The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching

by Gary Corsair

The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching is the shocking but true story of prejudice, violence, corruption, courage and redemption that made international headlines. Gary Corsair's account is based on exhuastive research into one of the most notorious Civil Rights cases of all time, a case that began when a 17-year-old Florida girl reported being kidnapped and raped by four Negro men on July 16, 1949. Here for the first time anywhere are the vivid memories of those who lived the nightmares of blood-thirsty mobs, police brutality, lying witnesses, Ku Klux Klan terrorists, manufactured evidence, and murder by the very men sworn to uphold the law. The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching is the product of exclusive interviews with the only surviving defendant, relatives of the men who died for a crime they swore they didn't commit, and others with first-hand knowledge of the events that have polarized Lake County, Florida, for 50-plus years. Corsair also gained access to legal files untouched for 50 years that reveal rare insights into the men who fought to save the defendants and cast serious doubts on the guilty verdicts rendered by all-white juries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Steve Lee Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one sad story. This is not the America I want to live in. It seems like we've made progress until you hear people from the South talk about President Obama saying things like, "That boy's too uppity." There are some people that would like to return to a time when a sheriff could get away with a "legal lynching."

[Micky Lee]

Unbelievable story very sad 4 black men suffered in the racist south of America all were innocent but a racist community and sheriff,and judge all members of the klan killed 2 and jailed the other 2 just on the words of a poor white girl no evidence and the men weren't Evan in the same county you couldn't make it up

[Rafael Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent and heart wrenching

I very much enjoyed reading this book. I had no clue that this has gone on and I’m not even sure where I found out about it

I would recommend this book as a real testament to the Ways of certain parts of the south

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gripping story, very well researched, poorly written and edited. (Self-published.)

[Latrisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabs you from the preface and just keeps you wanting to read it. Every page has you searching for answers and by the end you want justice for these young men who have since passed on. This book is an example of many unjust situations that happened everywhere. Please read this book! It will really open your eyes.

[Anta Mireille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great subject and well-researched, but really poor writing. Legal Lynching covers the same story much better.

[Linda Lakes]

Couldn't finish this one. Very sad and happened to close to where I live.