Highlanders: A History of the Scottish Clans

Highlanders: A History of the Scottish Clans
Average customer rating:

Good as an introduction, fair as history

Disappointing, hard to read.

My Favorite Book of Scotland

A lovely gift for those interested in Scotland

A lovely gift for those interested in Scotland

Highlanders: A History of the Scottish Clans
Fitzroy MacLean
Manufacturer: Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Scotland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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Scotland: A Concise History, Revised Edition

Scottish Clans and Tartans: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Over 140 Clans-Their History, Tartans, and Much More

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Clans and Tartans

ASIN: 067086644X

Book Description

On July 23, 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie landed on the Isle of Eriskay with seven men and proceeded to capture Scotland. Over the following months, he almost succeeded in wrestling the British crown from Hanoverian cousins. Clansmen and family members fought each other in the last battles to take place on British soil. These battles culminated in the tragedy of Culloden.

Fitzroy Maclean recounts the extraordinary and romantic history of the Highland clans from their earliest Celtic origins to Robert the Bruce; from the wars of independence, including Bannockburn and Flodden, to the Jacobite Risings of the eighteenth century and the nineteenth-century Clearances; from Mary, Queen of Scots to the modern day. Highlanders sheds light on the motivation and character of the clans and brings to vivid life their highly dramatic stories. Never before has there been such a wide and well-balanced view of Highland history.

Customer Reviews:

Good as an introduction, fair as history.......2006-01-07

I was expecting a more comprehensive examination of how the Scottish temperament (unique in the whole world, believe me!) & within the clan system causes an unusual disposition with respect to other clans and the imposed English governmental system. What was missed in this exposition is coverage of the clan system as de facto government. The imposition of English common law and the English system of land transfer on the Scots precipitated great opposition because it was diametrically opposed to clan-based landholding, wealth, integration, prestige and power. The Anglo-Norman 'lords' and 'land barons' thought the Scots would quickly forget false entailing of land through marriage (according to their own legal precepts) or other means (e.g., murder, land clearance); but owing to the Scottish temperament, these depredations (ostensibly to keep the Scots from having too much power/wealth & too much prestige) have never been forgiven nor forgotten. The writer assumes a British (English) orientation when a more Scottish point-of-view is needed to get at foundational aspects of the clan and Scotland.

Disappointing, hard to read........2005-10-09

I am a technical editor. I was so distracted by half-page sentences and incorrect punctuation that I couldn't continue reading. The author knows a great deal of history, but he jumps from century to century so fast that I couldn't keep track of whom he was talking about or what century he meant.

My Favorite Book of Scotland.......2004-06-25

This book is a treasure to me. It sits in a prominent spot on my bookshelf, and will someday be handed down to my children. Flooded with relevant pictures, beautifully written, if you love Scotland, you will love this book.

A lovely gift for those interested in Scotland.......2003-03-02

A wee bit more of a coffee table book than a really history book, it gives those interested in Scotland an arm chair view of Scotland from its Origins to Culloden. The history is very good, more than a Wee Guide to...and is loaded with 100s of gorgeous colour photos of every aspects of the wonderful and beauty of Scotland, from its stone circles to jewellery, portraits and naturally, the castles.

A lovely gift for those interested in Scotland.......2003-03-02

Customer Reviews:

Debunking the myths.......2004-10-21

The subject of Clans, heraldry and tartans in Scotland is massive and complex. The authors, apart from having been Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs are also Procurator Fiscal at the Court of the Lord Lyon and Chair of the Heraldry Society of Scotland. They are in an excellent position to speak on these subjects, what the book has not got is a list correcting the urban myths which have grown up about these subjects, and so allows people to think that it is incomplete or wrong. For example, one review has said that the Campbell tartan show is wrong and that clansmen should wear another. There is no right or ban on wearing any tartan, and Lady Saltoun, Chief of the Clan Fraser, points out that there are many Fraser tartans, some of which she has never even seen in use. The same is true of the Campbells.
The book concentrates on members of the Standing Council because all Chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon are invited to join. The much briefer second section relates to clans and families without such a chief. Clan Socities and Clan Associations are private clubs, and it is impossible to include their details.
The encyclopaedia gives a decent and accurate history of each clan. It could be more detailed of course, but then, each clan could fill a book, even a one of this size, on its own.

