DOC Unburdened by Conscience: A Black People's Collective Account of America's Ante-Bellum South and the Aftermath by Anthony W. Neal in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A must-read on the subjectBy MJBrief; well-researched; and plain spoken; this book deals with the inevitable realities of one group of people having unlimited; power over another group of people; virtually unaccountable to anyone. Power corrupts. And such power attracts those most likely to use it; not only for the financial gains; but for the personal license it provides. Without the common softening blur of euphemistic language; the author allows readers to come closer to putting themselves into the experience of countless slaves than nearly any other book I have read.In view of constant; world-wide news stories reminding us how quickly and brutally human beings fall into patterns of smug violence; abuse; and torture; when given even a minimal amount of authority over others; there is no reason to pretend slavery in U.S. history was any less horrific than at any other time in history; including slavery in its many forms across the globe today. As a nation; and as individuals; we need to grasp the realities of all the aspects of our history; glorious and shameful; without one version of events for one group and another version for another group; if we want the tools we need to become a 'united' country.I considered giving the book a 4-star rating; simply because its chapters are so brief; when there is so much more information and historical evidence available. But that is also what makes me able to recommend it to people who would never tackle a 500 page book on the subject; no matter how well-written it might be. Also; the subject matter is intense; and I found myself taking breaks now and then; in spite of the short length of the chapters; in order to process all the thoughts and reactions the text elicited. For all those reasons; it rates five stars from this reader.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Thought provokingBy R. E. IfilllI would highly recommend this book. Great for the academic world ; research projects and for those who just want to know....