Six Days or Forever?

by Ray Ginger

:D

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Evolution, American History

Paperback

First published September 12, 1974

Reviews

[George Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Summer of 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee, John Thomas Scopes was prosecuted by the State of Tennessee for the crime of teaching evolution to his students. Ray Ginger’s account (written in 1958) illuminates both the historical context and cultural implications of the trial.

Early on, Ginger observes “Like so much evil, the Scopes trial began with a sincere effort to do Good.” This story reveals the truth of that statement and all its facets.

In this book, Ray Ginger brings the trial to life. And what an extraordinary trial it was! The conflict pits far more than simply the government against one citizen. The flamboyant three time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan leads the prosecution. Legendary defense attorney Clarence Darrow represents Scopes. At stake are the competing forces of religion and science, conservatives and progressives, dogma and truth, fundamentalism and liberalism, faith and objectivity.

The Tennessee legislator responsible for the law banning the teaching of evolution (John Washington Butler) was a decent man driven by good intentions. So were John Thomas Scopes and the other individuals who play leading roles in the story.

Ginger presents a balanced account. Each personality receives both praise and criticism. So do the social currents they give voice to.

The result is historically accurate. And Ginger presents the trial in the widest possible context. Students of history, philosophy, social policy, education, religion, law, politics and science will find this book to be the definitive resource on this important event in U.S. history.

Ginger’s writing is dated. But the story he tells more than compensates for any deficiencies in his prose.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of the Scopes trial, although I have read better accounts that focus less on the personality of the combatants and more on the substance of the trial. It is still a good read as an introduction to this significant event.

[Marc Lichtman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Inherit the Wind" is a great movie everyone should watch, but you'll get a rosy view of the Tennessee Scopes Trial of 1925, which was pretty far from reality. John Scopes was acquitted, but it wasn't a big victory for the right to teach evolutionary theory. The case was instead decided on a technicality, Scopes was actually absent on the day he was scheduled to teach evolution, and he hadn't, although the textbook approved by the state was pro-evolution. He volunteered to be the defendant in a test case not really remembering what he had taught.

But the case still made news across the nation and around the world. This is a serious but very readable account of the trial, which featured Clarence Darrow vs. William Jennings Bryan and was the first trial in the US broadcast on national radio.

I had heard Stephen Jay Gould give a public speech about the trial, and read this because I loved Ginger's book on socialist leader Eugene V. Debs, The Bending Cross: A Biography of Eugene Victor Debs.

[Joe W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book to read on the cusp of the Scopes trial’s centennial next month. Ginger’s commentary was witty, but very informative. I thoroughly enjoyed the biographical chapters explaining the perspectives of Bryan and Darrow before getting into the details trial. The notes and explanation of the research were commendable, and have held up well over the past 7 decades — incredible that John Scopes himself reviewed the manuscript. Well worth a read if you have any interest in US legal history, or more generally, modern American ethics.