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KLAN: Killing America
The strife and horrors of the Civil War in America were raw with the wounds of the war lasting for decades; and affecting those who lived in both the North and the South. As the nation struggled to find unity, the forces of darkness and of those who wished to rule through intimidation and terror, spread their wicked ways under the cover of white sheets.
This is the story of the Ku Klux Klan and their chief brand: Lynchings, as told in the original newspaper stories from journals across the nation. Some are brief, telling only of a single attack while others are more comprehensive and detailed, telling the story with the inclusion of complex and emotional occurrences.
The attempt of the KKK to cloak the power of control over others with fear and violence is explained in some of these news stories. The chief advocate and leader of the Klan was interviewed by reporters and allowed fair access to give his side of the story. The heroism of various groups such as the NAACP and others who risked their lives standing up to thugs and criminals is also noted, as well as the words of those individuals and leaders who fought to eliminate the influence of the Ku Klux Klan.
While the KKK had as much right as any group to demonstrate and articulate their cause, the deceits and criminal actions employed by them separated their group from the legal actions of others.
For readers in the 21st Century who know little of the life and death of the KKK, the admonition to understand and know history in order to avoid repeating it, should be considered. Therefore, it is in that hope that this book has been prepared. WARNING: Authentic descriptions are vivid and brutal and the racially charged language of this historic news reports and commentary has not been modified. This material is for adults and parental guidance is appropriate.
This is the story of the Ku Klux Klan and their chief brand: Lynchings, as told in the original newspaper stories from journals across the nation. Some are brief, telling only of a single attack while others are more comprehensive and detailed, telling the story with the inclusion of complex and emotional occurrences.
The attempt of the KKK to cloak the power of control over others with fear and violence is explained in some of these news stories. The chief advocate and leader of the Klan was interviewed by reporters and allowed fair access to give his side of the story. The heroism of various groups such as the NAACP and others who risked their lives standing up to thugs and criminals is also noted, as well as the words of those individuals and leaders who fought to eliminate the influence of the Ku Klux Klan.
While the KKK had as much right as any group to demonstrate and articulate their cause, the deceits and criminal actions employed by them separated their group from the legal actions of others.
For readers in the 21st Century who know little of the life and death of the KKK, the admonition to understand and know history in order to avoid repeating it, should be considered. Therefore, it is in that hope that this book has been prepared. WARNING: Authentic descriptions are vivid and brutal and the racially charged language of this historic news reports and commentary has not been modified. This material is for adults and parental guidance is appropriate.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2013
179 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Ken Rossignol
67 books70 followersWriting in true crime, maritime history and cruise thrillers occupies most of Ken Rossignol's time.
As a maritime history speaker, Rossignol enjoys meeting audiences around the world and discussing the original news stories of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and other maritime history topics.
In recent years Rossignol has appeared on dozens of ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Caribbean discussing the stories of the heroes of the Titanic, the explorations of the new world voyagers, the Bermuda Triangle and the history of piracy.
Rossignol appears at the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri for book signings and to talk with visitors about the RMS Titanic.
He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC 20/20; ABC World News Tonight and in a 2012 production of Discovery Channel Investigation Motives & Murders Series, A Body in the Bay.
News coverage of Rossignol’s landmark civil rights case, represented by Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz re: United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Rossignol v Voorhaar, 2003, included articles in most major news outlets, as well as a column by syndicated columnists James J. Kilpatrick.
The story of the St. Mary's Today newspaper is now available in ebook and paperback: The Story of THE RAG! The book includes nearly 200 editorial cartoons that appeared over the years.
A strong highway safety advocate, Rossignol also publishes the DWIHitParade.com which focuses on impaired driving and the monthly publication, The Chesapeake.
News coverage of Rossignol’s DWIHitParade won an Emmy in 2012 for WJLA reporter Jay Korff and coverage of the St. Mary’s Today newspaper by WUSA reporter Bruce Leshan was awarded an Emmy in 2000.
As a maritime history speaker, Rossignol enjoys meeting audiences around the world and discussing the original news stories of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and other maritime history topics.
In recent years Rossignol has appeared on dozens of ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Caribbean discussing the stories of the heroes of the Titanic, the explorations of the new world voyagers, the Bermuda Triangle and the history of piracy.
