The life of one George Appo, born in 1856, extensively researched and well-told by the author, tells the story of America's mid-times, before justice was altogether fair. This man's story, while not echoing through the ages, is a tale of an evolving urban democracy suffering appalling poverty, discrimination, and crime, strikingly similar to stories from U.S.-occupied Iraq. If you are wondering how hard it will be for a country to establish a working system of law and order, why another country might not meet the standards of decency we consider essential in the U.S., read this book to find out how some Americans had it just a few short generations ago.

This is not a fictionalized account, nor is it a dry laundry-list of dates and names. I don't usually read straight history and I found it difficult to put down. Also, the author does not split a single infinitive. It is an amazing feat of research and careful editing.

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