The Life and Times of Louis Lomax

“Thomas Aiello, in his freewheeling, unpretentious style, does justice to Louis Lomax’s inexhaustible supply of surprises. In the process, Aiello achieves a liveliness and immediacy that most historians only dream of. Aiello tirelessly tracks down facts you never heard of, leaving no room for fluff or speculation. The result is a great intellectual biography that brings to light the uncharted depths and breadths of Black America’s struggle against racism to light. Students will have a thrilling adventure story. Seasoned scholars will be shocked to learn how much they didn’t know. If they’re honest, they’ll also see that Lomax—once Black America’s most popular nonfiction writer, now unjustly forgotten—beat them to many insights and discoveries they thought were their own.” -- David L. Chappell, author of * Waking from the Dream *
“This incisively well-written account reminds those who may have forgotten that Louis Lomax was one of the most intriguing figures of the electrifying 1960s. Lomax's analysis of Black nationalism, be it in the United States or Africa, remains informative. Thomas Aiello's illuminating interrogation of Lomax is a must-read.” -- Gerald Horne, author of * Fire this Time: The Watts Uprising and the 1960s *
"An incisive, engaging study of the out-of-the-box life and outspoken journalism of a man whose character and precedent-setting work mirrored the turbulence and dramatic change of 1960s America. . . . Aiello’s detailed, intense book honors Louis Lomax’s contributions to Black journalism, to the civil rights movement, and to the ideal of a democracy that practices 'the art of deliberate disunity,' listening to, and valuing, a diversity of opinions." -- Kristine Morris * Foreword *
"Aiello’s searching spotlight shows general readers and scholars a formidable figure and further illuminates the role and power of journalism and television during the civil rights movement. A welcome study of a pioneering man and his times." -- Thomas J. Davis * Library Journal *
"Aiello has produced a nuanced and considered biography of a very complex man, an important book on a major figure in postwar Black life who’s badly needed a biography for decades. . . . Aiello is to be commended for his dogged pursuit of the real Lomax, a man who habitually lied about his own biography and embellished his resumé. He isn’t an easy man to chronicle." -- Joshua Clark Davis * Black Perspectives *
"One of Aiello’s most important historiographical contributions is in providing a model of how to achieve coherent interpretation of a multifaceted individual without bowdlerisation. . . . By exploring the multiple worlds Lomax inhabited, and his many facets, Aiello provides a reminder of the complexity of the civil rights movement, as well as the business of journalism, and ultimately America in the 1960s." -- Sage Goodwin * American Journalism *
"Aiello’s research into Lomax’s personal papers and major commentaries is impressive. At least for now, this study may serve as Lomax’s definitive biography. . . . Recommended. General readers through faculty." -- B. F. Le Beau * Choice *