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I thought Stockley's account was riveting; he combined a historical non-fiction with the action packed style of a legal thriller. As a result, this book was both highly entertaining and emotionally riveting. It is evident that Stockley did not see this book as merely a story about the Elaine Massacre, but a stage upon which he could present his own interpretation of how the Elaine Massacre impacted the real racial history of the South. Stockley devotes much of his narrative to explaining the psychological implications of the massacre, specifically how it has impacted both blacks and whites in their mentality of Southern society and politics. He argues, "it will not be enough to make the case that what occurred in Phillips County had to do with economics and power" (Stockley, xix). Rather it is an understanding and acknowledgement of the South's violent past that has hitherto been ignored and neglected.

Although Stockley presents a convincing argument for how this event has shaped southern thinking in terms of intra-racial history. I view this book more as a social framing for the events of the Elaine Massacre. Stockley fully captures the social, economic and political circumstances that surrounded this event and increases our understanding of historical memory. However, his claim that both whites and blacks have not fully embraced the South's violent past seems to be a bit thin. The strength of book lies in the fact that he carefully documents the legal understanding of these events, and not only how whites benefited from the Elaine Massacre, but how African-Americans also took advantage of this event to further their position. In effect, he digs into the past to find out the truth of an entire social movement surrounding violence within the South. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to others.

Grif Stockley. Blood in Their Eyes: The Elaine Race Massacres of 1919. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2001.