Rossignol appears at the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri for book signings and to talk with visitors about the RMS Titanic.
He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC 20/20; ABC World News Tonight and in a 2012 production of Discovery Channel Investigation Motives & Murders Series, A Body in the Bay.
News coverage of Rossignol’s landmark civil rights case, represented by Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz re: United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Rossignol v Voorhaar, 2003, included articles in most major news outlets, as well as a column by syndicated columnists James J. Kilpatrick.
The story of the St. Mary's Today newspaper is now available in ebook and paperback: The Story of THE RAG! The book includes nearly 200 editorial cartoons that appeared over the years.
A strong highway safety advocate, Rossignol also publishes the DWIHitParade.com which focuses on impaired driving and the monthly publication, The Chesapeake.
News coverage of Rossignol’s DWIHitParade won an Emmy in 2012 for WJLA reporter Jay Korff and coverage of the St. Mary’s Today newspaper by WUSA reporter Bruce Leshan was awarded an Emmy in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 18, 2021
Unorganized
This book consists of an apparently unorganized assortment of newspaper articles concerning mob violence and lynchings. They are not organised by date, newspaper, state or region. There is no commentary introducing or linking the articles. Despite the title and description, these articles do not all concern the various ku klux klan groups. Some of the violence related was apparently perpetrated by temporarily organized individuals. Other articles concern violence by non -klan groups such as the White Caps of Indiana and the Midwest who were not primarily racially motivated. At least it is a Kindle Unlimited book.
If you have an interest in the various klans, there are several serious books on the subject. One of the best is ATTACK ON TERROR, THE FBI AGAINST THE KU KLUX KLAN IN MISSISSIPPI by Don Whitehead available from Amazon.
For some unexplained reason Amazon will not accept this review so I posted a heavily edited version there.
This book consists of an apparently unorganized assortment of newspaper articles concerning mob violence and lynchings. They are not organised by date, newspaper, state or region. There is no commentary introducing or linking the articles. Despite the title and description, these articles do not all concern the various ku klux klan groups. Some of the violence related was apparently perpetrated by temporarily organized individuals. Other articles concern violence by non -klan groups such as the White Caps of Indiana and the Midwest who were not primarily racially motivated. At least it is a Kindle Unlimited book.
If you have an interest in the various klans, there are several serious books on the subject. One of the best is ATTACK ON TERROR, THE FBI AGAINST THE KU KLUX KLAN IN MISSISSIPPI by Don Whitehead available from Amazon.
For some unexplained reason Amazon will not accept this review so I posted a heavily edited version there.
February 17, 2013
"The strife and horrors of the Civil War in America were raw with the wounds of the war lasting for decades; and affecting those who lived in both the North and the South. As the nation struggled to find unity, the forces of darkness and of those who wished to rule through intimidation and terror, spread their wicked ways under the cover of white sheets.:
An unflinching, stunning and terrifying look at the origins, rise to power and decline of one of the most notorious groups in American history.
Ken Rossignol is an expert at producing deeply absorbing and multi-faceted portraits of infamous historical events and times. His writing, along with the inclusion of primary material is remarkable in its scope..as with all his other books, KLAN: Killing America is magnificently composed and hence a most facinating read about a truly terrifying time in US history.
If you have not yet checked out Ken Rossignol and his many historical/adventure non-fiction books..make haste to do so! You will be most pleased.. Ken Rossignol truly makes history come alive!
Rick Friedman
Founder
The James Mason Community Book Club (6,700+ Members)
An unflinching, stunning and terrifying look at the origins, rise to power and decline of one of the most notorious groups in American history.
Ken Rossignol is an expert at producing deeply absorbing and multi-faceted portraits of infamous historical events and times. His writing, along with the inclusion of primary material is remarkable in its scope..as with all his other books, KLAN: Killing America is magnificently composed and hence a most facinating read about a truly terrifying time in US history.
If you have not yet checked out Ken Rossignol and his many historical/adventure non-fiction books..make haste to do so! You will be most pleased.. Ken Rossignol truly makes history come alive!
Rick Friedman
Founder
The James Mason Community Book Club (6,700+ Members)
July 16, 2013
July 7, 2013
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of KLAN: Killing America by Ken Rossignol.