Skewed point of view.......2004-01-02

Heraldry was introduced to Scotland in the 12th century with the advent of 1000 Anglo-Norman adventurers. The descriptions of coats of arms are derived from middle French. Some may have wondered about the number of French and English mottos and the paucity of Gaelic ones at a time when most of Scotland was Gaelic-speaking.

This book purports to describe the history, all too briefly, of Gaelic-speaking clans. There are errors in the spelling of almost every Gaelic word in the book. One wonders why the writers couldn't have found their way to the Department of Celtic in one of the Scottish universities.

In my opinion the word 'clan' should be used to describe Gaelic-speaking families as it is a loan word from Gaelic 'clann' meaning 'children' or descendants'. Lowland kin groups (non Gaelic-speaking) should be called 'families'.

Another "potted clan history", an inadequate attempt to describe the histories of many families in too little space with too much of an emphasis on a foreign element - heraldry. People wanting to learn something about the Scottish Highlands would be better off buying a history of the highlands such as Grant and Cheape's "Periods in Scottish History" and individual volumes on particular clans.

A good resource, but not great!.......2003-12-26

I have read more than one review of this book which refer to it as a "bible" but, sadly, this is not the case. The second reviewer from Annapolis, MD is closer to the mark, stating that it is a good companion book.

Do not purchase this book thinking it is the authoritative work on Scottish clans and families - it is not. Perhaps some corrections will be made in future editions?

Regardless, it is worth the price of admission but barely!

Excellent reference work.......2002-10-28

If this book was sold by weight it would still be a wonderful buy. It is a heavy volume and very high glass paper. Much care went into making this a collector's book. The Binding is sewing not glued, so the workmanship is not often seen in books these days.

Now to the inside...two pages are dedicated to most Clans, showing excellent colour pictures of the tartan. It also lists the Clan's arms, crest, motto. It give a better than average history of each Clan, which takes up the first 2/3s of the book. The later part takes up the Armigerous Clans, many of these are often left out of works in most Clan and Tartan reference works, so this is definitely a plus. In Appendix 1 they give you a good Chronology of dates of importance in Scottish History. For a timeline, it's better than most I have been in works similar to this. Appendix 2 gives Scottish Monarchs for Kenneth I to the Union of Parliaments in 1707. Appendix 3 is a very nice glossary of Heraldic Terms - was very impressed with this section. Appendix 4 for gives septs and names associated with various Clans. I have seen this in other works, and again, this one is much better. Appendix 5 will be of special interests to people tracing their family treat as his gives you information concerning tracing genealogy in Scotland. There is an Index, with excellent fonts, so easy to read.

All in all worthy, quick reference for the Clans of Scotland.

A Good Companion to other Scottish Clan Books.......2002-02-21

If only one book on the subject of Scotland's clans and families were truly all encompassing, this book would in fact be the one to buy. But no one book can do the subject of Scotland's people justice. While this `encycolpedia' does provide some very interesting and informative items, such as just what a clan encompasses, it does repeat many of the same errors on family associations that prior authors on the subject have made. One might think with the credentials of the authors that their research would have been much better. For example: On Campbell, the tartan shown is that of Campbell of Argyll, which is the incorrect tartan. The Campbell of Argyll tartan was designed specifically for use by one the Past Dukes of Argyll as his own `personal tartan'. It is not to be worn by members of the clan. The Ancient Campbell tartan, also known as the Blackwatch tartan is the tartan which may be worn by all Campbells.

Additionally this book wants in explaining exactly what The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs is - it is a private association of certain chiefs, and omits from its membership some "officially' recognized chiefs of Scottish clans. The book may give the uniformed reader the impression that the `Council' somehow helps The Court of the Lord Lyon make determinations on who is or is not the Chief of a Clan or Head of a Family. There is a blurring of the facts here. The Court of the Lord Lyon is the only authority in Scotland who may ratify and confirm Chiefs. The Lord Lyon signature on papers known as Letter Patent and on the Matriculation document, amounts to the Queen's signature ratifying the Chief of a Clan or Family. Only Lyon's signature and Seal of Office on such official state documents makes a Chief a Chief. That there is an omission of certain Chiefs and their clans from the work is obvious.

The index of names and clan associations is also lacking. There are many Scottish surnames which have clan or family associations which are not to found within the pages of this work. Likewise there are Scottish surnames which have no clan associations at all, and some names which have no tartans associated with them whatever.

