"Property title deeds are perhaps the most numerous sources of historical evidence but also one of the most neglected. While the information any one deed contai

"...Literary detective and columnist Gary Dexter reveals the intriguing stories behind some of history's most celebrated books. Here we learn the real reasons f

"A fascinating study. . . . It truly comes alive in its expert use of African American oral histories"—Waldo E. Martin, University of California, Berkeley