The emancipationist Cassius M. Clay has long been one of Kentucky's most controversial and misunderstood figures. This new biography examines his important, though undervalued, place in history from the anti-slavery movement to his role as Lincoln's minister to Russia during the Civil War. Along the way the many fights, romantic entanglements, and political battles of Clay's life are explored. The author, a former guide at Clay's mansion, White Hall, unearthed long-forgotten documents such as newspaper and magazine articles, interviews with Clay, and family letters. As a result, this book contains much information found in no other Clay biography and therefore debunks many long-standing myths. In addition to the biography of Clay, the book contains a room-by-room tour of White Hall, several informative appendices, and a collection of ghost stories concerning Clay's mansion, making Cassius M. Clay: Freedom's Champion ideal for both history buffs and the public at large.

Keven McQueen is an instructor in the Department of English at Eastern Kentucky University. He worked several seasons as a tour guide at Cassius Clay's mansion, White Hall. McQueen is currently working on several books and is planning to build a Utopian city shaped like a papaya.