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Quoting extensively from Dr. Martin Luther King's sermons and speeches, the author chronicles King's rise from a young minister in Montgomery, Alabama to the world's greatest spokesperson for civil rights. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great info on Martin Luther King Jr.
This biography on a very influential man , Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, has a lot of detail in different subjects about his life. The pictures are great and help explain the situations in his time period. Some of the things that happened in the book I had never even heard before like when a woman stabbed him and he almost died. I also like how they show the book mostly from his own perspective. The book ask questions that he probably asked himself. The book was not too long and not to short, it had the right amount of pages to tell the stroy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend this to anybody who likes history. ... Read more

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A private citizen who transformed the world around him, Martin Luther King, Jr., was arguably the greatest American who ever lived. Now, after more than thirty years, few people understand how truly radical he was. In this groundbreaking examination of the man and his legacy, provocative author, lecturer, and professor Michael Eric Dyson restores King's true vitality and complexity and challenges us to embrace the very contradictions that make King relevant in today's world.Amazon.com Review
Provocative preacher-teacher Michael Eric Dyson, known for his hip-hop-style delivery and encyclopedic intellectual powers, heroically tries to update and examine the true legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. for a glib Generation-X world. Calling I May Not Get There with You a work of "biocriticism," Dyson peels away the superficial image of King the man to reveal a complex human being whose work was far from finished or totally understood. "In the last thirty years we have trapped King in romantic images or frozen his legacy in worship," he writes. "I seek to rescue King from his admirers and deliver him from his foes." To that end, Dyson takes aim at neoconservatives like Shelby Steele, who spin King's multiracial dreams into a right-wing call to end affirmative action, and goes after black militants who thought King was "soft" and overlooked the power of his "black radical Christianity." He also criticizes the government's co-opting of King's philosophy in a holiday, as well as what he calls the King family's well-meaning, but destructive, attempts to protect King's legacy. Dyson forces us to accept King for all of his faults--including plagiarism and womanizing--but more importantly allows us to see a real human being who rose to the height of humanity. --Eugene Holley, Jr. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Flawed
An uneven book marred by bad chapters. For instance Chapter 9 tries to relate King to rappers. Did Dr. King swear and use profanities in his speeches from the pulpit? Also there is overuse of rhetoric, repetitiveness and useless digressions (or rants). Is it necessary to know what Mr. Dyson thinks of Clinton - this is a digression.

Nevertheless there are some good critiques. King did not allow women a proper place in the `movement' - the SCLC. For Dr. King women appeared to be playthings.

Also there is good criticism of King's successors - namely Coretta and family in chapter 13.

Worth reading, but flawed
Michael Eric Dyson intends to reveal the "real" Martin Luther King, Jr., whom he posits was a much more radical figure than he is currently remembered as being. To what extent he has succeeded, and to what extent his argument is colored by his own politics, I am really not competent to say.I do think that his characterization of Shelby Steele's The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race In America is inaccurate. One great strength of Dyson's approach is that he understands that communication occurs in a context. So often, I read biographers who examine their subjects' statements as if they were all the result of intensive self-scrutiny, delivered under oath.In fact, without necessarily being dishonest, communication is shaped by its purpose: persuasive people address the audience's concerns, rather than merely expressing their own. Dyson often analyzes King's statements with regard to the intended audience.

I found the book thought-provoking, but somewhat uneven; sometimes I was gripped, other material could only have improved the book by being dropped. Chapter Five, "Black Power", is somewhat vacuous. I was left with the feeling that Black nationalism is an idea that Dyson swears loyalty as proof that he is "authentic," but has little concrete meaning.The contention by Dyson's colleague that begins the chapter, and his response, bears out the suspicion that academics strive to prove the first Grand Duke of Fenwick's contention that yes can be turned into no if one just talks long enough.Personally, I have always thought that Plato, with his Ideals, was the one sitting in a cave looking at shadows, and this is all too abstract for me. I don't really accept Dyson's assumption that freeing Blacks from the ghetto or enhancing Black self-esteem is inconsistent with integration or that Clarence Thomas is the model of an integrated African-American, especially at this stage, let alone that it is King and not George Bush who put him on the Supreme Court.Even if this were a color-blind society, which it is not, all Blacks would be unlikely to all be like Thomas. Dyson holds up the still severely segregated school system as an example of how integration may have cost African-Americans more than they gained "Segregated schools provided a culture of expectation in which black students were taught that they could perform well," and then says, "Studies show that black students in integrated schools complete more years of schooling ... and make higher wages than their segregated peers."The latter sounds more like integration, unfortunately, failed to be successfully enacted, not that it was a bad idea. Worse, the idea of Black Power remains rather nebulous: what does it mean to Dyson, and more to the point, what did it mean to King? If Dyson means this book for non-Black people, he may need to explain more.Dyson's only good point in the chapter is that the Black church, from which King drew so much strength, is the greatest Black institution that has ever existed.

Dyson's later psychobabble (chapter 8) about what King's adulteries meant to him strikes me as equally empty. Personally, I don't have heroes: there are people that I admire for particular accomplishments and traits.I could admire no-one and nothing if I held out for perfection, and I'd have no friends if they were waiting for me to be perfect.So I agree emphatically with Dyson that King's personal misconduct does not negate his enormous public accomplishments. I wish that he had left it at that.

Dyson also takes the opportunity to go off on a tangent about Hip Hop (chapter 9). Hecompiles a long list of similarities between King and Tupac Shakur, but many of them do not rise much above the fact that they were both men and both black, while others involve traits that King considered to be his flaws.As Dyson has repeatedly warned us not to be overly reverential, he might ask whether he elevates Shakur or denigrates King.At several points, Dyson acknowledges the significant point that the difference is that King regretted his less admirable traits and the Hip Hop artists seem to celebrate them, but then he ignores that insight for most of the chapter. The best he seems to be able to come up with is to argue that Hip Hop artists are also angry, but it is what King did with his anger that made him great.

