"The best piece of historical detective work I have seen since John Hope Franklin's work on George Washington Williams. At every turn it brings new findings and insights about the political experiences of African Americans. Superb and pioneering work."--Hanes Walton Jr., author of American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom

"A generation before A. Philip Randolph, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker, there was George Edwin Taylor. Rich in detail, this compelling story sheds light on black labor struggles in the Upper Midwest and brings to life an American civil rights hero and pioneer of independent black politics at the turn of the twentieth century."--Omar H. Ali, author of In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States

"An excellent biography of a forgotten but important leader." --The Annals of Iowa