I received an ARC copy of this via NetGalley in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in getting to this. Though as you can see, it took me 2 months to read even when I had started it. It was slooooow going. It sounded fascinating on paper, the story of the first black bank owner in Chicago. I read fairly widely but this seemed something outside my usual fare and so I requested it. But as others have said, it meandered and repeated itself. One minute in this year, the next skipping ahead and then back, even within a few paragraphs. Other people would get introduced and have quite a discussion of them, then back to Binga briefly. And as another reviewer said, it spends a lot of time lauding Binga, then fairly suddenly we’re in the chapters where the bank fails and he’s in jail. No wonder it felt slow going though, my Kindle version said it was 20% bibliography so when it felt like I’d read for ages and only managed a few % progress, that wasn’t accurate really. Somewhat of a relief to finally finish this, unfortunately.

This was an interesting story about an interesting man. My only criticism is that the book often repeated itself. The first three quarters of the book were spent endlessly praising Binga, almost to a fault - again, often repeating things already said without advancing the story in any meaningful way. Then, suddenly, without warning, the last quarter focuses on his trial and imprisonment, which feels a little rushed compared to the time spent heaping praise. The material for a good book is all there, but the emphasis and organization left a lot to be desired.

This biography of Jesse Binga, Chicago's first black millionaire was really interesting.
It told the story of Jesse's rise to economic prosperity, and also his fall, which can be attributed to various reasons. However, the main issue was the amount of power and wealth he had amassed and his threat to the status quo, ie: whites in Chicago. Those who were not happy about his lead a campaign to destroy his empire.
A great biography of a man who seized every opportunity that came his way, and never let anything stop him.

This was a splendid book about a fascinating character.. Everyone should be warned as well as inspired by Mr. Binga's story. The author did a wonderful job telling his story.

This is a unique and well delivered challenge. The book is carefully researched,well written and interesting to read. The character of Binga is exceedingly well drawn,making the reader feel familiar with his personality from the beginning. The accompanying pictures are important too. Giving prominence to the first Black banker is important but the real importance if the book lies in the astute and informative detail about racial tensions in Chicago and beyond. The strong character needed to overcome the obstacles to the advancement of black people put in place by the system and by whites is well demonstrated through using Binga as the example of how it can be challenged. This book's importance is as much about its contribution to understanding racism as it is about recording the life of one able black person.