"Harrold examines abolitionist speeches aimed directly at slaves during the pivotal decade of the 1840s.... Deserves much praise and a wide readership." -- American Historical Review
"When policymaking guides truly are creative and astute, they can be very important works that have a substantial impact. The Sheriff is such a book, and it is to be hoped that it receives much attention in the U.S. policymaking community." -- Comparative Strategy
"Harrold's insightful analysis and provocative arguments will force historians to reexamine the essential nature of the struggle to end slavery between 1840 and the Civil War." -- Journal of American History Offers scholars yet another vantage point from which
"Explores the tactical shift in the 1840s that ensured abolitionists a controversial place on the national stage.... Harrold's analysis is thorough and engaging throughout." -- Southern Historian