I also wonder about how fair Dyson was to the King family (chapter 12). He mentions in the middle of the chapter that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was insensitive to the needs of a family with modest means suddenly bereft of its breadwinner.Coretta King's attempts to profit by King's legacy are not systematically reviewed in light of her need to support a family, let alone her desire to create the King Center. King's failure to provide for his family in the event of an early death that he was sure was coming may be seen as a failingto equal his marital infidelities.Dyson is a bit vague about the King family's track record as activists, especially Coretta King, which would give them a bit more moral standing. Still, Dyson raises some very good points about the difference between inheriting copyright and inheriting moral standing. I found this to be one of the most interesting chapters.

Praise, unfortunately, always seems to be briefer than criticism; this is a book worth reading for those contemplating the legacy of King and remembering the distance that we still have to go.Be sure to read the notes, as they often contain a great deal of information, and can be very interesting. The book includes a bibliography and index.

Testify!
I find it very refreshing when a product of multiculturalism throws a wrench in the system and violently turns against his masters.In this provocative (though unsurprisingly silenced) work of pop scholarship college diversity program poster-child and hip hop "expert" Eric Dyson sets to work on deconstructing the white-washed image of Martin Luther King, Jr. that the American left has successfully promoted without opposition for the past four decades.

But wait a minute, Martin Luther King Jr. was an American patriot, someone who was deeply devoted to the ideals of its Founding Fathers and simply wanted to tinker with a few of the more archaic aspects of American society (Jim Crow) so that everyone could at least have a fair shot at the American Dream.I must admit that up until a few months ago I was captured (more like poisoned) by this ridiculous myth, probably more so than most even.The story of King's life seemed so inspiring, who wouldn't want to believe in it?

Turns out pretty much everything taught about MLK in public schools are at best half truths and all of the most hideous aspects of his life go completely unmentioned.As Dyson tells us, the truly radical aspects of King's ideology - such as his close association with the American Communist Party - are silenced specifically to keep African Americans in check.Undoubtedly, but these facts are suppressed specifically to keep suspicious whites in a state of unthinking, unquestioning silence as much as anyone else.Dyson didn't have to dig very much to uncover this information, even King's closest associates and biggest financial backers were Communists.

Dyson also quotes some of King's most damaging speeches and interviews on economics that leave little doubt about what King's larger social and economic objectives actually were."Oh, gee willickers!," the multiculturalist will scream, tearing the hair from his head, "You've got it all wrong - King only promoted the positive aspects of Communism."Well that all depends on just what you think the "positive" aspects of Communism really are.Let's see, King patently endorsed the redistribution of wealth, destruction of the military, labor's seizure of private business, abolition of private property...oh but don't worry, no Gulags!

Predictably the trail of putrid scandal doesn't end there.In what has become a recurring theme amongst American leftists King possessed a voracious and positively uncontrollable appetite for cheap prostitutes.The point in mentioning this type of degenerate behavior at all is so Dyson can tie King's participation in the Civil Rights movement to the anti-objectivity counter-revolution that occurred subsequently thereafter.Here as well King was quite an active critic of the military (not JUST Vietnam), did interviews with pornographic magazines, generally did everything in his power to undermine sensible restraints wherever they existed, and ensured that a whole generation was indoctrinated into loving themselves and living for themselves only.Most important in all of these activities by King were the rumblings of what would later become known as "Affirmative Action."

Dyson of course supports this development unconditionally and who could blame him, he is where he is precisely because King and his predecessors (backed by the Federal Government) were able to intimidate employers, agencies, and universities into adopting certain "hiring policies" favorable to African Americans.Noticably missing however in this book is elaboration on King's despicable intellectual dishonesty and theft (60% of his doctoral thesis at Boston University was stolen from another student) of other people's work throughout the entirety of his career.

The story of "Dr." King is not an entirely uncommon one for political figures and needless to say his story is hardly inspiring.Indeed, it's typical even for the most violent political leaders to take a relatively egalitarian approach in the beginning, only to shed this facade once they start gathering steam in favor of uncompromising authoritarianism.Vladimir Lenin was an outspoken critic of the Czar and railed against the regime for its suppression of political speech, exploitation of the working class, and persecution of ethnic and religious minorities.Well, we all know how that turned out.I seriously doubt that Martin Luther King, Jr. was any different.Just as another reviewer pointed out, if he were alive today I'm sure he'd be right there with Al Sharpton and Jesse falsely accusing random college students of rape, petitioning to get O.J. Simpson reduced bail, and doing anything he possibly could to exacerbate whatever racial tensions still exist in this country.

Why Dyson thinks this new version of King is great for black folks is anyone's guess, frankly I don't care.I'm just glad I don't have to listen to this hippy nonsense anymore and for that I am thankful.

An interesting expose
I agree with Dr. King's message of harmony and peace.At the same time I can appreciate Dyson's exposure of aspects of King's personal life that most authors do not address (an obvious exception is "And the Walls Came Tumbling Down").In a very real sense it leads to questioning Dr. King's sincerity in asking others to value the character of a person and not the color of their skin.Dr. King was an admirable figure in American history; I wouldn't go as far as the author in saying he might be the most important American ever; that's a bit over the top. I've read a lot on the subject; this book is worth reading.

