PositiveThe Wilmington Star NewsThe story has been told before, by many fine historians...Zucchino, however, finds new relevance for it in his book-length account ... There’s not that much new material here in the way of historic facts, but in telling the story, Zucchino finds some fresh nuances and insights ... Zucchino does a fair job of outlining the background of the coup, which dates back to Reconstruction ... Zucchino keeps his focus tightly on North Carolina, which might be its main weakness. What happened in Wilmington in 1898 was part of a growing trend of white supremacy that swept most of the states of the former Confederacy for a decade or more.
Julia Reed
PositiveThe Star-NewsThere’s precious little here on the Appalachian hill country and North Carolina barely rates a mention. Still, covering New Orleans and Zydeco country is a tall order, and Reed does a masterful job of it ... Food and beverage are her specialties, and her essays on the topic are among the best. She reports on alligator cuisine (yes, it really does taste like chicken, apparently) and on the Delta’s somewhat unexpected culinary specialty, the hot tamale. I wouldn’t put Reed in the same caliber with the great Florence King (Southern Ladies and Gentlemen), but she’s witty, charming and observant, and she’s clearly good company.