Unless one stops to study even a small amount about the Civil War, the understanding of rebuilding the South is difficult to comprehend. Lincoln’s overall plan was to treat the Southerner with respect and forgiveness once they swore allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. John Wilkes Booth actions put a huge bump in the road and created a lasting bitterness on both the white Southerners and the former slaves.
While Lincoln wanted a “loving” reconciliation with the nation, there elements among northern politicians who sabotaged Andrew Johnson’s plans to follow through with Lincoln’s design for reconstruction. Many of these politician’s wanted to extract more than a pound of flesh from the Southerners, especially the former slave owners. Being from the North their views of slavery were based on the overall sacrilege of slavery itself. Because of the loss of life and the tremendous costs, these politicians wanted reparations and compensation for the rebellion by the South.
The Northerner’s implemented a form of military control of the South including a dismantling of the great plantations to allow each slave head of the house to receive 40 acres of land and a mule. The Northerner's wanted to further punish the white Southerner’s by disenfranchising them in the year following the cessation of the rebellion. They also, gave the vote to every former male slave to insure that future elected officials to higher political office, were from the Black Ranks irrespective of their abilities to read or write or experiences running a government. Many of the Lincoln contemporaries who opposed his reconstruction plans were enjoying the total humiliation of the White Southerners who fought in the War and supported Slavery.
The abuses that followed were horrendous to say the last and the former slaves began to engage in actions for which no restraints were legally available. Crimes committed by former slaves were adjudicated by mob rule and the whites responsible were held accountable by both the occupying White soldiers and the Black soldiers who often were part of the problems.
Out of this soup of dysfunction, the Klu Klux Klan was born out of an outgrowth of college students who formed a secret society. The Klan was highly organized by former Confederate high ranking officers. In many respect it brought some order to the chaos and was eventually disbanded several years after the evils of Reconstruction were resolved.
The Klan of the very late 19th century and the twentieth century were a more of a political and repressive force hindering the assimilation of the Blacks into the American societal fabric.
I began to realize, in reading this book, you cannot fully understand the fall out of the Civil War until you study reconstruction. This difficult process impacted on the hoped progress and eventually led to the Jim Crow laws and the repression of the Black vote until the 1960’s.
This book is a collection of news articles pointing out the issues of both mob rule and the rise of the Klan. It is not a long read but truly interesting and from these separate stories you glean a clear view of the Klan and its purpose.
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of KLAN: Killing America by Ken Rossignol.
Unless one stops to study even a small amount about the Civil War, the understanding of rebuilding the South is difficult to comprehend. Lincoln’s overall plan was to treat the Southerner with respect and forgiveness once they swore allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. John Wilkes Booth actions put a huge bump in the road and created a lasting bitterness on both the white Southerners and the former slaves.
While Lincoln wanted a “loving” reconciliation with the nation, there elements among northern politicians who sabotaged Andrew Johnson’s plans to follow through with Lincoln’s design for reconstruction. Many of these politician’s wanted to extract more than a pound of flesh from the Southerners, especially the former slave owners. Being from the North their views of slavery were based on the overall sacrilege of slavery itself. Because of the loss of life and the tremendous costs, these politicians wanted reparations and compensation for the rebellion by the South.
The Northerner’s implemented a form of military control of the South including a dismantling of the great plantations to allow each slave head of the house to receive 40 acres of land and a mule. The Northerner's wanted to further punish the white Southerner’s by disenfranchising them in the year following the cessation of the rebellion. They also, gave the vote to every former male slave to insure that future elected officials to higher political office, were from the Black Ranks irrespective of their abilities to read or write or experiences running a government. Many of the Lincoln contemporaries who opposed his reconstruction plans were enjoying the total humiliation of the White Southerners who fought in the War and supported Slavery.
The abuses that followed were horrendous to say the last and the former slaves began to engage in actions for which no restraints were legally available. Crimes committed by former slaves were adjudicated by mob rule and the whites responsible were held accountable by both the occupying White soldiers and the Black soldiers who often were part of the problems.
Out of this soup of dysfunction, the Klu Klux Klan was born out of an outgrowth of college students who formed a secret society. The Klan was highly organized by former Confederate high ranking officers. In many respect it brought some order to the chaos and was eventually disbanded several years after the evils of Reconstruction were resolved.