Fascinating
I have always been fascinated with Dr. King as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. I love the work that Dr. Dyson did in writing this book, because he is authentic in talking about Dr. King the man - strengths, weaknesses and all - while exposing the myths about him. Being African-American, I can understand why many within our community woud want to scold Dr. Dyson for exposing Dr. King's dirty laundry. I, however, consider it not only essential, but relevant that we talk about the true humanity of our leaders (espcially one as esteemed as Dr. King) to avoid the danger of us elevating them as idols. It is a great reminder that God uses people (albeit flawed people) for magnificent works in a fallen world. This is a great book that I highly recommed!! ... Read more

Product Description
In the three decades since April 4, 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot to death in Memphis, scores of books and articles have questioned whether James Earl Ray, King's killer, acted alone or was part of a larger conspiracy. Now, based on explosive new interviews, confidential files, and previously undisclosed evidence, bestselling author Gerald Posner finally resolves the simple truth of the last great political murder mystery of the 1960s, definitively proving that Ray acted alone. Beginning with a straightforward narrative of the events before, during, and after the shooting, Posner untangles the case's leading puzzles: Was there a mysterious person named Raoul who directed Ray in the year leading up to the murder? Were the FBI, the CIA, or an arm of the Mafia involved?Did the military have a covert team of snipers in Memphis on the day King died?Was James Earl Ray a patsy, as the King family has publicly declared?At the heart of this book is an in-depth profile of Ray himself, a fascinating profile of a career criminal from one of the most forsaken parts of poor white America. Posner re-creates the memorable dramas of the case: Dr. King's rousing "mountaintop" speech the night before his death; the chilling moments of the assassination; Ray's frantic flight across four countries as he tried to escape justice; and the shock of the King family's embrace of Ray just before his own death in jail. A riveting search for justice, Killing the Dream finally thwarts James Earl Ray's efforts to take his secrets to the grave, and proves the identity of King's killer beyond a shadow of a doubt.Amazon.com Review
It's been 30 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was shot todeath in Memphis, an event that reverberated throughout a startledcountry still coming to terms with the assassination of President JohnF. Kennedy. Like Kennedy's, King's assassination sparked conspiracytheories about who or what faction was ultimately responsible for hisdeath. Did James Earl Ray act alone? Or was he a patsy?

In Killing the Dream, Gerald Posner, author of Case Closed,brings to light interesting new evidence, from confidential files topreviously undisclosed facts, in an attempt to discriminate rumor fromtruth. Posner looks for answers to questions about where the fatalshot was fired from, the role of elite military personnel who werepresent in the area, and what social connections drove Ray in the yearleading up to the murder.

Besides focusing on the day of the assassination and the courtroombattles that followed, Posner's book also offers a detailedexamination of Ray's life, from his years in the army to his career asa petty hood. This well-researched study of the characters and theevents preceding and following the murder makes for an honest,non-sensationalist journalistic account of events that have beendistorted and convoluted over time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Why was, King assassinated?
IN- STEP WITH ESTABLISHMENT REVIEWERS, GERALD POSNER IS A "COMPANY MAN" AND FARCICAL LIAR "TAKING YOU FOR ANOTHER RIDE". HE WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE IN THE TOOTH FAIRY, THE EASTER BUNNY, SANTA CLAUSE AND THE LONE GUNMAN IN THE JFK ASSASSINATION AS WELL AS THIS LATEST FARCE. AND, AS IT RELATES TO POSNERS' CURRENT WORK OF HOCUS- POCUS, THINKING PEOPLE CAN REFER TO THE FOLLOWING YOUTUBE POSTINGS:
" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfAAl-EhzBE " (BE SURE TO CUE TIME COUNTER POSITION "01:40"), AND ALSO " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sjHtczIKS4 "(BE SURE TO CUE TIME COUNTER POSITION "03:00") FORMORE, REALISTIC ACCOUNTS. ALSO, GO TO:
" http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/590.html "(BE SURE TO CUE TIME COUNTER POSITION "1:05:55") FORA "PERSON OF INTERESTS` "STORY OF EVENTS, OF THAT FATEFUL DAY IN AMERICAN HEGEMONY, er, HISTORY.
GET BACK @ ME.

Outstanding - and I'm pro-conspiracy!
Having read several books on MLK's assassination, and well over 100 on JFK's, I am not what you would call anti-conspiracy.When you mix in the fact that I found Posner's "Case Closed" to be absolutely horrible, well, you can understand why I expected to hate this one as well.Boy, was I wrong.

Posner's study of James Earl Ray and the MLK is far more reasoned - and reasonable - than "Case Closed" ever hoped to be.He does a terrific job of painting a portrait of Ray as a potential killer.And, while debunking most of the existing conspiracy theories, Posner does not dismiss conspiracy entirely.In fact, he implies that Ray conspired with his brothers to commit the crime in order to collect the bounty on MLK placed by a St. Louis man.

Read with an open mind and you just might be surprised!

An Excellent Read, But No "Case Closed"
Posner's book is an exhaustive and compelling study of the assassination of MLK, focussing almost entirely on James Earl Ray, the barely-bright loser who decided to kill him.The level of detail is really staggering-- Posner deserves praise for following up every smidgen of info about this cretinous character.The book is worth reading-- but I would recommend reading Posner's supremely accomplished "Case Closed" first, if you haven't.The JFK murder offers thousands of fascinating sideroads to explore, and Posner digs into each."Case Closed" is a masterstroke, so this book, covering a crime with a less compelling mystery, pales next to it.

