“Jean Anderson’s Durham County is a monumental history in every way. A vast and impressive piece of work, it not only supersedes all previous efforts but will hold a proud and lasting place among county histories in North Carolina. The solid research, the encyclopedic coverage, the lavish detail, the lucid exposition will make the book a rich mine of information and a touchstone for further research for the next generation and beyond.” —Sydney Nathans, author of The Quest for Progress: The Way We Lived in North Carolina, 1870-1920 (praise for the first edition)

“Jean Bradley Anderson’s Durham County has long been the authoritative source for those seeking to learn more about the history of our community. The second edition brings the last two decades into sharp focus, providing a bridge between Durham’s recent post-industrial evolution and many of the themes Ms. Anderson covered so well in her original work. From the growth of Duke and Research Triangle Park to the economic inequities and hardships arising when tobacco and textiles receded, Anderson clearly connects many of the latest developments in Durham to the history that preceded them. This latest edition is a must-read for anyone who lives here, loves it here, or just wants to better understand our unique community.”—Kevin Davis, editor of the blog Bull City Rising

“Splendidly comprehensive and carefully researched, this book is unusual among county histories that I know in its sophisticated attention to national context and its sensitivity to all segments of the population. A superb book.” —Robert Durden, author of The Dukes of Durham, 1865-1929 (praise for the first edition)

“The first edition of Jean Bradley Anderson’s Durham County, published in 1990, set the standard for excellence in local history, and the wait for her new edition has been richly rewarded. With meticulous research and insightful writing, the original has proven a singularly invaluable source for both researchers and general readers interested in Durham, city and county. This new edition carries the reader ahead with the same depth and precision, through two more transformative decades, adding context and import to the past while capturing Durham’s cosmopolitan place in the twenty-first century. Anderson closes with a somber but accurate and insightful assessment of the county, leaving the reader challenged as well as informed.”—Jim Wise, author of Durham Tales: The Morris Street Maple, the Plastic Cow, the Durham Day That Was & More

“Durham County deserves the widest possible readership. It offers an engaging perspective on familiar New South themes and an object lesson in bridging the enormous gulf that too often separates academic historians and lay readers.”

“Destined to be the definitive history of Durham County for years to come.”

“Originally published in 1990 and now reissued as a revised and expanded second edition, Durham County: A History of Durham County, North Carolina, is local history in the best sense: it offers an intensive and comprehensive focus on a single place and its varied people and institutions over time. The second edition includes a new final chapter that brings Durham’s story up-to-date in the twenty-first century, as the county moved further away from its tobacco roots into a revitalizing economy based on health care, medical research, and technology.... The extensive notes and bibliography are a treasure trove of local sources, and the updated appendix tallying population statistics and listing local officeholders of all sorts will be a handy reference for researchers.”