Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South (Jules and Frances Landry Award)

Scottsboro tells the riveting story of one of this country's most famous and controversial court cases and a tragic and revealing chapter in the history of the American South. In 1931, two white girls claimed they were savagely raped by nine young black men aboard a freight train moving across northeastern Alabama. The young men-ranging in age from twelve to nineteen-were quickly tried, and eight were sentenced to death. The age of the defendants, the stunning rapidity of their trials, and the harsh sentences they received sparked waves of protest and attracted national attention during the 1930s. Originally published in 1970, Scottsboro triggered a new interest in the case, sparking two film documentaries, several Hollywood docudramas, two autobiographies, and numerous popular and scholarly articles on the case. In his new introduction, Dan T. Carter looks back more than thirty-five years after he first wrote about the case, asking what we have learned that is new about it and what relevance the story of Scottsboro still has in the twenty-first century.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

"This detailed, unembellished, utterly engrossing history is a work of clarification, and the author's ability to make the reader aware of so much . . . is remarkable."--New Yorker

"Carter has written the whole sorry story in vigorous narrative style, wisely using excerpts from the trials which to this day evoke a sense of horror at what can pass for justice in America."--Publishers Weekly

"Carter brilliantly traces the celebrated case from its beginnings. . . . His thorough research, careful organization of the findings, clear appraisals presented in readable prose, all combine to make this the definitive study of what was a tragedy for the entire nation and not merely for the South."--Choice

"Carter is to be congratulated on his effort, both historically and stylistically. It's a triumph of proper research and should remain the definitive study of the affair."--Nation

"Not only a well-documented piece of research, but a spine-tingling story as well."--Library Journal

"[Carter's] research is meticulous and exhaustive, his material well organized, and he leaves few questions about the subject unanswered."--Georgia Historical Quarterly

"An extraordinary book about one of the most celebrated legal contests in the annals of American jurisprudence. . . . Shorn of muckraking and partisan preaching, his volume is historical writing at its best. Indeed, it has all the attributes of a prize-winning book."--Georgia Review

"In parts, Scottsboro is exciting courtroom drama; in other sections the tension is reminiscent of swiftly paced detective fiction. It is always good history."--Journal of American History

"A scholarly work is seldom put in the book-you-can't-put-down category, but Scottsboro is just such a volume. [Carter] is to be congratulated for producing a scholarly volume, objectively written, presented so as to convey a sense of drama and excitement throughout."--North Carolina Historical Review

528 pages, 32 Halftones, 6.125 x 9.25

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

History at its best., 2006-02-26
Too often books come and go, getting barely a mention, then fading into obscurity. Others, such as University of South Carolina Professor Dan Carter's 'Scottsboro', make reading both a blessing and a curse. To elaborate, this is not the sort of book one can read and not bite your tongue at the profound tragedy that marked the Scottboro trials and their legacies. You will shake your head in disbelief, want to argue, and, ultimately feel your blood pressure rise on more than a few occasions.

Carter's prose is excellent, well reasoned, masterful. His sources are tremendous, though one needs to consult his dissertation (UNC-Chapel Hill) for the complete listing. In the revised edition an interesting conclusion to the final proceedings is included, lacking none of the dramatics and eccentricities of the original trials decades before.

'Scottsboro' cannot be recommended highly enough. This is history written the way it was should be.


13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

Bancroft Prize Winner Delivers!, 2003-02-23
Does "Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South" need any more 5-star reviews to convince readers that it may just be the best historical account of an American tragedy ever written? More than seventy years have passed since nine blacks were wrongfully accused of raping two white women on board an Alabama freight train and the event still rings in the ears as if it happened yesterday. Professor Dan T. Carter has remained the preeminent expert on the Scottsboro case for more than thirty years and his extensive research is evident in this book. Never dry or dull, Professor Carter guides the reader through a harrowing story that must be read to be believed. If you're not familiar with the Scottsboro case and its important role in American and more essentially pre-Civil Rights history, this should be the first book on your list. I also recommend James Goodman's superbly written "Stories of Scottsboro" and Quentin Reynolds' "Courtroom," the biography of Scottsboro defense attorney Samuel S. Leibowitz.


7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

Detailed, Engaging, Amazing, 2002-07-03
I love reading history books, especially when they read like a novel. Carter has produced a detailed account of this nearly forgotten episode in American History and he has done it with so much energy that one can not help but be swept up in his telling of the story. He traces the episode from its hobo origins. A freight train that carried two women and several black young men was stopped. The women, when taken from the train accused all the black men of rape and from here the stories of these rail riders takes off. Working with facinating material, the segregation of the deep South, the idea of a woman's honor, the Communist and NAACP rivalry over the case, the Jewish NYer who comes to represent the boys, the racist judges and the status quo governor and the one judge who martyrs his carreer to stand up for what he believes is right,Carter shows that the tale of Scottsboro is stranger than fiction. Not only is the story itself excellent, but Carter also brings the story up to date. For anyone interested in this time period, this is a must read!


7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

Meticulous, Ruthless in Seach of Truth, Searing, and Scary., 1999-04-24
Dan Carter has done a superb job in this study of the miscarriage of justice that took place in the Alabama of the 1930's. His picture is so complete and enlightening and he has attacked all the issues from all sides. If you want to get a very different picture of the atrocities capable in the U.S. of the 20th Century, read this book. I could say so much more.....


4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

A book that truly lives up to its "tragic" title, 1999-04-22
It is hard to imagine that such an terrible injustice could have occured in a country that prides itself on "justice for all." Dan Carter does a meticulous job in presenting us with one of the most engaging and informative books on the Scottsboro case I have ever read. As a pre-law and African-American history student I was thoroughly impressed and I recommend it to anyone regardless of their interests.

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