A Death in the Delta: The Story of Emmett Till

by Stephen J. Whitfield

Recounts the abduction and murder of fourteen-year-old Emmett Till by two whites, and describes how their acquittal by an all-white jury helped mobilize the Civil Rights movement

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Race, Crime

193 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Sha_von · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a history class and I found that the book was remarkable! I taught me the history of racism and how hard it was for African American people in the south. It had me a little teary eyed when they described how Emmit Till was murdered and dismembered. It's sad that a human being could do something like that to another human. If you wanna get into the details of what really happened that night this book would be the one.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awful, awful testimony to the savagery of the worst of humankind.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but overly academic treatment of the Emmett Till case. Not a smooth read per se, but packed with information.

[Guy Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the author beats a drum that's off time.

[Nicolle Galligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fair, the book should be named, the history of lynching and racism and the impact of the Till murder on the civil rights movement. While this book didn’t spend more than a few pages on the actual incident, it was exceedingly thorough describing the court case. It reads a bit like furniture assembly instructions, it is clearly written for information, not entertainment. I learned from this book and sometimes that is what I’m hoping for.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very different from other sources but it also provided a new perspective of how this human world can be unjust for the slightest things like your skin color this is what caused the death of Emmett Till.