About this item
Highlights
- Enlightening stories of courageous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century men and women who defied the racial prejudices of their communities In this unique book, Sven Lindqvist, author of the acclaimed "Exterminate All the Brutes," shows why the history of antiracist work must not be limited only to the study of racists.
- About the Author: Sven Lindqvist was the author of more than thirty books, including "Exterminate All the Brutes," The Skull Measurer's Mistake, A History of Bombing, Terra Nullius, and The Dead Do Not Die.
- 192 Pages
- History, World
Description
Book Synopsis
Enlightening stories of courageous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century men and women who defied the racial prejudices of their communitiesIn this unique book, Sven Lindqvist, author of the acclaimed "Exterminate All the Brutes," shows why the history of antiracist work must not be limited only to the study of racists. Here we have the inspiring stories of more than twenty eighteenth- and nineteenth-century men and women who struggled and fought against ignorance and animus, often going against the times to expose the many facets of racism and hate.
Well-documented and rich in anecdote, The Skull Measurer's Mistake recounts the antiracist efforts of Benjamin Franklin, Helen Hunt, Joseph Conrad, and Alexis de Tocqueville, as well as others whose names are perhaps forgotten but whose important work lives on. Lindqvist--whose writing, Adam Hochschild has said, "leaves you changed"--shows how racist arguments emerged, and reemerged, over time. At a time when conversations about racial justice are occurring in every corner of society, knowledge of past antiracists can help us defeat racism today.
Review Quotes
Praise for Skull Measurer's Mistake:
"[A] unique and groundbreaking book . . . [which] should form part of everyone's intellectual armory."
--Richard Gott, former literary editor of The Guardian
"Lindqvist is a courageous, subtle thinker and a dogged researcher . . . [who writes about] systems of oppression with subtlety and force."
--Washington City Paper
"These original sources can help students understand past debates about racist institutions such as slavery and anti-immigration laws and give insight as to how to argue against racist perspectives today."
--Rethinking Schools
"This is a useful, unpretentious volume that may give context and hope to the fight against racism."
--Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Sven Lindqvist was the author of more than thirty books, including "Exterminate All the Brutes," The Skull Measurer's Mistake, A History of Bombing, Terra Nullius, and The Dead Do Not Die. A resident of Stockholm, he held a PhD in the history of literature from Stockholm University, an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University, and an honorary professorship from the Swedish government.