Much of the History and Heraldry contained in the book is well done, there is no denying this. The Heraldry in particular is one of the better features, and there is likely no other book on the market which shows the richness and brilliance of Scots Heraldry. The banners, standards and clan crests badges of the Members of the Standing Council are well done, but for the Armigerous clans and families at the rear of the book, their herldry, history and accuracy is very lacking indeed. In fact, some families or clans are not mentioned at all.

While this book is certainly NOT a Clan Bible, it makes a good companion for other such books. It is still a good source of reference, and a must have for anyone interested in Scotland's colorful past as well as learning about the presence of the clans as they exist today.

The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands 1934
Average customer rating:

Dated but still a classic

This is *not* a recent edition

The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands 1934
Frank Adam
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Scotland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1417980761

Customer Reviews:

Dated but still a classic.......2006-09-05

This book has been reprinted many times since it was first published in 1908. Unlike many 'potted' clan histories, there is an attempt to describe the history, law and society of Gaelic Scotland (the Scottish Highlands). Like others of its kind, the focus is on the elite, the chiefs, precedence, and the decisions of the Lyon Court. The nineteenth century clearances are barely mentioned. However, much information, such as the chief's household men, plant badges, and satellite clans, is rarely found in other sources.

The tensions caused by the imposition of feudalism on a society based on kinship are better understood by authors such as Hugh Cheape and I. F. Grant (Periods in Highland History). An excellent history of the transformation of the clans is T.M. Devine's 'Clanship to Crofters' War: The Social Transformation of the Scottish Highlands'.

Adam's mentions the controversy about clan tartans, but doesn't clarify the issue. Tartans were named for clans after the 'clan system' had developed into the 'crofting system'--after 1780. The best books on tartan and Highland dress are Telfer Dunbar's 'History of Highland Dress' and his contribution to H.F. McClintock's 'Old Irish and Highland Dress'.

This is *not* a recent edition.......2005-01-04

This is a reprint of the third edition .... the latest is the eighth edition. Be very careful when ordering from Amazon!!! This is the second time I have ordered a book and received an old edition.

Scottish Clan and Family Names: Their Arms, Origins and Tartans

Average customer rating:

Nice one!

Scottish Clan and Family Names: Their Arms, Origins and Tartans
Roddy Martine
Manufacturer: Mainstream Publishing Company, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Irish Families: Their Names, Arms, and Origins (Genealogy, Family History)

ASIN: 1851584188

Customer Reviews:

Nice one!.......2000-03-05

This is an invaluble resource for anyone looking for information relating to the Scottish Clans. It includes colour pictures of coats of arms and tartans for each as well as information relating to their history and origins. The book is also liberally illustrated with excellent colour photographs of places of significance to the names under consideration. The introuction includes first rate information regarding coats of arms in Scotland, tartans, the Clan system, Scottish royalty and so on. Slightly dissappointing is the brevity of the histories for some of the Clans, for example Macrae only merits seventy words.

Scottish Clans and Tartans: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Over 140 Clans-Their History, Tartans, and Much More

Average customer rating:

Gorgeous photos...
Nothing very new with this book
Caution needed for contact information
Caution needed for contact information
An informative, comprehensive, nicely illustrated survey.

Scottish Clans and Tartans: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Over 140 Clans-Their History, Tartans, and Much More
Neil Grant
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Highlanders: A History of the Scottish Clans
Scotland: A History

ASIN: 1585740942

Book Description

Here is a beautiful, full-color guide and complete reference for anyone interested in the history of Scotland. The origin of Scottish clans and their distinctive dress is wrapped in controversy. Yet their story can be traced back to the middle of the fifth century-and to Ireland, where the Scots then lived. This authoritative, elegantly composed guide covers over 140 clans. Organized alphabetically, the entries include information on each clan's location and history, nomenclature, and renowned clansmen--as well as the clan's current status and development.

The Scots' ancient sense of kinship is colorfully expressed through their distinctive tartans-beautifully conveyed with full-color illustrations throughout the book, and complemented by detailed information on the color, pattern, and set of each clan. Furthermore, Scottish Clans and Tartans offers the reader breathtaking photographs of the Scottish landscape, fascinating illustrations and photos of important monuments and events, and black-and-white portraits of historically significant clansmen.