The Klan of the very late 19th century and the twentieth century were a more of a political and repressive force hindering the assimilation of the Blacks into the American societal fabric.
I began to realize, in reading this book, you cannot fully understand the fall out of the Civil War until you study reconstruction. This difficult process impacted on the hoped progress and eventually led to the Jim Crow laws and the repression of the Black vote until the 1960’s.
This book is a collection of news articles pointing out the issues of both mob rule and the rise of the Klan. It is not a long read but truly interesting and from these separate stories you glean a clear view of the Klan and its purpose.
July 25, 2016
This is an eye-opening book on the topic of the KKK. If you haven't really read much about the Klan before, this would be a great go-to volume.
KLAN: Killing America is a collection of newspaper articles from the many years that the Ku Klux Klan was active running (which may be a lot longer than most people suspect!). From these articles, the reader can take away the general feeling that the people felt about the KKK during its peak, plus some of the important events that altered American history forever. You'll be sure to discover facts you didn't know before.
What really touched home for me? I found several newspaper articles published from my own hometown (or elsewhere in the state), and I had never before realized Oklahoma was so greatly affected by the Ku Klux Klan and their vicious acts. It came to a shock to me, but am glad I learned more about my state's history by reading this volume. Of course, so many states were affected by the Klan, and it's ALL covered in this book.
The KKK went after a wide variety of people -- specifically people that they thought were poisonous to society. There are lists in this book which break down the reasons why the KKK killed citizens, which sometimes includes some odd ones, like "highway robbery", "voodooism", "unpopularity", "eloping" (hah!!!), or even for an "unknown cause". It can get pretty weird knowing the reason behind why the KKK wanted to kill these people. Something else that caught my attention is this one article in this book that comes from The Southern Indicator in 1921, entitled "Negro Pastor Endorses Klan"... what?! Definitely, there's some crazy stuff in here you'd never expect to see.
But that's history for you -- it can be exciting!
KLAN: Killing America is a collection of newspaper articles from the many years that the Ku Klux Klan was active running (which may be a lot longer than most people suspect!). From these articles, the reader can take away the general feeling that the people felt about the KKK during its peak, plus some of the important events that altered American history forever. You'll be sure to discover facts you didn't know before.
What really touched home for me? I found several newspaper articles published from my own hometown (or elsewhere in the state), and I had never before realized Oklahoma was so greatly affected by the Ku Klux Klan and their vicious acts. It came to a shock to me, but am glad I learned more about my state's history by reading this volume. Of course, so many states were affected by the Klan, and it's ALL covered in this book.
The KKK went after a wide variety of people -- specifically people that they thought were poisonous to society. There are lists in this book which break down the reasons why the KKK killed citizens, which sometimes includes some odd ones, like "highway robbery", "voodooism", "unpopularity", "eloping" (hah!!!), or even for an "unknown cause". It can get pretty weird knowing the reason behind why the KKK wanted to kill these people. Something else that caught my attention is this one article in this book that comes from The Southern Indicator in 1921, entitled "Negro Pastor Endorses Klan"... what?! Definitely, there's some crazy stuff in here you'd never expect to see.
But that's history for you -- it can be exciting!
November 7, 2016
I really did not like this book!
I found it hard to follow, but very easy to skip pages & while sections.
Probably, because of the old style writing - and because it was more a series of articles collected together.
I would have preferred some explanation - in modern terms about the various groups/clans
I found it hard to follow, but very easy to skip pages & while sections.
Probably, because of the old style writing - and because it was more a series of articles collected together.
I would have preferred some explanation - in modern terms about the various groups/clans
February 14, 2019
How do you rate a book about reprehensible acts of inhumanity? Do you look at the writing? Scanning old newspaper articles and running the scans through optical recognition (OCR) software without judicious proofreading is a bad idea.
Then there is the contemporaneous history it provides. This compilation of articles, showing the dates of publication, describe the political and social climate of the day. Unfortunately, I find myself beating back the feeling of déjà vu as I read, almost word for word, articles from one year to the next. I got the point the first time. After the civil war this was a country of racists, and not just racists but violent racists.
