Description: Beginning at the roots of Western civilization, historian Painter traces the invention of the idea of a white race, reminding readers that the concept of race is an all-too-human invention whose meaning, importance, and reality have changed over time.
Brief description: Nell Irvin Painter is the award-winning author of many books, including Standing at Armageddon and The History of White People. She is the Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, at Princeton University and lives in East Orange, New Jersey, and the Adirondacks.
Review Quotes: [I]ntriguing and well researched. This is an important addition to the nascent academic field of whiteness studies, which examines the social construction of whiteness with particular attention to the American experience. It should be read by all historians and anyone with an interest in cultural studies. "