On the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, New York Times editor Clay Risen unfolds the epic struggle-waged from the streets of the deep South to the halls of Congress-to bring this revolutionary bill into law.
Clay Risen is a staff editor of the New York Times op-ed and Sunday Review section and founded the noted quarterly Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, of which he served as managing editor. His recent writing has appeared in such journals as the Atlantic, Smithsonian, and the Washington Post. His first book, A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination (Wiley, 2009), received much critical acclaim. He lives in New York.
Risen's book will join a very short list of outstanding studies that remind us of the extraordinary efforts to enact the 1964 civil rights law. As he brilliantly demonstrates, this was indeed the "Bill of the Century." Deeply researched, beautifully written, this is a history scholars and general readers alike will want to read. Robert Dallek, author of The Lost Peace: Leadership in a Time of Horror and Hope, 1945-1953 The Bill of the Century is the kind of examination that peels away neat mythology to reveal the complex, layers of history beneath. Clay Risen has written a crucial chronicle of the difficult, rocky road leading to the Civil Rights Act and the almost-forgotten heroes responsible for its passage. Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress What a compelling story for our times! Clay Risen's riveting account of the actual legislative history of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 reveals the infinite complexity of its passage, never certain until the end. And for us now, Bill of the Century explains the crucial roles played by many thousands inside and outside Washington, especially civil rights campaigners and religious believers: ordinary citizens galvanized into civic engagement. This book speaks to a broad readership at our own critical point in American history. Nell Irvin Painter, Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, Princeton University The Bill of the Century is edge-of-your-seat, as-it-happens history. It's a thrill to read and an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the civil rights era. Clay Risen makes clear that the passage of the Civil Rights Act was not, as popular mythology would have it, a one- or two-man show; it took a movement in the truest sense. Risen renders that effort-and its unsung heroes-in vivid prose, and shows just how much they had to overcome, working together, in order to bend the arc of history toward justice. Jeff Shesol, author of Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johns, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud That Defined a Decade The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is still the signature achievement of the American political process, and Clay Risen's dramatic account of how it came to pass will bring you to the verge of tears-sometimes of frustration of the egos and interests in contention! But ultimately one comes away with awe at what can be accomplished when we finally decide to do not what we can but what we must. A much-needed narrative history of a moral and political turning point, told with admirable command. Diane McWhorter, author of Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution A journalist's in-depth, behind-the-scenes account of the unsung congressional and White House heroes who helped the Civil Rights Act become the law of the land. Kirkus Risen is adept at weaving in juicy snippets of conversation. Publishers Weekly Smart and stirring. New Republic Impressive and compelling... Even though we know how the story ends, Risen offers a suspenseful tale, effectively conveying the apprehension that the bill's supporters experienced until the moment it passed...The Bill of the Century is an appropriately celebratory account that is indispensable reading for understanding what civil rights activists and politicians were up against in their campaign to topple Jim Crow. The Washington Post As Risen makes clear in his invaluable book, ordinary people have power too. And in 1964 they used it not just to pass a law but to take a step toward righting an egregious wrong and by so doing fulfill - at least in part - the nation's founding promise. A legislative triumph to be sure. But an American triumph most of all. The New York Times Book Review This is an outstanding study of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Moreover, it is an exceptional examination of how Congress worked 50 years ago. What makes New York Times op-ed editor Risen's account compelling is his depiction of a subtle process that depended on a cast of characters. First, it was in the House of Representatives where Democrats like Emanuel Celler and Republicans such as William McCullough conspired to override southern objections. Although Risen gives President Lyndon B. Johnson his due, he does not describe him as the indispensable force in passing the first major piece of civil rights legislation since the 14th amendment. In the Senate, the author highlights Everett Dirksen, Hubert Humphrey, and Mike Mansfield for their efforts. He even breaks scholarly ground by pointing out that Howard Smith's amendment expanding women's rights was not offered solely as a poison pill, but due to a lifetime of devotion to gender equality. Risen's account of John Kennedy's efforts are sparkling. A work of high academic quality written with a journalist's flair for telling a tale. Superb. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. -- D. R. Turner, Davis and Elkins College CHOICE
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