Apparently, the Klan has had two iterations… the first, after the Civil War and during Reconstruction, and the second during the early 20th century. As I read through the many articles, it seemed to me the first Klan was far less organized than the second. There are several articles that delineate the lynching (which seem to include not only hanging, but burning at the stake, and other forms of killing) carried out by ethnicity, by state, and by crime for which punishment was dealt. It is also interesting to note that newspapers of the day referred to lynching as the court of Judge Lynch. These long lists of so-called crime and punishment reminded me of David Fahrenthold's exposé of Donald Trump's non-charity after the dubious rally for U. S. Veteran's.
The second iteration of the Klan is described favorably by some of the articles and negatively by others. There are reproductions of Klan letters to prospective initiates, there is scandal, big money, and all the things we currently associate with the current administration in Washington, DC.
The value of this book to me was somewhat of a shock. Since 2015, I have heard the pundits say that there is nothing in American history that stands as a precedent for the isolationist nationalism, racism and outside influence we are seeing today. I beg to differ. You need not look to the European fascists of the mid-twentieth century for precedent. Look to the KKK in 1920's American. You will find the same rhetoric you hear and see each and every day.
So now, let's go back to my initial question; how do you rate this book? It's at least a 3-star research effort and a 5-star eye-opener when you look around at the world today. I guess we can average that out and give it 4 stars.
Then there is the contemporaneous history it provides. This compilation of articles, showing the dates of publication, describe the political and social climate of the day. Unfortunately, I find myself beating back the feeling of déjà vu as I read, almost word for word, articles from one year to the next. I got the point the first time. After the civil war this was a country of racists, and not just racists but violent racists.
Apparently, the Klan has had two iterations… the first, after the Civil War and during Reconstruction, and the second during the early 20th century. As I read through the many articles, it seemed to me the first Klan was far less organized than the second. There are several articles that delineate the lynching (which seem to include not only hanging, but burning at the stake, and other forms of killing) carried out by ethnicity, by state, and by crime for which punishment was dealt. It is also interesting to note that newspapers of the day referred to lynching as the court of Judge Lynch. These long lists of so-called crime and punishment reminded me of David Fahrenthold's exposé of Donald Trump's non-charity after the dubious rally for U. S. Veteran's.
The second iteration of the Klan is described favorably by some of the articles and negatively by others. There are reproductions of Klan letters to prospective initiates, there is scandal, big money, and all the things we currently associate with the current administration in Washington, DC.
The value of this book to me was somewhat of a shock. Since 2015, I have heard the pundits say that there is nothing in American history that stands as a precedent for the isolationist nationalism, racism and outside influence we are seeing today. I beg to differ. You need not look to the European fascists of the mid-twentieth century for precedent. Look to the KKK in 1920's American. You will find the same rhetoric you hear and see each and every day.
So now, let's go back to my initial question; how do you rate this book? It's at least a 3-star research effort and a 5-star eye-opener when you look around at the world today. I guess we can average that out and give it 4 stars.
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June 5, 2013Having grown up in the 40's and 50's in SW Missouri and central Illinois I was aware of the KKK as a boy. My father even once drove by a field in which the KKK was assembled and saw their cross burning. I also read a book or two about them as a young boy which dealt with the earliest formation of the KKK after the Civil War and who it's leaders were at that time. Later on in the 1980's as a police officer in Southern Maryland I was assigned to help provide security at an announced parade of a local group of rednecks calling themselves the KKK. They did this in support of a police officer who was being sued over brutality. Of course this announced parade resulted in a counter demonstration by the local NAACP. On the day of the event we had a massive police presence to insure the two groups did not come into contact with each other. The NAACP turned out a number of supporters while the KKK knuckleheads produced about 12 to 15 in sheets who paraded through downtown. So I thought I knew a bit about the KKK, but I quickly learned in reading Ken's KLAN that I really didn't know a lot about it's growth in the 1920's and 1930's. The KLAN was a real eye opener as I had no idea they had been able to clam such a vast membership nationally during those years and I was astounded at one picture near the end of the book which showed the KKK marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC in numbers one would expect to see in one of today's Inauguration Parades in the sheets with flags flying.
I found the KLAN to be a very informative and interesting read and learned a great deal from it that I didn't know and would recommend this to anyone.
I found the KLAN to be a very informative and interesting read and learned a great deal from it that I didn't know and would recommend this to anyone.
