Compelling ... With meticulous care and a jaw-dropping amount of research, Diemer fluently charts Still’s course through the internecine rivalries of reform circles ... A moving portrait of one’s man life, but not only his; Diemer weaves in the stories of many other figures — from workers across the Underground Railroad’s networks to escapees and activists — whose neglected histories deserve attention and care.
... retrieves an important piece of American history ... fulfills the purpose that Mr. Diemer lays out: to remedy Still’s 'erasure' from historical memory.
this is more than a biography of Still. Diemer also develops a larger story about Philadelphia’s dynamic Black community. He features the everyday work that organized and empowered Black freedom fighters. As Still did, Diemer emphasizes that Black people worked to save themselves ... Diemer rightly situates Still amid the center of the efforts against slavery and supplies an inviting narrative of the 19th-century fight between Black Americans and white supremacist oppression.
A much-needed reappraisal of Still’s work leading the Vigilance Committee ... Diemer does an excellent job of explaining [Still's life] ... We don’t usually remember William Still as an author and historian, but it is perhaps time we should.
... well-researched and vividly written ... This immersive history sheds valuable light not just on Still, but on the communal workings of the abolitionist movement.
