From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality

Kruger Simple Justice is much, much more accessible. Indeed Klarman is definitive, but pondersome

This is a difficult read - but in a good way. It’s extremely thorough and information rich. It is also hard to imagine a more comprehensive historical narrative of civil rights law. Get yourself a strong cup of coffee and enjoy.

I will admit that I only started this book a few days ago and I am only at 5% completion (I bought it for the Kindle), but I am struggling a bit. Not with the subject matter, because I am a lawyer, but with the way in which it is written. Thus far I feel like I am reading a treatise for a civil rights course in law school. If that is the intention, then mission accomplished and I stand corrected. However, if this book was written for all who wish to be enlightened on Jim Crow and Civil Rights, I would try another text first.The author does state up front that it is meant to be factual. And it is. It is disturbing to understand our nation's history - a history not so long ago. We are a young country and the systematic intentional disfranchisement of blacks is incredibly disturbing, especially in our judicial system and government. Though the original intent of the book may not necessarily be to incite passion, I think one may have to be emotionally dead inside not to be moved, shocked,or horrified. And ultimately thankful that the jurisprudence of our Courts (and public opinion) have evolved.That said, I really feel there's a way to represent this information in a fashion more suited for reading than for study. When I first bought the book, I thought perhaps it was for a general audience - a way of helping the nonlawyer understand a fascinating but complex topic. Upon initial reading, I am now guessing that the target audiences are law students, scholars, lawyers, judges or perhaps government actors - not the enlightened citizen.I believe if the amazon peruser is interested in understanding more about Jim Crow laws and our Courts' struggles with these laws under our Constitution, look for another book or, better yet, ask a civil rights lawyer or professor to lead a discussion group featuring this text. Again, this book, in my reading thus far, gives a fantastic factual picture of the interplay. It would be a great reference if you are a law student writing a paper for a civil rights course. The author is clearly an expert. That said, I don't believe it's written for casual reading, Starbucks in hand, feet up on the coffee table. It's a more "formal read" if you get my meaning. EXAMPLE: It's filled with deliberate transitions - reminiscent of thesis writing - you need to get to the next point because it was in your outline, so you use lots of "According tos and Moreovers" to move from topic to topic. If you are a young law student, keep your Black's Law Dictionary nearby. I also suggest you make sure you have an internet connection or 3G/4G access for your iPad, computer or phone while you read, in case you need to Google a few terms.I cannot imagine how humbled I would be to meet the author, me being a new attorney, not even wet enough behind the ears to speak in court without sweating. However as a journalism undergrad and a pretty decent blogger, I think if the target is the general enlightened citizen, it's a little off center.

One cannot get away with calling Michael J. Klarman less than through and rigorous in his treatment of the Civil Rights movement from the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights movement. The problem is that he is a law professor from the University of Virginia and writes like one. It is 400 plus pages of dense academic, legalistic, text that frankly may turn off a lot of people who are not looking for a legal, law reference on this topic.For people who are looking for a law/academic reference, I see elements of a Hollow Hope about how courts should not be counted on to deliver grand social change. Judges are products of their environments and this largely explains why it takes so long to move on complex issues like civil rights because we have to wait until environments change to permit a more expansive view of rights.You have to read through quite a bit of legalistic forest to get to the above conclusion though. While he proves it academically, I don’t see the general reader being satisfied with all the five hundred dollar words and legalese , but academics should love this.

Professor Klarman's book is extraordinarily well-researched and devastating in its account of how slowly the legal process operated to fulfill the promise of the Fourteenth Amendment in particular, from the end of the nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. The scale is epic; the injustices are palpable, infuriating, saddening.

This is truly a fantastic book. One of the few books I read for a course that I thought was absolutely fantastic. Klarman's writing is very easy to follow, despite the incredible abundance of stats, figures, data that Klarman provides to support his arguments. Even if you're not reading this for a course, this is a fantastic book to survey the development of Constitutional and civil rights jurisprudence while also serving as a great detailing of history.

This book was required for a college class and was the most reasonable price I could find in store or on the internet. Despite being required to buy this book, I absolutely loved the content. Klarman gives a comprehensive insight to the history of Southern law in the context of the country in a way that you don't have to have a PhD to understand. I would recommend this to anyone even remotely interested in the topic.

Awesome. A+ fast shipping and book is in great condition as told. Recommended. Can’t wait to read it.

GOOD GOOD

Excellant read

Very pleased