The story of Scotland's clans and tartans is one of irresistible appeal, interwoven with a history of drama, intrigue, bravery, violence, and romance.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous photos..........2003-01-26

This really is a wonderful book. I've been reading through it in the bookstore and need to pick up my own copy now. It goes into tons of clans' tartans, with a photo swatch of each one. It also has a small history for each clan and it's tartan. It also connects famous people to the clans, such as General Douglas MacArthur. It's not a very in depth book about the clans, but gives a wonderful into to each of them.

The above I wrote before I purchased the book. Now that I own it, it's even better. Even the very beginning of the book with its snippet of Scottish history is wonderful and whets the reader's appetite to learn more about Scotland.

Nothing very new with this book.......2002-05-08

This book was a bit of a disappointment because it does not include a lot of standard information I have seen in earlier books on clans and tartans. For instance, there is no listing of septs and other family names that are associated with some of the Highland clans. Furthermore, most people of Scottish heritage are what is referred to as "clanless Scots". But, ALL the clans at least come from a District and it would be nice to have information on the District tartans (and photos). That is also lacking. Yes, there are some nice photos of surrounding landmarks and a color swatch of each of the main highland tartans. Plus a bit of history for each of the 140 clans, but it is basic information available from several other sources.

Caution needed for contact information.......2000-07-13

Surprised to find a swatch of Barclay hunting tartan used on the back cover, I quickly flipped to the Barclay section. I was pleased to again find Barclay hunting used, rather than the normal yellow Barclay tartan. The write up of the historical information was accurate UNTIL I got to the end which stated that the current chief lives in Essex. Sure enough, when I checked the address listing, our current secretary in Richmond Virginia's address is correct, BUT, the other address is Colchester in Essex. This has not been our chief's address for over 10 years. I wonder how the author picked one current address and not the other. In addition neither address identifies to whom you would be sending information at the address given. In the midst of a visually appealing and otherwise nice book, this error and lack of detail was most disappointing. Carolyn L. Barkley, FSA Scot, Genealogist, Clan Barclay International, Ltd.

Caution needed for contact information.......2000-07-13

An informative, comprehensive, nicely illustrated survey........2000-06-04

There have been other Scottish tartan books over the years, but this represents a weighty and involving coverage, providing an illustrated guide to over 140 clans, their histories, and their tartans. The history of the highlanders and their struggles receives full coverage and embellishment in Scottish Clans and Tartans, an excellent, illustrated guide to much more than tartans.

Average customer rating:

The Clans of the Scottish Highlands
James Logan
Manufacturer: Hamlyn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 090748638X

Average customer rating:

Periods in Highland History

Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0760717214

Product Description

Concise in style and informed by vast erudition, "Periods in Highland History" contains a small library's worth of information on all aspects of Highland Scottish history from the earliest times to the present. It offers a wealth of detail on topics ranging from clan warfare to the origins of the highlanders' distinctive dress to the agricultural methods they used to support themselves in their beautiful but largely barren land. Until recent times, change in the Highlands came slowly, making distinct phases in history hard to identify. Here the authors divide Highland history into seven periods marked by processes such as the development of strong clan identities, the flowering of Gaelic verse, and the recovery of highland morale after the heroic defeat at Culloden. They have thus made their subject more accessible than ever before to the layman. While their approach is always scholarly and sophisticated, the authors do full justice to the dash and excitement that characterize much of the Highland past. They describe lightly armed warriors rushing downhill on their enemies -- first to the songs of bards accompanying themselves on harps, and later to the invigorating music of the pipes. They tell of outlaws who exacted tribute from villages and engaged in daring cattle raids on the Lowlands. Numerous illustrations, many showing Highland arts, crafts and weapons, make this definitive work a delight to the eye as well as to the mind.

The Well of the Heads: And Other Tales of the Scottish Clans

Average customer rating:

The Well of the Heads: And Other Tales of the Scottish Clans
Stuart McHardy
Manufacturer: Interlink Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1841583855

Book Description

In the Highlands of Scotland till modern times lived a warrior-society that was in many ways like those that flourished in the Iron Age over two thousand years ago. Focused on the central role of the warrior, the Scottish clan system, built round the ties of blood, continued to exist alongside the modern rapidly industrializing society of eighteenth- century Britain.

The clans were united by claims of common descent from a distant ancestor and these could be Picts, Scots, or even Norsemen, the peoples who roamed first millennium Scotland. The warriors of the clan, fiercely loyal to each other and to the chief, the center of all clan life, were known for their remarkable courage and endurance, selfless loyalty and highly developed military skills. Not for nothing were they considered the best fighting men in the world. These skills in time formed the backbone of the British Armies that conquered the world, the Highland regiments.