James Earl Ray's Story
This book outlines the events leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., together with the subsequent investigations and controversies.Posner, trained in law, has hunted down the details of the case used as evidence in the various legal hearings over the years.He explains why King happened to be in Memphis that fateful day, and describes who King had been with and what they had been discussing in the minutes before the assassination.He also provides an extensive profile of James Earl Ray, from his parents' stormy marriage, to Ray's first arrests and incarcerations, to his jail break and attempts to flee the country prior to murdering King.Posner traces Ray's movements, both those substantiated through independent records and witnesses, as well as Ray's own accounts, written to fulfill media contracts to pay for his legal defense.Posner goes on to describe the various legal proceedings concerning Ray and the King case, and the development of conspiracy theories regarding the King assassination. He makes it clear, however, that any reasonable examination of the evidence points to Ray as the sole assassin.

A particularly disturbing aspect of King's assassination is that from the time of Ray's first detention in England following the murder, Ray's defense lawyers were to receive their compensation from the sale of Ray's story.Thus, Ray and his lawyers had every motivation to develop a sensational story to explain the damning evidence.Indeed, the more sensational, the better, since increased sales of the story would mean higher fees for the defense team.Posner describes here how the lawyers who agreed to defend Ray on these terms also had little motivation to provide a strong defense once the matter of the fees had been settled, and how this led to the decision to push for a plea bargain instead of a jury trial.From Posner's telling, it's unclear whether Ray was a schizophrenic who believed in his own tales, or a pathological liar who was especially skilled at weaseling out of crimes with preposterous stories.What is clear, though, is that Ray was extremely racist, so full of hate for Blacks, that while serving a prison term prior to shooting King, he wouldn't accept a transfer from a high security prison to the lower security prison farm because it would mean having to live and work with Blacks for the first time in his life.With this in mind, it is unfathomable that Ray was able, through construction of his stories, to convince members of the King family and other prominent African Americans of his innocence.Aside from the King assassination itself, that's the real tragedy of this story.

Posner does a remarkable job of uncovering what really happened in the case and pointing out the inconsistencies with Ray's claims.Posner details some of the more recent claims of conspiracy theorists, showing how they are completely unsubstantiated by military records and interviews with supposed witnesses.In some cases, Posner overstates himself, declaring that certain of Ray's actions are "clear evidence" when, at best, they might "strongly suggest" his motivations.Nevertheless, the story is well told and provides an informative account of this important episode in American history.

More Political Propaganda
This book, like Posner's book on The Kennedy Assassination, is one that claims (but fails to) solve the case. Posner's ego aside, this book also mimics the book He did on the Kennedy Assassination becausethis book, like the Kennedy one, is a book that is long on speculation, long on twisting things to suit his own opinion, but short on facts and short on truths.
This does not serve the readers of his books well, at all.
Then again, Posner cares so little about history that he doesnt even care enough to study the facts of history, so why should we be surprised when he cares less about his readers, and more about getting his name in the "spotlight"?
This book, like Posner's "Case closed" book, fails to close the case....in fact on its absurdity alone, it strengthens the notion that we the people have not been told the truth about the political assassinations that have killed our most talented leaders.
This book, true to Posner's writing style, is all one sided.
It does not consider other possibilities. It just tries to debunk alternative theories, but fails miserably, thus actually giving credence to the alternative theories.
Is this surprising? No. After all does anyone truly believe that this guy, this ONE man has actually solved two of the most mysterious murder cases in U.S. History, while thousands of others have failed? Posner wants us to believe that he has solved the cases that NOBODY else has been able to solve for decades. That alone should make him suspect.
Posner's books are propaganda for the government's "version" of these events (I.E. The version they WANT us to believe). The fact that one of the people who helped Posner to publish his books was once married to the Secretary of James Angleton, the CIA Counterintelligence chief (I.E. Disinformation Chief) should be a signal for people to not be suckered in by this man's books. But, by all means, enjoy them.


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Product Description

As editor of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Clayborne Carson, with the assistance of his staff at Stanford's Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, had access to a variety of documents relating to all aspects of Dr. King's life and career.The encyclopedia provides readers with over 280 entries that offer fresh and engaging insights into Dr. King and the civil rights movement.From their unique familiarity with these materials, they have compiled an encyclopedia offering a fresh and exciting look at the work of Dr. King and the course of the civil rights movement.

Product Description
Historian Gerald McKnight chronicles the extra-legal and illegal attempts of J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI to subvert the Poor People's Campaign--Martin Luther King Jr.'s most ambitious and radical effort to force Washington to adhere to the promises of the Great Society and the war against poverty. McKnight shows how Hoover's watchdogs were aided by local law enforcement and elements of the federal government. ... Read more

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Dr. King’s best-selling account of the civil rights movement in Birmingham during the spring and summer of 1963
 
In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States, but the campaign launched by Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. 
 
Often applauded as King’s most incisive and eloquent book, Why We Can’t Wait recounts the Birmingham campaign in vivid detail, while underscoring why 1963 was such a crucial year for the civil rights movement. King examines the history of the civil rights struggle and the tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality. The book also includes the extraordinary “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which King wrote in April of 1963.

Customer Reviews (32)

Great service
The book was shipped very fast and it was in the described condition. Great !

Sad & Inspiring all at once!
A fantastic book about a sad and yet inspiring period of American history. Martin Luther King describes, in his own words, what happened in Birmingham, AL in 1962-3, what they were trying to achieve, and why it was so imperative that the momentum continue. Relative to reading history books on the topic in class, this account gives you a true sense for how amazing and brave those who took part in this movement are. Despite the massive injustice of the period, these inspiring people, held fast to non-violent protest.

I was amazed by careful mental training that people underwent to enter into protest. MLK describes the need for these individuals to be certain that they could react to physical violence without retaliation. I consider how quick the average person is to react to the most minor of slights in today's daily life. It makes you realize that training to fight is so much easier than training not to fight.

It was intriguing how they constructed the movement, standing fast despite the laws and pressures. Leaders had multiple opportunities to "get out easily". Yet, they held fast together in solidarity. Some even met death as a function of there beliefs.

For those studying the period, this type of first hand account provides the nuance that is necessary to understand the character and moral fiber of these brave individuals.

If Only He Had Lived
Dr. King proves in this book his steadfast bravery and determination.He fought, not for his own glory, but that a whole race of people could be free.Some critics will argue that he did not free the whole South, but he gave other leaders the courage to follow in his footsteps.He was a well spoken man who was sure of himself and who had the ability to inspire people with his words.

It is amazing that he felt the need to justfy something that we take for granted today.I fully believe that the gay rights movement needs a leader like this man, it takes a great person to inspire greatness in others.Dr. King saw evil in the world and he refused to stop until unjustice was abolished.

Transports you to an inside perspective of The Civil Rights movement
Eloquently written with careful word choice and countless metaphors.One cannot appreciate the civil rights movement and mourne its current state until they read this book.

Very highly recommended
When you think of Martin Luther King, Jr., you don't really think of the books he's written - but that can only be because his other accomplishments have been so overwhelming.This is an incredible book, expounding the potential of nonviolent direct action in the context of the then-recent struggle in Birmingham.In addition, Dr. King gives a preliminary look at his "Bill of Rights for the Disadvantaged" - an economic aid package for poor and dispossessed Americans, both black and white.Reading this book over forty years after it was written, the fact that the US has still never addressed (or been made to address) reparations for slavery makes each page shine with renewed vigor.Finally, anyone who thinks Dr. King would not have supported affirmative action could benefit from a thorough reading of chapter eight.Overall, an enlightening and eye-opening insight into one of history's foremost thinkers. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A wonderful book with new context from a King Scholar
Too much of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's writing has been long out of print. This new book will revisit the importance of the Montgomery bus boycott and Dr. King's lasting legacy in the struggle for equality in America. A must-read for anyone who cares about the history of our country.

good book
i do not know anything about this book but i am doing a project about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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This historical compilation of Martin Luther King, Jr. features live recordings of "The Great March To Freedom," "The Great March To Washington" and the immortal "Free At Last" speech. Plus, a poignant eulogy by Robert F. Kennedy. Run time: 70:02 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

THE MARTIN LUTHER KING,TAPES
GREAT MAN, GREAT SPEECH. I PLAY TAPE-CD ALL THE TIME IN THE CAR ON MY WAY TO WORK WHICH HELP ME TO KNOW HOW RACISM IS STILL A MAJOR FOR PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT IN A LOGICAL WAY.

Mighty KING, forever!
Great method to hear GREAT speeches from MLK. Yes, although not all of the speeches were spoken in their entirely, this CD still gives the listener the depth of King's lyrically speeches

King Speeches
I've searched for speeches by Dr.Martin Luther King and I was please with the choices available through Amazon. This is a good look back in history.

Being one with history...
MLK: The Martin Luther King tapes is the first Audio CD I've ever purchased.I am a new student of our great orators, and Martin, from what I've read, is the best.One of my only regrets concerning Dr. King's speeches is that I haven't been able to hear them all as spoken by his eloquent, yet powerful oratory style.This Audio CD has eliminated my concern.I can now hear Dr. King anytime I want to at work. I feel like I'm right there, listening with his audience. If this product is any indication of what to expect from future Audio CD's by other great orators such as JFK, FDR, and even Winston Churchill, then count me in! The only reason for the four stars as opposed to five stars is due to the rudely shortened eulogy of Robert Kennedy during Dr. King's funeral. There should have been more of it. ... Read more

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On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., electrified the nation when he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In The Dream, Drew D. Hansen explores the fascinating and little-known history of King's legendary address. The Dream insightfully considers how King's speech "has slowly remade the American imagination," and led us closer to King's visionary goal of a redeemed America.

Customer Reviews (7)

A Good Read with Good Insights
I happen to think that the best rendition of "I have a Dream" by Martin Luther King was the speech he gave at Cobo Hall Detroit, June 23rd 1963 where he spoke to an even more avid audience than Washington. Anyone who listens to both `Dream' speeches will appreciate the greater passionof King and audience response (indoor auditorium) in Detroit.

The Washington `Dream' speech has become world famous because it was televised and because it was the culmination of a day in the city of Washington "that had barricaded itself against the invaders."

The greatest irony re King's Washington speech is that what he delivered is not what he wrote!! At some stage during his speech, he disregarded his text and (some say at the behest of Mahalia Jackson who called to King `Tell them about the dream Martin') delivered his `Dream' peroration.

Hansen's book is a good read and takes us through the development of the prepared speech. He makes but one reference to the Detroit speech which surprises me. Work on the written draft commenced only a few days prior to Washington. The author - in minute detail - shows us two speech drafts plus the final script.

The prologue sets the scene well and features the searing, painful testimony of what happened Fannie Lou Hammer when arrested in Mississippi. In a well written chapter, Hansen shows that the day of the march itself was little short of chaotic. John Lewis confirms this in his wonderful book "Walking with the Wind."

A very interesting aspect of this book is when Hansen takes us through the response to the speech. It was received well, but not at all with the level of approval and awe that it has since received. Indeed NBC anchor Roger Mudd did not even allude to the "Dream" reference when reporting on the speech. Hansen shows us how the speech ultimately became recognized for the powerful work of oratory that it is by a one of the finest inspirational and motivational speakers the world has seen. Another great irony of this landmark speech is that it took the assassination of King for it to be truly appreciated.

This book does not go into nearly as much detail on the development of King's speaking style and the resources he culled from as does "Voice of Deliverance" by Keith Miller. Hansen though does a very good job in helping us to understand how the speech was crafted and ultimately why it has become so world famous.

A good read.

An Insider View of Greatness
Few speeches in American history are as well known or had the impact of the "Dream Speech". Hansen's wonderful book gives us a unique and insider's view of how the speech was developed, its roots in scripture and in King's lifetime of words up to that point. The analysis of the composition gives the reader a new appreciation of the speech's powerful messages, but also of the sheer beauty of the rhythm and cadence of the words. You can almost hear King's voice come off the pages.

The Power of God in Man
Martin Luther King was not an unusual black man; in fact, he wanted much of what many black men before him, probably all black men and women wanted. But Martin Luther King was a very unusual man, who happened to be black. His degree of passion, his conviction, his hope, and his perseverance were unlike most before him, and most after him, with the inspired, God given desire to make the world a better place for everyone, including blacks. His vision was not just the result of respect and reliance by his people, it was divinely inspired so that his passion, his hope emerged and blossomed before millions, many of whom were not familiar with him, his history, or his prominence and reputation. He was possessed of those rare qualities, and that rare talent, of the ability to inspire others to believe in themselves, and the world, that they had the dignity to alter their own dynamics, the manner in which they lived, and in the manner in which they were treated by others. As an evangelist, he was superb. For that, like Jesus, and many other prophets who have been threatening to the status quo, his ability to show others the way to self respect and to peace were certainly the force of why his life was taken so early, and so brutally. He was more than a leader; he was a messiah for the many black people who had waited so long for one to lead them out of the psychological bondage which was still very real to them. He positioned himself to show the way, and how to do it in the least offensive manner possible, by non-violence. He was a pillar of strength that even whites unfamiliar with him understood the necessity of yielding to God's will, instinctively knowing that all men were equal, and that all needed the recognition of being equal. Indeed, whites were aware of their obligation under the Constitution to recognize that equality but felt no compulsion to expect it of themselves until Martin forced them to face the truth they had so long avoided. Not only did he demand of blacks the energy and commitment to themselves, he demanded the energy and commitment of whites to respect themselves by being brave enough to help resolve the problem that had long festered in American social reality. The timing was right; the message was right, and Martin was right. He allowed none out of God's boat and helped everyone see that upon that ship, we were all afloat upon the ocean of humanity, and would indeed survive or perish. That message remains very much a part of his legacy, and today's reality although we face other issues as well, and the issues are now broader than ever. No one on earth has the option to say no to God and expect that it will be of no consequence to the world. He was the most remarkable of men that America has ever produced guided by his own devine light within as a beacon of humanity for all to follow.

More than a cuddly icon
Let me get first vent about the frustrating parts of this book before I get to the good stuff. First, at 229 pages of text, this was a rather short book, made shorter by Hansen's annoying habit of repeating important stretches of speeches. Second, the chapter analyzing the various drafts of the speech is probably better suited to a scholarly dissection of the speech than to a popular book. As was the chapter describing King's preaching style. And I got tired of ascribing every change in the speech to MLK's "genius". The man was exhausted, under threat and working on the run. Surely some of his decisions could have gone differently?

But minor grumpiness aside, I found this book hard to put down. The description of the organization for the August 1963 March on Washington was fascinating in its details about the people who attended it. One got the impression that the day was pretty disorganized, with the crowd making decisions on its own about when to start marching. Hansen also did a nice job of showing the internal disharmonies among groups within "the movement," as well as hinting that MLK's leadership done to him rather than pursued by him -- less because of his ability to manage and lead than because of his philosophical sophistication, personal courage, stamina and eloquence. That King comes across as a preacher and a prophet (as opposed to a great organizer) does him no disservice, but actually helps to humanize him and make the Civil Rights movement more real. Hansen did a nice job handling the post-1963 life of the speech. He is honest about the impatience that some blacks felt about the 'dreaminess' of the speech, especially as the movement's gains stalled and the violence continued. Hansen nicely captures the slightly radioactive nature of the speech among national politicians (many of whom were wary of King's alleged Communist sympathies) in the years before King's death and the cloyingly hagiographic tributes about King and the speech after 1968.

Hansen shows how King's memory has been sanitized and rendered harmless by linking him exclusively with the "I Have a Dream" speech. In opposing the Jim Crow laws, a main (but not the only) point of the speech, King targeted a system that was abhorrent to Northern whites and a source of shame to many in the South. Getting rid of it was the relatively easy matter of making the abuses public. But King's next targets proved more difficult -- the hard work of eliminating more subtle forms of racism from American hearts on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. King's premature death allowed Americans to accept him as a national martyr and prophet, but ironically delayed the more difficult soul-searching about America's war plans in Vietnam, its endemic racism and the blind economic violence perpetrated against the poor and powerless.

"I have a dream" - more than just a speech
I read "The Dream" in one sitting this weekend. The book vividly recaptures the spirit of the time during which Rev. King developed and delivered this inspiring and world-changing speech. At first I was afraid that the author's decomposition of the speech would diminish the power and effectiveness of the speech. On the contrary, his deep exploration into the speech itself and the events leading up to that day, together with fresh perspectives on the moment itself and the years following its delivery enhanced my admiration for both the speech and Rev. King. The author's inescapable conclusion is that there was much, much more at work than a man delivering a televised speech to a supportive crowd. This singular moment in Rev. King's life was the catalyst for much of the advancement that we all benefit from today. Yet this same event is also being used by some to impede further progress in the complete fulfillment of The Dream. This is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about the history of that day and its subsequent impact over the next 40 years. It will also be of particular relevance to those with an interest in public speaking. ... Read more

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From the acclaimed bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder, a taut, intense narrative about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the largest manhunt in American history.

On April 23, 1967, Prisoner #416J, an inmate at the notorious Missouri State Penitentiary, escaped in a breadbox. Fashioning himself Eric Galt, this nondescript thief and con man—whose real name was James Earl Ray—drifted through the South, into Mexico, and then Los Angeles, where he was galvanized by George Wallace’s racist presidential campaign.

On February 1, 1968, two Memphis garbage men were crushed to death in their hydraulic truck, provoking the exclusively African American workforce to go on strike. Hoping to resuscitate his faltering crusade, King joined the sanitation workers’ cause, but their march down Beale Street, the historic avenue of the blues, turned violent. Humiliated, King fatefully vowed to return to Memphis in April.

With relentless storytelling drive, Sides follows Galt and King as they crisscross the country, one stalking the other, until the crushing moment at the Lorraine Motel when the drifter catches up with his prey. Against the backdrop of the resulting nationwide riots and the pathos of King’s funeral, Sides gives us a riveting cross-cut narrative of the assassin’s flight and the sixty-five-day search that led investigators to Canada, Portugal, and England—a massive manhunt ironically led by Hoover’s FBI.

Magnificent in scope, drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished material, this nonfiction thriller illuminates one of the darkest hours in American life—an example of how history is so often a matter of the petty bringing down the great.Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, April 2010: It's bold to start an account of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. without a single mention of James Earl Ray. But in Hellhound on His Trail, Ray's absence is essential--in his place, Hampton Sides traces the alter egos Ray created after escaping from prison and beginning his haphazard journey toward Memphis. Sides meticulously constructs parallel portraits of two very different men--one, the larger-than-life figurehead of the Civil Rights movement; the other, a nondescript loner with a spurious and violent history, whose identity was as fluid as his motives. The narrative builds to the staggering and heartbreaking moment of King's assassination, then races on through the immediate fallout: the worldwide manhunt led by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI; Ray's nearly successful attempt to flee to Rhodesia; and the riots that erupted throughout the United States as racial tensions reached a breaking point. Sides's storytelling packs a visceral punch, and in Hellhound on His Trail, he crafts an authoritative and riveting account of two intersecting lives that altered the course of American history. --Lynette Mong

Customer Reviews (99)

Responsible and accomplished
The title of the book is inspired.Martin Luther King was assassinated about 70 miles northeast of the crossroads where, according to legend, Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil.Among the handful of foundational and iconic blues songs that comprise Johnson's legacy is "Hellhound on My Trail":
I got to keep movinnnn', I got to keep movinnnn',
Blues fallin' down like hail, blues fallin' down like hail,
* * * * *
And the day keeps on worrin' me, there's a hellhound on my trail,
Hellhound on my trail, hellhound on my trail.
It was thirty years after Johnson died of strychnine poisoning that James Earl Ray ran Martin Luther King to ground at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.Cultural historians could write endlessly on who and/or what the hellhounds were in that little tableau, but what cinches the aptness of the title is the other quote - from Martin Luther King -- that Hampton Sides uses as an epigraph for the book: "Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives."

HELLHOUND ON HIS TRAIL is a justifiably acclaimed chronicle of the assassination of King and the extensive manhunt for his killer.Arguably another such account is not imperative (Sides's book does not add much that is new to the already extant literature of the episode), but reading the book is in no way superfluous given the significance of King to this nation's history, how earthshaking his murder was, and just how chaotic and traumatic that entire spring and summer of 1968 proved to be.Without ever over-doing it, Sides does a fine job of re-creating the social and political context of 1968, in addition to telling the narrower story of James Earl Ray.The history is responsible and the writing is accomplished.

The book will no doubt displease or even infuriate some.Chief among the detractors certainly would be the many conspiracy buffs who contend that James Earl Ray was either the pawn or scapegoat of powerful individuals or groups that masterminded and funded the assassination.For the most part, Sides - I think wisely -- does not engage in debate with the conspiracy theorists.Fans of certain historical figures, such as J. Edgar Hoover and George Wallace, will also be peeved by the book.Those who worship King as a modern saint might be bothered by the several references to his womanizing.And I surmise that Jesse Jackson is also vexed by it, inasmuch as Sides writes that Jackson's repeated claims to have cradled King's bloody head as he lay on the balcony awaiting the arrival of an ambulance and to have been the last person to whom King spoke were, to put it in the kindest light, wishful thinking.

Nobody is perfect.We all are human.But we are not all equally bad.Some are more evil, or pathetic, than others - as evidenced by James Earl Ray, a/k/a Eric Starvo Galt, a/k/a Ramon George Sneyd.

Four-and-a-half stars.

Hellhound on his Trail
Thoroughly enlightening commentary on a sad day in American history.Learned of the book on Imus, and very glad I purchased.

Very Informative....... Read If You Want The Details
This is a good informative book if the subject is of intrest to you. I enjoyed reading the details that were left out of the reports of the main stream media at the time. This book fills in the gaps of missing information that you wanted to know about at the time these events transpired so you could get an understanding of how events unfolded and why.

Okay, As Far As It Goes
The book was "okay" as far as it goes.The research seems exhaustive, but you never really get a picture of the assassin.Perhaps, that is the point. Motivation is still missing.Where the money came from is not fully answered.There seemed to be something "missing"; but that may simply be part of the mystery of this assassination.

