The Mind of Oliver C. Cox

“McAuley offers a fine survey of Cox’s overall scholarly contribution, presenting a sympathetic, though not uncritical, account. This is an excellent study of the 'mind' ... of Cox. Highly recommended.” —Choice

"Christopher A. McAuley's book is the first to delve deeply into Cox's thinking. ...it is an excellent start. ...McAuley provides us with a detailed understanding of how Cox's background influenced and shaped his work. McAuley successfully demonstrates that Cox's class analysis had its strong points but ultimately was limited with regard to understanding the full cultural context of race in America. This rich discussion deserves a close reading, especially in light of the continuing debates surrounding black-Jewish relations. There are many such gems in this book, and many suggestive comments for further studies to pursue. McAuley is to be commended for bringing Cox out of the shadows.... McAuley's intellectual examination introduces us to Cox's oeuvre and guides us through his deep and illuminating thought. We are indebted to him for his efforts." —American Historical Review

"Rarely have I used the words exciting, exhilarating, powerful, dynamic, and creative singularly, much less collectively, to describe one book. But these adjectives, and more, do not do McAuley's effort justice for he has produced a truly remarkable examination of not only the work but the creative genius that can only be described as Oliver Cromwell Cox. Christopher McAuley has achieved a remarkable feat in his reconstruction, reanalysis, and critical reinterpretation of seminal works of Cox. McAuley's book and the resurrected works of Cox are necessities for any library or analysis to be complete."—Contemporary Sociology

"…Christopher A. McAuley's exhumation, examination, and analysis of the mind of Oliver C. Cox comes as a welcome addition to the literature and should engender more innovative scholarship on race in this highly contentious subfield of intellectual history. In sum, McAuley's biography is a judicious work, and he has done a marvelous job of analyzing both Cox's strengths and his weaknesses. …this is a challenging book that makes a more than adequate case for the commencement of the University of Notre Dame Press series, the African American Intellectual Heritage." —The Journal of American History