This book was on the top of a pile of donations in the library. I was attracted purely by the title and paid the librarian a dollar for the volume. It wasn't what I expected at all, which serves me right for judging it by its cover, I suppose. It's one man's view of the struggle for equality of opportunity in the Southern USA. It is a wonderful book, lacing the story of the author's homestead (particularly his pet goat, Jackson) into the wider picture of the anti-segregation and anti-Vietnam war movements of the 1960s and 1970s.

Will Campbell trained to be a preacher but his views and his preaching style proved to be out of step with potential employers in the South. It's easy to see why, on reading this book. He's far too thoughtful and irreverent to be able to sit comfortably in any established church. I found his attitudes towards organised religion and its rites and ceremonies utterly refreshing. The history of the protest movements was fascinating, disturbing and ultimately depressing. ( )