‘Israel on the Appomattox’ studies Black freedom struggle

Many history scholars write books about their subject of expertise, but few of them present the material in a lively manner.

Melvin Patrick Ely is one who brings the material out of the archives and into the reader’s mind.

With Ely’s third-person-narrative and quotes, this story could easily be a historical fiction, but it is not.

Ely, a Richmond native who once taught African and Southern American History at Yale got the idea for this book by asking himself deep questions and performing vigorous research.

The book is a multi-leveled, detailed account of a group of freed slaves who established the community of Israel Hill along with whites who were related to and were friends with the man that once owned them.

Ely uses quotes and anecdotes to explain how the African-Americans and the Caucasians struggled daily with living in the antebellum period in Virginia while trying to maintain their newfound freedom.

The quotes come from the letters and journals of the people of Israel Hill and from copies of actual court proceedings, laws and tax documents.

This book is different from other historical non-fictions in two ways. First, this book presents information that has not been shown before.

Second, the book is not just about slavery, but also race relations in American History. That is a significant distinction to note because it is part of the thesis of the book.

This book will come in handy for those who need a scholarly source for a report or thesis, and maybe even the casual reader who wants to take a break from fiction and take an adventure into a historical non-fiction that reads as good as fiction.

Rating: Three Bookshelves.

Ely, Melvin Patrick. Israel on the Appomattox. 640 pp. List Price: $35.00. Available in hardcover only. Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf.