I first became familiar with Gilmore's work in college--her Gender and Jim Crow just about changed my life. At the very least, it changed the way I think about history.
Defying Dixie is a much longer, more complicated volume, but well worth the effort. It's the story of how the far left (mainly, Communists) helped get the Civil Rights movement going, long before the "official" civil rights movement. You'll meet some amazing people--I am completely in love with Pauli Murray, and the book is worth reading just for her story.
Much of the story is centered around North Carolina (where Gilmore is originaly from), so from my 2 years studying history in the state, I ran into some familiar names.
This book is not a history for everyone, though I think everyone should read it. These ideas that most of us take with no second thoughts were once completely unheard of--this is about those people, black and white, that started to work for these ideals.
Recommended to everyone with an interest in the story of Civil Rights.