“Contributes to the growing scholarship on the southern white response to the civil rights era. . . . [An] excellent study.” — Journal of American History
“A persuasive and fresh perspective on southern and North Carolina politics. . . . Well organized and crisply written... the most important book on Sam Ervin.” — North Carolina Historical Review
“Campbell’s gripping biography of Ervin uncovers the road to Watergate from his Senate appointment in 1954 and explains how this Bible-quoting country lawyer from North Carolina became the leading defender of civil liberties in the Senate.” — Our State
“Campbell succeeds splendidly in threading the historical needle. . . . A sophisticated, clear-eyed and evenhanded biography . . . that is likely to stand the test of time as the best work on one of North Carolina’s most famous sons. . . . Adds immeasurably to our understanding of the state and its politics.” — The News and Observer
“A welcome addition to the understanding of Ervin’s southern mind. . . . Highly recommended.” — CHOICE
“Campbell covers . . . Ervin’s career admirably.” — Metrobooks
“Excellent. . . . Highly recommend[ed]. . . . Extensively researched and documented, gracefully written, and includes a variety of photographs and illustrations.” — Winston-Salem Journal
“The book is an evenhanded look at 'a man full of paradoxes.' ” — Carolina Alumni Review
“Karl E. Campbell . . . has written a biography about the late Ervin so that a new generation of people can be introduced to 'Senator Sam.' ” — Appalachian State University News
“In a biography of Ervin . . . Karl Campbell wrestles with [many] questions as he charts Ervin’s life from his birth in Morganton to its climax in 1973-74 when he became America’s folk hero as chair of the Senate Watergate hearings. . . . Campbell’s compact description of Ervin’s pre-Senate life is interesting and entertaining.” — Chapel Hill News
