When the main protagonist in a piece of fiction dies, we call it dramatic. When the main protagonist dies in a piece of non-fiction, we call it history. What do you call it when the main protagonist in a piece of history dies in real-life while you are reading about his history? Fred Shuttlesworth passed away on October 5, 2011, when I was about 100 pages from finishing this book. He, more than just about anyone in this account of Birmingham, Alabama's resistance to ending legalized segregation, is the central character.