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.
One of the most important books ever on the social construction of the notion that there is a 'white' race. -- Tikkun [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. -- Library Journal Compelling, energetic, [and] highly readable. -- Alan Nadel - Philadelphia Inquirer An insightful and lively exposition from a distinguished scholar. -- Linda Gordon - The New York Times Book Review