A detailed, absorbing history of the New York City public schools within the context of politics.

Eases quietly into a ferociously angry subject . . . Diane Ravitch affirms her faith in the American dream despite a detailed narrative which suggests, if anything, that education in New York has fairly consistently failed those who needed it most . . . Meticulously detailed and strains for fairness and impartiality.

One of the most absorbing, penetrating, and important works of American history to appear in recent years. The Great School Wars, for scope, richness of detail, and intellectual coherence, is an unusual book.

Ravitch asks us to recognize that the public schools cannot solve all the problems of society, and asks us to reconsider catchwords of the moment by reminding us that they echo the slogans of past failures. An excellent work.

Ravitch's writing is clear, crisp, unadorned, and forceful. The cast of characters and their achievements are neatly and economically sketched, and the pages enlivened with provocative asides . . . The public will find The Great School Wars a relevant and informative overview of a critical period, while scholars will be encouraged to look anew at New York's educational history.

This volume fills an enormous gap in the city's educational history . . . Scholars are not likely to demolish her principal theme--that the city's educational history reflects its demographic, political, and social history.