Engaging Read
Hellhound on His Trail is an engaging read about the stalking and murder of Martin Luther King Jr.Hampton Sides tells the story as a novel, pulling in numerous threads and sources.While reading the book, one gets the feeling that this is the true story.And it may be.But history is never quite as clear as we would like it to be.Conspiracy theories still abound surrounding the killing of King and different sources give credible evidence to support different theories.So, while this is a fascinating read, the story is told through Sides' filters.As long as the reader remembers this, it is a wonderful account a moment that has changed American history. ... Read more

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"The history books may write it Rev. King was born in Atlanta, and then came to Montgomery, but we feel that he was born in Montgomery in the struggle here, and now he is moving to Atlanta for bigger responsibilities." -- Member of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, November 1959 Preacher -- this simple term describes the twenty-five-year-old Ph.D. in theology who arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, to become the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in 1954. His name was Martin Luther King Jr., but where did this young minister come from? What did he believe, and what role would he play in the growing activism of the civil rights movement of the 1950s? In Becoming King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Making of a National Leader, author Troy Jackson chronicles King's emergence and effectiveness as a civil rights leader by examining his relationship with the people of Montgomery, Alabama. Using the sharp lens of Montgomery's struggle for racial equality to investigate King's burgeoning leadership, Jackson explores King's ability to connect with the educated and the unlettered, professionals and the working class. In particular, Jackson highlights King's alliances with Jo Ann Robinson, a young English professor at Alabama State University; E. D. Nixon, a middle-aged Pullman porter and head of the local NAACP chapter; and Virginia Durr, a courageous white woman who bailed Rosa Parks out of jail after Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person. Jackson offers nuanced portrayals of King's relationships with these and other civil rights leaders in the community to illustrate King's development within the community. Drawing on countless interviews and archival sources, Jackson compares King's sermons and religious writings before, during, and after the Montgomery bus boycott. Jackson demonstrates how King's voice and message evolved during his time in Montgomery, reflecting the shared struggles, challenges, experiences, and hopes of the people with whom he worked. Many studies of the civil rights movement end analyses of Montgomery's struggle with the conclusion of the bus boycott and the establishment of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson surveys King's uneasy post-boycott relations with E. D. Nixon and Rosa Parks, shedding new light on Parks's plight in Montgomery after the boycott and revealing the internal discord that threatened the movement's hard-won momentum. The controversies within the Montgomery Improvement Association compelled King to position himself as a national figure who could rise above the quarrels within the movement and focus on attaining its greater goals. Though the Montgomery struggle thrust King into the national spotlight, the local impact on the lives of blacks from all socioeconomic classes was minimal at the time. As the citizens of Montgomery awaited permanent change, King left the city, taking the lessons he learned there onto the national stage. In the crucible of Montgomery, Martin Luther King Jr. was transformed from an inexperienced Baptist preacher into a civil rights leader of profound national importance.

Customer Reviews (3)

Montgomery's readiness for King
This is a fully readible yet well researched book that gives more information than any other has done on the black activist movement in Montgomery Alabama before Martin Luther King, Jr. came there to his first church pastorship. The black activist leaders who preceded King there laid the groundwork that made the famous bus boycott possible, and which in the beginning, in effect, led King into the civil rights movement.Once in, he began to lead the Montgomery uprising against the obscene bus practices, but in the beginning he was following the lead of others who had been long working for black causes in Montgomery. The author shows how much King learned from this experience, much of it from the working people who never faltered in their perseverence in a boycott that required big sacrifices from them, things leaned by King that went with him as he moved beyond Montgomery onto the national scene. Anyone who wants to understand the early development of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a (in my mind) great revolutionary leader, to be ranked with Washington and Lincoln, should read this book.

The Base of the Mountain
The maturing process is a journey full of "seasonings". We crawl before we walk. We babble before we speak. Most of us view Dr. King's life from sound bites and cliff notes bios that give us more of a mythic hero as opposed to a flesh and blood man.

Before Martin Luther King made it to the mountaintop, he spent a great deal of time building a base. This base was Montgomery, Alabama, where Dr. King learned to walk and find his voice and his impeccable sense of timing. Troy's exhaustive research has given us the gift of insight into the making of not just a leader but of a movement of which he became King. Troy reminds us of the people, decisions and timing that all came together to give Dr. King and the rest of the world a view from the mountaintop.

This is a fascinating and enjoyable read, especially in light of our recent election. I would highly recommend it for any student of history or leadership.

A Must Have for the serious collector of books about MLK
Before Dr. King was a national hero and an international Nobel prize winner he was a 25 year old preacher in Montgomery, Alabama taking care of his church members.Jackson shows King's leadership abilities and the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement. ... Read more

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A wonderful introduction to biographies for young readers, this multicultural series focuses on the lives of famous people. Children will learn about great people in history and contemporary times. ... Read more

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209 PAGES. ... Read more

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Civil Rights 1967
Dr. King's penultimate book provides a snapshot of where we were in 1967. Two turning points had been reached.
First, his program of nonviolent direct action was clearly winning the struggle against old fashioned southern segregation, and Dr. King was looking toward the next step. He believed that the next logical step toward setting people free was a massive government program addressing the problem of poverty.

Second, within the civil rights movement, a "black power" mentality was gaining prominence. Some argued that whites should be excluded from the civil rights movement, and that nonviolence should be abandoned. Dr. King insisted that this approach would only balkanize our country, having disastrous effect, especially on blacks.

As with his other books, the author's brilliance, his scholarship, and his Christian love all come through.

It would be best to read "Stride Toward Freedom" and "Why We Can't Wait" before reading this one.

Martin's last words to America : Is anyone listening ?
Many of those who claim to admire Dr. King and quote from his I have a dream speech seem to have never read his books. This book is the best of all the books King has written and probably the least read. In it, Dr. King critiques himself for giving the then youthful leaders of the Black Power Movement too overly optimistic views of the progress of integration. He also presents the pros and cons of Black Power. He states the need for White America to do much more to improve race relations other than declaring racism to be wrong. He calls for the teaching of African-American history, and for the nation to focus more on helping the poor over military spending. This book should be mandatory reading for high school students, college students, teachers, public officials and business leaders. ... Read more