Reviews

"Hoffer has produced an accessible and informative book that will enable instructors and students to more completely understand the factors leading up to Plessy V. Ferguson, the social and political zeitgeist of the time, and the enduring legacy of the case."--Law and Politics Book Review"Hoffer has written an accessible history of the case, its origins, and aftermath. [Q]uite readable . . . [Hoffer's] attention to details of place and character enliven the work and create rich context for the fateful decision of the case and the aftermath of that decision. Recommended for academic audiences and general readers with a strong interest in American legal history."--Library Journal

"With a keen eye for personalities and telling details, Hoffer forcefully situates Plessy v. Ferguson and its doctrine of 'equal, but separate' within the long and troubling history of America's struggle with race down to the present day."--Charles A. Lofgren, author of The Plessy Case: A Legal-Historical Interpretation"Hoffer provides a much-needed synthesis of recent scholarship, while adding his own useful (and sometimes provocative) insights and interpretations."--Michael A. Ross, author of Justice Shattered Dreams: Samuel Freeman Miller and the Supreme Court during the Civil War Era"Hoffer's treatment of the case's primary antagonists, its New Orleans setting, and its reception into U.S. law is exemplary."--Mark V. Tushnet, author of Why the Constitution Matters

"Hoffer has produced an accessible and informative book that will enable instructors and students to more completely understand the factors leading up to Plessy V. Ferguson, the social and political zeitgeist of the time, and the enduring legacy of the case."--Law and Politics Book Review"Hoffer has written an accessible history of the case, its origins, and aftermath. [Q]uite readable . . . [Hoffer's] attention to details of place and character enliven the work and create rich context for the fateful decision of the case and the aftermath of that decision. Recommended for academic audiences and general readers with a strong interest in American legal history."--Library Journal
"With a keen eye for personalities and telling details, Hoffer forcefully situates Plessy v. Ferguson and its doctrine of 'equal, but separate' within the long and troubling history of America's struggle with race down to the present day."--Charles A. Lofgren, author of The Plessy Case: A Legal-Historical Interpretation"Hoffer provides a much-needed synthesis of recent scholarship, while adding his own useful (and sometimes provocative) insights and interpretations."--Michael A. Ross, author of Justice Shattered Dreams: Samuel Freeman Miller and the Supreme Court during the Civil War Era"Hoffer's treatment of the case's primary antagonists, its New Orleans setting, and its reception into U.S. law is exemplary."--Mark V. Tushnet, author of Why the Constitution Matters