⋙ Read The Bill of the Century The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act Clay Risen 9781608198245 Books

The Bill of the Century The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act Clay Risen 9781608198245 Books

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The Bill of the Century The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act Clay Risen 9781608198245 Books

An in-depth, timely, and detailed account of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that's important to read in this, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of this significant piece of Federal legislation.

Mr. Risen's history is well-done and well-substantiated, but he should have had the benefit of an eagle-eyed fact checker and proofreader from Bloomsbury Press before his account reached print. I counted at least four or five misidentifications of various senators and congressmen in "The Bill of the Century" and that's a pretty fatal flaw in a book that's focused almost exclusively on the legislative personalities who played a significant part in the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

In the group photo of southern senators on the five page of black-and-white photos, the individual identified as Mississippi Senator James Eastland looks suspiciously like North Carolina Senator B. Everett Jordan (hard to tell from the photo, perhaps correct, perhaps not). But Clifford Case (page 7 of the photos) was definitely a senator from New Jersey, not New York. Norris Cotton (page 195 of the text) was a senator from New Hampshire, not Vermont. Ray Madden (page 238 of the text) was a congressman from Indiana, not Minnesota (although he was born in Minnesota).

History is made up of little details.


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The Bill of the Century The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act Clay Risen 9781608198245 Books Reviews

The author wants to downplay the role of LBJ. There were a team or a set of characters which allowed the Civil Rights Act to get passed. Risen seems in the pocket of the Kennedy Foundation. Bobby Kennedy was opposed to the Civil Rights Act because he thought it would hurt his chances for the Presidency in 1968. John Kennedy would not have passed it. Only LBJ could have ever passed it. Even today. I would not recommend this Risen book for a law school library or to anyone interested in the history of the United States.
This book gives a very detailed account of how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was conceived and what it took to put it on the president's desk. The authors make a very explicit point against the great people history by outlining efforts of individual legislative and civic leaders, as well as the larger effort of many in the civil rights movement. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books like this one, and at just a couple of dollars it's a steal!
Countless authors give Lyndon Johnson the majority of the credit for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but Clay Risen demonstrates that Johnson played more of a supporting role to McCulloch, Humphrey, Dirksen and others. Important look into the true mechanics of how this bill became law.
As Risen points out early in the book, when we think of past great legislation or movements, we tend to credit a president or other leading figure as the driving force behind its success. This credit may be justified to a degree, but the role of this leader tends to be over-stated. Certainly, the civil rights legislation during Johnson's term would never have been possible without his support. But a president faces many priorities at the same time, and the realities of politics force him to compromise and prioritize in order to serve many needs.

Bill of the Century beautifully clarifies this political conundrum, while giving us a much clearer picture of the many actions - over several years - that led to eventual passage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, while introducing us to the major players both pro and con who were involved in shaping the final bill and advancing or retarding its forward momentum. And while the major events of this story take place in the early 1960's, they tell us a great deal about the blue state/red state issues we face in today's politics.
I was lucky enough to get access to an advanced copy of Mr. Risen's new book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Much as he did in his previous book, A Nation on Fire America In The Wake of the King Assassination, Mr. Risen gives the reader an astonishing degree of depth and detail, often tracing the arc of various events on a day-by-day basis. Such detail provides a terrifically immersive experience for the reader, at times even giving the impression of being a "fly on the wall" at pivotal historical moments, and hints at an enormous degree of research by the author. The complex political maneuverings that were required for passage of the Civil Rights Bill are a fascinating study of motives, power plays, favors being offered and called in, and outright arm-twisting among a numerous and vastly disparate set of individuals, organizations, and constituencies that trumps anything you'd find in House of Cards. Furthermore, Risen does an excellent job of putting this bill, its creation, and its passage, in historical context, as well as analyzing its myriad impacts. This is an essential read for anyone interested in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as anyone with a passion for American history.
An in-depth, timely, and detailed account of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that's important to read in this, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of this significant piece of Federal legislation.

Mr. Risen's history is well-done and well-substantiated, but he should have had the benefit of an eagle-eyed fact checker and proofreader from Bloomsbury Press before his account reached print. I counted at least four or five misidentifications of various senators and congressmen in "The Bill of the Century" and that's a pretty fatal flaw in a book that's focused almost exclusively on the legislative personalities who played a significant part in the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

In the group photo of southern senators on the five page of black-and-white photos, the individual identified as Mississippi Senator James Eastland looks suspiciously like North Carolina Senator B. Everett Jordan (hard to tell from the photo, perhaps correct, perhaps not). But Clifford Case (page 7 of the photos) was definitely a senator from New Jersey, not New York. Norris Cotton (page 195 of the text) was a senator from New Hampshire, not Vermont. Ray Madden (page 238 of the text) was a congressman from Indiana, not Minnesota (although he was born in Minnesota).

History is made up of little details.