White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism

by Kevin M. Kruse Narrated by Aaron Williamson

Overview

During the civil rights era, Atlanta thought of itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate," a rare place in the South where the races lived and thrived together. Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, however, so many whites fled the city for the suburbs that Atlanta earned a new nickname: "The City Too Busy Moving to Hate."

In this reappraisal of racial politics in modern America, Kevin Kruse explains the causes and consequences of "white flight" in Atlanta and elsewhere. Seeking to understand segregationists on their own terms, White Flight moves past simple stereotypes to explore the meaning of white resistance. In the end, Kruse finds that segregationist resistance, which failed to stop the civil rights movement, nevertheless managed to preserve the world of segregation and even perfect it in subtler and stronger forms.

Challenging the conventional wisdom that white flight meant nothing more than a literal movement of whites to the suburbs, this audiobook argues that it represented a more important transformation in the political ideology of those involved. In a provocative revision of postwar American history, Kruse demonstrates that traditional elements of modern conservatism, such as hostility to the federal government and faith in free enterprise, underwent important transformations during the postwar struggle over segregation.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Co-Winner of the 2007 Best Book Award, Urban Politics Section of the American Political Science Association

Winner of the 2007 Francis B. Simkins Award, Southern Historical Association

Winner of the 2007 Malcolm Bell, Jr., and Muriel Barrow Bell Award for the Best Book in Georgia History, Georgia Historical Society

Southern Historian - Jensen E. Branscombe

Kruse provides a useful resource in the debate over the significance of race in politics. His book is thoroughly researched and well written. Students interested in modern politics and Civil Rights histories alike would greatly benefit from this work.

Perspectives on Politics - Kimberley S. Johnson

In Kruse's skillful hands, Atlanta's struggle over integration takes on many of the characteristics of low-level urban warfare. . . . Kruse illuminates a key phase in American political development.

Nashville Scene - Clay Risen

Kruse's ultimate success lies in using history to answer contemporary political questions, and without compromising his professional standards.

Urban History Review - Kristen O'Hare

In his book, Kevin Kruse analyzes the ideology accompanying white flight and its ongoing impact on American politics. . . . In a beautifully written, clearly structured, and deeply researched narrative, Kruse lays out the historical processes that led to the development of modern conservatism.

New Political Science - R. Claire Snyder

White Flight provides a detailed yet fascinating history of right-wing backlash against the civil rights movement that has relevance not only for historians but also for political scientists. Kevin Kruse's study deserves a wide reading.

Times-Picayune - Jonathan Tilove

Kruse presents a nuanced portrayal of the trends that fostered the growth of the suburbs and the casting aside of racist demagoguery.

Journal of American History - Jeff Roche

An ambitious, well-researched, and interesting study, White Flight offers a provocative examination of the connections between race and conservative politics.

American Prospect - Ronald Brownstein

In White Flight, a study of white resistance to desegregation in Atlanta, Kruse produces a panoramic and engaging portrayal of the struggle over desegregation.

Southern Historian

Kruse provides a useful resource in the debate over the significance of race in politics. His book is thoroughly researched and well written. Students interested in modern politics and Civil Rights histories alike would greatly benefit from this work.
— Jensen E. Branscombe

Perspectives on Politics

In Kruse's skillful hands, Atlanta's struggle over integration takes on many of the characteristics of low-level urban warfare. . . . Kruse illuminates a key phase in American political development.
— Kimberley S. Johnson

Nashville Scene

Kruse's ultimate success lies in using history to answer contemporary political questions, and without compromising his professional standards.
— Clay Risen

Urban History Review

In his book, Kevin Kruse analyzes the ideology accompanying white flight and its ongoing impact on American politics. . . . In a beautifully written, clearly structured, and deeply researched narrative, Kruse lays out the historical processes that led to the development of modern conservatism.
— Kristen O'Hare

New Political Science

White Flight provides a detailed yet fascinating history of right-wing backlash against the civil rights movement that has relevance not only for historians but also for political scientists. Kevin Kruse's study deserves a wide reading.
— R. Claire Snyder

Times-Picayune

Kruse presents a nuanced portrayal of the trends that fostered the growth of the suburbs and the casting aside of racist demagoguery.
— Jonathan Tilove

Journal of American History

An ambitious, well-researched, and interesting study, White Flight offers a provocative examination of the connections between race and conservative politics.
— Jeff Roche

American Prospect

In White Flight, a study of white resistance to desegregation in Atlanta, Kruse produces a panoramic and engaging portrayal of the struggle over desegregation.
— Ronald Brownstein

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171274566
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	02/12/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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