October 23, 2015
In this book are facts about the 'Klan Killing America'. After the Civil War a group of young college boys from Pulaski, Tenn. formed a secret society, soon to be known as the Klue Klux Klan or the KKK. Trouble started in approximately in 1868 and continued to spread across the United States until the 1950 and beyond. Starting in the South, going to the North and into California.
White citizens would wear fantastic costumes of white sheets and white pointed hats and carry large burning cross with them and attack the colored people after dark on lonely roads. The colored was accused of robbery, criminal assault, insulting white women, and murder of whites. Numerous other reason, some which never happen. In 1868 the membership grew to 500,000 members.
In 1919- during the roaring twenties, we had the Great War, prohibition, women could vote, and the KKK membership rose to 700,000. The Klan' s peaked from 1920 to 1950. Klan members were convicted of lynchings, shootings, beatings and murder.
This was an eye opener for me, I learned some things I did not know about the KKK, Ken Rossingnol is a good writer, he does so much research to make sure every detail is correct. I really enjoyed the book, I live in TX and had heard about the Klan all my life. One thing I did not know is that women got involved in the Klan also.. Thanks for a good book, educational and entertaining.
White citizens would wear fantastic costumes of white sheets and white pointed hats and carry large burning cross with them and attack the colored people after dark on lonely roads. The colored was accused of robbery, criminal assault, insulting white women, and murder of whites. Numerous other reason, some which never happen. In 1868 the membership grew to 500,000 members.
In 1919- during the roaring twenties, we had the Great War, prohibition, women could vote, and the KKK membership rose to 700,000. The Klan' s peaked from 1920 to 1950. Klan members were convicted of lynchings, shootings, beatings and murder.
This was an eye opener for me, I learned some things I did not know about the KKK, Ken Rossingnol is a good writer, he does so much research to make sure every detail is correct. I really enjoyed the book, I live in TX and had heard about the Klan all my life. One thing I did not know is that women got involved in the Klan also.. Thanks for a good book, educational and entertaining.
October 18, 2015
This was another great book by Ken Rossignol. It is much different from what else I have read of his so far, but a great collection of facts related to the KKK that a lot of people around today do not know about. This is the best way for an individual to learn about this part of American history. Unfortunately, it is a sad part of our history that many would just as soon forget, but some of the scars will always be there. Being a non-fiction book, it took me longer to read than fictional books do because I wanted to grasp as much detail as I possibly could.
November 16, 2015
will say this had stomach turning but it's insight on history kept mereading. The kkk was started by some college boys as a secret society In Tennessee in 1800's. Over time it expands across the United States. I can't say more because I'm just discussed by this so much. With that being said, Author Ken Rossignol did some hard research for this books. That take time and talent. This is well wrote To actually understand everything a person will have to do there own research. Well wrote and put together.
June 29, 2016
Was hoping for more of a documentary reading on the rise of the KKK but all I got was a bunch of newspaper type reporting. Was very hard to slog through as it came across very uninteresting on a subject that I have a lot of interest in. Instead of a well researched book on the topic I got a bunch of past writing all thrown in a book in a somewhat chronological order. I wouldn't put an authors name to this book as it wasn't anything truly written by him, he gathered a bunch of publications and put them in a book format to read all at once.
December 30, 2014
A decent collection of news articles capturing the sentiments in the South during reconstruction that lead to the Klan. It covers from the late 1800's beginnings in Tennessee up through the peek of the Klans penetration in the 1920s when they claimed 15% of eligible US citizens as members. It also covers in great detail the atrocity of lynchings and mob rule that the Klan got its power from and how that traumatized the nation.
July 12, 2016
A very ugly time in our history. It is a collection of newspaper articles from around the US starting in the 1800's.
It is a great eye opener for some that think the Civil War wasn't about slavery. Just read what lengths white went to keep black " in line ".
No story line here just news articles so it doesn't have a happy ending or any ending. This story continues with each passing generation.
It is a great eye opener for some that think the Civil War wasn't about slavery. Just read what lengths white went to keep black " in line ".
No story line here just news articles so it doesn't have a happy ending or any ending. This story continues with each passing generation.
January 18, 2019
This book does not give you any information on the Klan or how they started. It's a bunch of disjointed newspaper clippings with a lot of spelling and grammatical mistakes. This book was terrible and a waste of time
August 2, 2020
The articles were presented without context and were full of typos. It was difficult to get a sense of the history of the KKK. I did learn some things, like that the Klan was anti-Catholic.
