Review of \u3ci\u3e Visions of Freedom on the Great Plains: An Illustrated History of African Americans in Nebraska\u3c/i\u3e, by Bertha W. Calloway and Alonzo M. Smith.

Historical or hysterical-that is the question. An 18 January 1999 Omaha World-Herald Bookwords column fingered Dr. Smith as the principal writer of Visions. In a 14 January 1999 review, The Reader of Omaha gushed: an exciting new picture book ... filled with picture after crisp black-and-white picture ... a must for anyone even slightly interested in local history. Napoleon decried history as a fable agreed on. To deem this error-riddled book a history would be indeed a fable agreed on. This could have been a magnificent project-but what we have instead merits those saddest words of tongue or pen ... : \u27It might have been!\u2