RaveThe New York Journal of BooksAlthough her narrative sheds light on a painful history of violence and exclusion, it also illuminates the extraordinary achievements and contributions African Europeans have made within European society ... She also adeptly analyzes the subtleties of identity formation, and argues that racist European views about Africans solidified as a result of the Atlantic slave trade and subsequent colonial occupation of Africa ... a well-researched, ambitious, accessible, and concise but comprehensive introduction to this neglected story in European history. Otele’s work moves beyond focusing on the great Black men and women of achievement in Europe to also examine ideas about blackness, identity, community, and memory. In so doing, she compels a rethinking about what we mean by the terms \'African\' and \'European.\' It therefore compels us to reconsider what we think we know about the past, as well as how we think about European and Western civilization. As a result, African Europeans should advance both public awareness and future scholarship.
Melissa Maerz
PositiveNew. York Journal of Books... targeted at the film’s fans, who should enjoy it. It is a well-organized and developed oral history that presents an engaging and enjoyable chronicle of an enduring 1990s film. It covers a broader range of topics in greater detail than its predecessors, presenting the most comprehensive oral history to date ofDazed and Confused. The book also features numerous black-and-white behind-the-scenes photos and some excerpts from script drafts, letters, and Linklater’s Dazed by Days diary.
Alan Allport
RaveThe New York Journal of BooksThrough examining these questions, Allport focuses on the human element, exploring how individuals’ lives contributed to and were impacted by the outcome of events ... challenges several popular assumptions. Allport suggests several reassessments and revisions of the roles various key political and military figures, such as Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain, played in the war’s events. Such new interpretations help distinguish Allport’s book from those that have come before it ... Allport also navigates seamlessly from the high political, diplomatic, and military realms to that of ordinary individuals, weaving in biographical vignettes and anecdotes that reveal ordinary people’s experiences ... While well-researched with extensive academic citations, Britain at Bay is highly readable and engaging. Allport demonstrates vast knowledge of relevant primary and secondary sources and covers a broad range of events and activities. The book and its subsequent second volume will likely emerge as a definitive history of Britain in World War II.