August 29, 2020
2.75/5. I’ll be generous and bump it up to 3. I think I got this for free several years ago on the Kindle store. I just got around to “finishing” it; in truth, I read the first half somewhat closely but the second half quite loosely.
As far as a historical subject goes, for the USA, you can’t go wrong with a frankly eerie group as the infamous KKK. They’re pretty mysterious, and asking someone about the KKK these days will probably get you an unhelpful response; more often than not, you’ll just hear that someone’s political opposite is “totally part of the KKK, didn’t you know?” This book offers, by contrast, a usually even-handed, objective reporting of the facts.
The strong point of this book is that it’s almost entirely first-hand copies of newspaper articles. However, two things would’ve helped immensely.
First, context: if the author had more clearly laid out or presented or offered commentary on why these particular articles were chosen, the thread of the story of [the popular opinion of] the KKK would’ve been clearer.
Second, editing: it seems like the sourcing relied on OCR with not enough proofreading. I could grant that there may have been an enormous amount of proofreading done already, but the number of missing punctuation, extraneous punctuation, mistaken punctuation, erroneous spellings, etc, really hindered an engaging read of this.
As far as a historical subject goes, for the USA, you can’t go wrong with a frankly eerie group as the infamous KKK. They’re pretty mysterious, and asking someone about the KKK these days will probably get you an unhelpful response; more often than not, you’ll just hear that someone’s political opposite is “totally part of the KKK, didn’t you know?” This book offers, by contrast, a usually even-handed, objective reporting of the facts.
The strong point of this book is that it’s almost entirely first-hand copies of newspaper articles. However, two things would’ve helped immensely.
First, context: if the author had more clearly laid out or presented or offered commentary on why these particular articles were chosen, the thread of the story of [the popular opinion of] the KKK would’ve been clearer.
Second, editing: it seems like the sourcing relied on OCR with not enough proofreading. I could grant that there may have been an enormous amount of proofreading done already, but the number of missing punctuation, extraneous punctuation, mistaken punctuation, erroneous spellings, etc, really hindered an engaging read of this.
January 19, 2018
Excellent History Lesson
I loved reading through this book. The style is unique, in that the whole book is comprised of newspaper articles, in chronological order, beginning, a little, after the Civil War, through the mid 1920s. It's a very eye opening history of the Klan, but, what intrigued me, more than anything, was the changing attitudes of the populous, the politicians who represented them, judges, law enforcement, the clergy, and, the courts, toward the Klan and it's activities, over time. It was a very wide 180 degree turn, from the beginning of the Klan, through their hey day, and, ultimately, to where they ended up, in the 1920s. I believe that it's a must read for anyone interested in the Klan, it's development, it's progress, and the attitudes of the people, in various parts of the country, toward them, over time.
I loved reading through this book. The style is unique, in that the whole book is comprised of newspaper articles, in chronological order, beginning, a little, after the Civil War, through the mid 1920s. It's a very eye opening history of the Klan, but, what intrigued me, more than anything, was the changing attitudes of the populous, the politicians who represented them, judges, law enforcement, the clergy, and, the courts, toward the Klan and it's activities, over time. It was a very wide 180 degree turn, from the beginning of the Klan, through their hey day, and, ultimately, to where they ended up, in the 1920s. I believe that it's a must read for anyone interested in the Klan, it's development, it's progress, and the attitudes of the people, in various parts of the country, toward them, over time.
December 26, 2017
This is pretty boring. Entire sections are read that are nothing but facts and figures, chart reading. The book generally is a dry reporting, using archived statistics, of what the Klan was and is. It originally started out nobly, seeking to punish husbands who refused to take care of their families or who abused their wives. I had heard that before and now had it confirmed in this book. However, the Klan has devolved to the dangerous racist organization it is today. Some little background, not a lot, is given of Nathan Bedford Forrest, who is said to be the founder of the Klan.
September 26, 2020
More than I expected!
Learned so much more than I knew. I’m not real great at rating things. I always tend to want to give everything high ratings. I don’t really like nitpicking things. If I like it, I like it. I gave four stars only because it was slow reading at first (which was probably just me). Overall, very good book!