The tales collected here illustrate the drama and the dynamism of a society that lived close to nature, had little in the way of material wealth but was possessed of an intellectual treasure house of story and song. That tradition gives us instances of outstanding bravery and cold-hearted deceit, loyalty to the death and the eeriness of the magic and the supernatural.

Tartan for Me: Suggestions Tartans for Scottish Scotch-Irish, Irish and North American Surnames With Lists of Clan, Family and Districts Tartans
Average customer rating:

I never got it

Delightful Resource to MY Clan, District, and Family Surames

best book for guest use ar scottish games and gatherings

Tartan for Me: Suggestions Tartans for Scottish Scotch-Irish, Irish and North American Surnames With Lists of Clan, Family and Districts Tartans
Philip D. Smith
Manufacturer: Heritage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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Scottish Clans and Tartans: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Over 140 Clans-Their History, Tartans, and Much More

ASIN: 0788410113

Customer Reviews:

I never got it.......2005-09-01

You never sent this to me. You were unable to get a copy and cancelled the order.

Delightful Resource to MY Clan, District, and Family Surames.......2002-08-27

When this book arrived in the mail last week, I took to it like a kid from yesteryear when the new Sears Christmas Catalog would arrive before Thanksgiving - - (like sugarplums, etc.)

I found my Dad's family name was from the Paisley District, plus my husband's English name showed up with an O'. Fun to learn that the "Mac, Mc, and M'" all meant the same; "son of"!! Plus, the North American pronouncement of these prefixes is "Mik". Haven't yet learned where the "O'" represents.

A quick glance through the book tells the reader instantly that this research has been a loving and diligent work-in-progress. The price is so reasonable that I'm giving thought to tucking a copy in a few Christmas stockings this year!

Next to my photo album hobby, this search for family tartan plaids, etc. etc. is my newest and exciting adventure. (A lady in our town has years of weaving experience, and we've used THIS BOOK to get us started on her weaving project of my family's plaid!) What a hoot!

best book for guest use ar scottish games and gatherings.......1998-05-14

virtualy every clan and district group at scottish games all over the u.s. (150 a year in usa)use the perfect quick reference guide for the guests who come to the games to find something of their heritage as it relates to family names ,tartans and some location geographicaslly speaking. a big plus is that when we are swamped "tartan for me " is really user friendly , too bad it does not include tartan color samples,

Average customer rating:

CLAN MAP OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
A. K. JOHNSTON
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SBW0RM

Customer Reviews:

Almost like being there....sort of.......2007-09-25

_Fire This Time_ (a play on James Baldwin's title _The Fire Next Time_) documents the history and events before, during and after the 1965 Watts Riot in South Central Los Angeles.

For the most part, the writing is well done, especially when the author describes the events during the six days of the riot.

I had a couple of quibbles. The author does seem to describe many, if not most, of the people and institutions (government departments, media outlets, etc.) and either "progressive" or "right wing". Not that he is necessarily being inaccurate or wrong, but it just comes across as rather heavy-handed.

There are some instances of inaccurate research, though. On p. 28, the removal of the "Red Car" network, causing social isolation in Watts, is said to have happened in 1940. But Watts (and most of the southern part of LA County) actually enjoyed "Red Car" service until 1961. On p. 352, there is a reference to an LA Times article (on bus service) that leads nowhere (I actually checked the back issue of the newspaper, and could not find the article referenced). Some other issues, mentioned in the book, could have used a little more depth (like the Deadwyler shooting, p. 348)

So enjoy his ability to describe an historical event, take his politics with a grain of salt, and double check the references!

F.I........2005-09-21

As usual any book by Gerald Horne, Phd is very concise and intelligent. I have purchased this book and others of social conscience for my children, to see what the real america is all about. This book also shows that nothing has really changed on a subterranian level. The lesson that should have been learnd by the Wastts upheavel, has not made a dent. Unequal economics and the deliberated lack of funding for education and other social programmes are still, IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY allowed and accepted by the powers that be.

angry and deeply unintelligent.......2004-04-20

Poor Gerald Horne does his best to write a history of the Watts "Uprising" -- one of the few such "revolts" that targeted liquor stores as prime military targets. But his thinking is scattershot and he does not use the English language well. Still, some will be satisfied with the facts he has marshalled.

