Tone

Lewis speaks from an almost omnipotent point of view, which is to say he takes a godlike position, shifting back and forth through time as if he is eternal and describing what is going on in the minds of the various people he talks about. This is not a very safe approach for a historian talking about real, living people. Lewis must be very sure he can prove a particular individual feels a certain way before he says this is what the person thinks; otherwise historians or relatives of the person might attack him. Lewis does not always bother to give his proof right away, but frequently he will add a footnote of supporting evidence. Easily a quarter of the book is taken up with proof and footnotes.

The author also seems to believe he is writing to liberals and socialists who will agree that most racial problems...