Just wanted to add a thank you to the writer for working so hard at putting the facts of history and current events out there for all of us to hopefully learn from.
Learned so much more than I knew. I’m not real great at rating things. I always tend to want to give everything high ratings. I don’t really like nitpicking things. If I like it, I like it. I gave four stars only because it was slow reading at first (which was probably just me). Overall, very good book!
Just wanted to add a thank you to the writer for working so hard at putting the facts of history and current events out there for all of us to hopefully learn from.
August 31, 2018
A Hard Read
Don't let my review title scare you away. It was a hard read because of the content the book contains. The K.K.K. does not embody anything that is good about the U.S.A. They are/were very misguided, evil, and the opposite of anything that makes this country great. Do I recommend the book? "Yo". That's a "yes" because it tells history that is too quickly forgotten. That's a "no" because what it tells is so ugly.
Don't let my review title scare you away. It was a hard read because of the content the book contains. The K.K.K. does not embody anything that is good about the U.S.A. They are/were very misguided, evil, and the opposite of anything that makes this country great. Do I recommend the book? "Yo". That's a "yes" because it tells history that is too quickly forgotten. That's a "no" because what it tells is so ugly.
May 12, 2018
It was interesting to read what newspapermen and editors wrote about the Klan in the early 1900's. After awhile, I found it boring and in order to get to the end, I began to skip pages. For this reason, I would not recommend it.
August 15, 2018
An interesting book better as a reference book since it really includes very little in the way of orginal work. It is really a collection of newspaper articles about both the first and second incarnations of the klan which of itself is both informative and sad at the same time.
May 23, 2019
So much talk about this group for the past few years, just wanted to see what it was all about, Very eye opening. Plan on reading about other groups too.
June 1, 2021
At first, I was deeply disappointed by the realisation that this book is almost nothing but a collection of newspaper articles and editorials from the era of the heyday of the Klan. However, while this renders it more of a reference resource than an actual book, with pages of dry statistics and multiple articles repeating the same facts and details, (hence the 2 star rating,) it is filled with primary source examples of how the "I'm Not Racist, BUT" apologetics of more than a century ago are no different from the endless cries of "But Antifa & #BLM Are The 'REAL' Racists" today. Because after all, like the 'Proud Boys' and other 'How Dare You Call Us White Supremacists,' the Klan and its apologists genuinely believed that they were 'Defending True Americans' (Meaning White, Protestant, Conservative Americans Who Agreed With Them;) not only from 'Inferior Negros,' but from Communists, Socialists, Jews and everyone else who they perceived as a threat to their privilege and supremacy. And although the names and the rationalisations change, that core fear of the 'Inferior Other' gaining power over you and the self-righteous belief that you are the noble hero acting in self-defence which rises from it is always exactly the same.
February 17, 2017
I enjoy reading these books by Ken Rossignol because I know that I will get a wonderful history lesson due to his diligent research. This book is entitled Klan, but it is so much more. We may mention the Klan in passing in school. But, the part I found most interesting were the comments made by the state and federal legislatures at that time. Did you know that the name Ku Klux Klan was first used by a group of college boys at Pulaski, Tennessee who formed a secret society with that name. The object of this society was solely amusement. It turned in to a group who stole in, masked at night, to do that which no one of them would have dared to do unmasked and in the fair light of day. Part 2 has selected news stories from large and small newspapers from all over the nation which give first-hand reports from the news reporters of the day. These, reports, by and large are far superior to the politically correct versions of history written by modern writers. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy history.
May 30, 2016
Not well written (lots of typos, word missing, wrong word used) but yet interesting. Actual newspaper articles from around the U.S. (from 1870 to 1923) about Ku Klux Klan activity and societal opinion. Some of the justifications offered for their activity reminds me of current day right-wing Fundamentalists rationales offered re: their attitudes.
September 1, 2016
I'm abandoning this book due to the widespread grammatical errors in the Kindle version. I thought this book would be an important read, and it has a very interesting concept which I stand by. I just cannot be frustrated because of grammar when I should be frustrated with the individuals in the story.
July 1, 2016
Unbelievable
It is a scary thought that we still live in a racist society today and history seems to repeat over and over.
It is a scary thought that we still live in a racist society today and history seems to repeat over and over.
Want to read
January 3, 2017$1.99
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