the period which it so indelibly marked, this book allows us to see the Scottsboro case through a unique and highly provocative lens.
Review
"This is a book that would make Francis Drake proud."-Itineraries,
Review
"Cartographic historian Whitfield indicates that the 19th- and 20th-century romanticizing of Sir Francis Drake is well off the mark. Though compact, this is an exciting and wholly convincing interpretation of an important British figure. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries."-Library Journal,
Review
"Whitfield, a well-regarded historian of Cartography, straightforwardly recounts Drake's adventures for readers new to the sea dog, such as the circumnavigation of 1577-80 and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588."-Booklist,
Review
“This extraordinary graphic book from 1935 reproduces 118 linocuts illustrating the history of African Americans up to and including the Scottsboro trials... the reproductions are excellent, and Lee and Robin D.G. Kelley provide background essays on the trials and the provenance of the book. A welcome addition to all collections... highly recommended.”
-Library Journal,starred review
Review
“Wow! This is political art at its most powerful. These evocative images outrage and provoke, leaving an indelible impression of an unjust world at an unjust time. Scottsboro, Alabama will incite you to join the struggle for racial equality and justice.”
-Alan Dershowitz,author ofSupreme Injustice
Review
“A stunning artifact, Scottsboro, Alabamas narrative and images capture the tragedy of race in the American South. I haven't seen anything this tersely powerful in years.”
- Nell Irvin Painter,author of Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol
Review
“The prints have tremendous visual power...they constitute a progenitor of the contemporary graphic novel that artistically outclasses most current examples of the genre.”
-Booklist(July 2002),
Synopsis
Sir Francis Drake (15401596) assured his place in history when, in his lone ship the Golden Hind, he sailed the Pacific to become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Drake the man, however, is an enigma and relatively little is known about his personal life. Historians today have struggled to reconcile the heroic legend with the facts, which show that Drake achieved his status almost exclusively through acts of theft, piracy, and aggression.
Drake, who championed England's Protestant queen, used courage and seamanship to gain wealth and fame, and in doing so helped establish England's maritime empire. Yet, after his Armada success, the accomplished lone privateer rarely functioned effectively as part of a larger force, and he fell from royal favor, ending his days feeling cursed.In this new biography, Peter Whitfield, a leading expert in exploration and map history, examines this dilemma to shed light on Drake the man and the legend. Illustrated throughout with original documents, maps and portraits, this biography offers an accessible and highly readable account of one of the greatest explorers of all time.
Synopsis
An Alternate Selection of the History Book Club
This is a book that would make Francis Drake proud.
--Itineraries
Whitfield, a well-regarded historian of Cartography, straightforwardly recounts Drake's adventures for readers new to the sea dog, such as the circumnavigation of 1577-80 and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.--Booklist
Cartographic historian Whitfield indicates that the 19th- and 20th-century romanticizing of Sir Francis Drake is well off the mark. Though compact, this is an exciting and wholly convincing interpretation of an important British figure. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.
--Library Journal
Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) assured his place in history when, in his lone ship the Golden Hind, he sailed the Pacific to become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Drake the man, however, is an enigma and relatively little is known about his personal life. Historians today have struggled to reconcile the heroic legend with the facts, which show that Drake achieved his status almost exclusively through acts of theft, piracy, and aggression.
Drake, who championed England's Protestant queen, used courage and seamanship to gain wealth and fame, and in doing so helped establish England's maritime empire. Yet, after his Armada success, the accomplished lone privateer rarely functioned effectively as part of a larger force, and he fell from royal favor, ending his days feeling cursed.In this new biography, Peter Whitfield, a leading expert in exploration and map history, examines this dilemma to shed light on Drake the man and the legend. Illustrated throughout with original documents, maps and portraits, this biography offers an accessible and highly readable account of one of the greatest explorers of all time.
Synopsis
Sir Francis Drake (15401596) assured his place in history when, in his lone ship the Golden Hind, he sailed the Pacific to become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Drake the man, however, is an enigma and relatively little is known about his personal life. Historians today have struggled to reconcile the heroic legend with the facts, which show that Drake achieved his status almost exclusively through acts of theft, piracy, and aggression.
Drake, who championed England's Protestant queen, used courage and seamanship to gain wealth and fame, and in doing so helped establish England's maritime empire. Yet, after his Armada success, the accomplished lone privateer rarely functioned effectively as part of a larger force, and he fell from royal favor, ending his days feeling cursed.In this new biography, Peter Whitfield, a leading expert in exploration and map history, examines this dilemma to shed light on Drake the man and the legend. Illustrated throughout with original documents, maps and portraits, this biography offers an accessible and highly readable account of one of the greatest explorers of all time.
About the Author
Peter Whitfield is an independent scholar and a leading expert in map history and exploration. He is a former director of Stanford's International Map Centre in London. His previous books include The Charting of the Oceans: Ten Centuries of Maritime Maps; New Found Lands: Maps in the History of Exploration; and Astrology: A History.