Hampton's life and significance in southern history merit close reexamination, and Rod Andrew is just the right person for the task. In this first-rate biography Andrew provides an enlightened portrait of a man driven by personal circumstances as well as southern codes of paternalism and chivalry. It is the best, most careful and rigorous study of Hampton, offering a new understanding of South Carolina politics at a critical time in the state's history.'' VERNON BURTON, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana