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Rating: 
Summary: Detailed and generally interesting
Review: I came to this book knowing almost nothing about Ole Miss or its integration history. This book was an excellent summary of the history of the college, especially in its early years, and how that history played into the integration struggles. It was interesting to see how racial relations at the college have changed and not changed since the 1960s, and to get another perspective on the Confederate flag.The book is well-written and it's hard to believe that the author didn't spend her whole life in Mississippi. The book bogs down towards the end a bit, but otherwise is quite engrossing. An excellent book, especially for those who were not taught much about integration in the South.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliantly researched and written!
Review: I used this book as my primary information source during a recent History class research project on the James Meredith affair. Frankly, from reading it, I believe it to be one of the best nonfiction books I have ever encountered. Cohodas really did her homework on this one, and the detail evident the book shows how well she conducted her research. The other aspect of this winning combination is that she possesses a real ability for relating a story-- I have never been so captivated by a nonfiction piece. While part of this is due to the fact that the subject matter (the history of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)) is engrossing, it continues to amaze me that Cohodas has not been more prolific in her documentation of Southern politics, for she certainly does it better than anyone else I have read.
Rating:
Summary: Thank Goodness!
Review: In the year this book was published, one of the main subjects, Cleve McDowell, was murdered. Nadine Cohodas (Thank goodness!) had interviewed McDowell about his treatment at Ole Miss when he became the first African-American admitted there as a law student. Times were difficult, and McDowell was left with absolutely no protection from the Justice Department - on a campus where students still had guns from the James Meredith riot. This is a wonderful history of those moments and provides excellent insight into those times. More is on McDowell at http://uncivilrites.com
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