An Exceptionally Brilliant Work of Intellect and and Heart.......2003-03-22

Unequivocally there is no other treatment of urban racial unrest that can compare!

A story omitted.......2001-03-12

Gerald Horne's book, Fire This Time: The Watts Uprising and the 1960s is an extensive scholarly study into one of the United States' most violent riots and an event that characterized the civil unrest of the turbulent 1960s. Originally published by University Press of Virginia in 1995 and reprinted by Da Capo Press as a paperback in 1997, Fire This Time thoroughly examines the causes, conflict, impact, and meaning of the 1965 Watts Uprising. Horne, a noted black social historian, contends in his thesis that the Red Scare retarded Los Angeles' left based liberalism, once a progressive minded center of the working class in the United States. This move away from the left created a "vacuum that would be later filled by black nationalism" and eventually fueled the flames of the riot. Furthermore, this black nationalism manifested itself in the Nation of Islam, cultural nationalists, and the Black Panther party, all of which played a role throughout the uprising.(5)

Although Horne devoted some of his introduction to a brief survey of Los Angeles social history, he never made a convincing argument that the absence of a left based movement brought on by the Red Scare lead to black nationalism. This accusation coupled with the work's emphasis on class struggle gave the book a Marxist slant typical of many of the author's previous works. Instead, a more convincing argument might have been that racist attitudes and behaviors on the part of a white majority in the Los Angeles area resulted in South Central's devastated economic condition thereby leading to black nationalism. In the economic squalor of Watts, African Americans had no other recourse than to turn to themselves when society abandoned them. In essence, racism served as a catalyst for the emergence of the black nationalism that the author writes.

Horne chronicled the denigration of African Americans in Los Angeles by demonstrating the numerous ways in which government failed to treat them as equal. In chapter seven the author portrayed the Los Angeles Police Department as the "principal malefactor, the single offender in angering blacks to the point of insurrection. . . . [It operated] at the behest of the political and economic elites who administered the city." (134) Later, in chapter ten, the voting populous of the State of California betrayed blacks by passing the racially biased Proposition 14. This legislation repealed the Rumford Fair Housing Act in an effort to keep blacks out of white neighborhoods.(224) The remainder of this chapter describes the appalling housing, education, and religious opportunities afforded to blacks in Los Angeles thereby steering them toward black nationalism.

Horne superbly illustrated the importance of black nationalism's role in the 1965 uprising. He explained that due to years of repression and disenfranchisement African Americans had come to be stereotyped as the subordinated, dominated, or "female" race even behind Mexican and Asian Americans.(12) Black nationalism offered African Americans an identity the void of such stereotypes. In addition, black nationalism made no apology for being black and anti-white sentiments in Watts intensified. Organizations that celebrated black nationalism such as the Nation of Islam, gangs, and the Black Panther party grew in popularity along with a new cultural identity. Black organizations established in white society like the NAACP, with their lighter-skinned, middle-class leadership lost appeal.(13) The nonviolent message of Dr. Martin Luther King seemed diminished compared to the rising popularity of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam.(102) Clearly, by 1965 black nationalism championed the view that African Americans were no longer the submissive race dominated by white society. Blacks tired of the long, slow civil right movement demanded taking back economically depressed neighborhoods for themselves.

The author's thorough academic research of the black nationalistic movement in Los Angeles brought a human characteristic to the story of Watts. The stories, in many cases tragedies, spoke of people affected by the riot and demonstrated an uprising directed against the LAPD and the "well-to-do."(340) A careful analysis of the events that followed the Watts Uprising showed a significant "white backlash" to the violence that propelled Ronald Reagan into the governor's mansion and eventually the White House.(281) Finally, Horne revealed that little changed since the 1965 revolt and the Rodney King Beating Trial of 1992 sparked similar civil unrest.(358)

The author extensively drew on the papers from Governor's Commission on the Los Angeles Riots and transcripts from the McCone panel both governmental studies into the uprising. Horne used records from various city and county agencies along with studies and oral histories from Southern California universities. The most valuable primary sources came from The Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research which is located in what was once the curfew zone and is a depository of numerous historical facts on the Watts community. At this library, Horne collected oral histories from residents in conjunction with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the riot invaluable to his study.(423) Before the extensive notes the book is 364 pages and includes a map of Los Angeles and photographs from the period.

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