Hellhound on his Trail

Hellhound on His Trail was practically a story about the civil rights movement, during one of it's most trying times. The book reveals the true motives and character of some of the people whom we have grown up knowing as someone completely different. Since first learning about the civil rights movement, I was able to recount the story, but not the facts. By this I mean I can spit back out the version of events that are popular belief; the stuff everyone thinks is right and is comfortable accepting. But the fact of the matter is that the civil rights movement was a hugely influential part of our history and one that was highly controversial. It went against the beliefs and traditions of many people, especially in the south. The prejudice and the pride involved caused the 'story' to be warped, and that story is what we as elementary school students are taught. But upon digging deeper, we can find the truth about what happened during the civil rights movement. Hellhound was the resource I needed to show me these details that went deeper than the basic story everyone knows. History is a hard word to define. It is the past, sure; but from whose perspective? Hellhound is a unique and powerful book because it tells the story not just through one character's eyes, but through many characters' eyes. Hampton Sides was able to accurately represent the dynamics, both social and political, of the movement and portray them in a way that was understandable to the reader. Prior to reading this book, my conception of the civil rights movement was somewhere between the silent protests of Rosa Parks and the outspoken marches and speeches of Martin Luther King. I envisioned the movement as exactly that: a group of dedicated civil rights activists moving across the nation building support. Reading Hellhound showed me the intricacies of the movement and explored the motivation behind it. I had never really heard about any failings of the movement, other than the obvious