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4.65 AVERAGE
4.65 AVERAGE
Our simplified celebration of King comes at a cost. It saps the strength of his philosophical and intellectual contributions. It undercuts his power to inspire change.
a must-read, a incredibly engaging portrait of a complex man
a must-read, a incredibly engaging portrait of a complex man
This book was in depth and really spanned the entire length of King’s life. You can tell so much research went into this book. There were many things I knew about already of course, but I also learned much more about his personal life, his views on the Vietnam War… The aim of this book was to give MLK Jr the image of a real flesh and blood person rather than the myth or icon. Oscillating between 4 and 5 stars because I wish there had been more quotes from the interviews the authors did so you could really get an idea of how the people closest to him saw him… somehow it felt like an emotional point was missing, which you could feel because MLK Jr’s work was really based in emotion. Still, the research was thorough, and the way the events are laid out were clear and really well done.
These are the things I want to remember from Eig's big book:
How daunting and then piecemeal desegregation was, water fountain by water fountain, bus by bus, public parks, restaurants, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, voting booths, and more.
How King's magnificent vision evolved from integration to peace (his stand against the Vietnam War even though it was counterproductive to his civil rights work) and eliminating poverty (the Poor People's March).
How stressful King's life was from the physical danger of his house being bombed and being stabbed to the mental strain of leading a movement, improving himself, and always clarifying his vision. The toll his leadership took on his health and his premonition of his assassination (which happened when he was only 39 years old.)
King's regular infidelity and marginalization of women in the movement.
King plagiarized in his writing and speeches.
King teased and played with his children and joked with friends.
King's firm commitment to non-violence and the roll model he found in Gandhi.
Even after 600 pages of learning about King, it is difficult to comprehend his bravery and love of freedom for all. Thank you Eig for writing this book, I am glad to have read it.
How daunting and then piecemeal desegregation was, water fountain by water fountain, bus by bus, public parks, restaurants, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, voting booths, and more.
How King's magnificent vision evolved from integration to peace (his stand against the Vietnam War even though it was counterproductive to his civil rights work) and eliminating poverty (the Poor People's March).
How stressful King's life was from the physical danger of his house being bombed and being stabbed to the mental strain of leading a movement, improving himself, and always clarifying his vision. The toll his leadership took on his health and his premonition of his assassination (which happened when he was only 39 years old.)
King's regular infidelity and marginalization of women in the movement.
King plagiarized in his writing and speeches.
King teased and played with his children and joked with friends.
King's firm commitment to non-violence and the roll model he found in Gandhi.
Even after 600 pages of learning about King, it is difficult to comprehend his bravery and love of freedom for all. Thank you Eig for writing this book, I am glad to have read it.
I’ve read quite a few books by and about Martin Luther King Jr, but I’ve never heard a lot of the information told in this book. Not only was it well written and informative, it was presented in a way that made it a page turner… not an easy thing to do. It makes me want to read other books by the author.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I usually avoid books of this length. This one not only kept my attention, I was disappointed when it ended.
Jonathan Eig has earned himself a lifelong reader. This bio of MLK is unputdownable. Seriously, it is ridiculously good. Extensively sourced and beautifully written, Eig's work presents a flawed, good man doing the best he could to fight for the oppressed while loving his friends and enemies. Sadly, Dr. King's story and the resistance he faced to equality is still a relevant subject. Gladly, Jonathan Eig has penned a volume that compellingly tells that story.
ARC provided.
Great book.
ARC provided.
Great book.
I grew up in Chicago, going to school in Hyde Park not too far away from S Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., which traversed many predominantly black neighborhoods. Our school was a neighborhood school with a magnet program, and as a Taiwanese American, I was one of the less than 1% Asian Americans in the school. We learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the legacy he left behind, but the history we learned was probably similar to what many in my generation learned. Which was very much bare bones. We learned he was a man of peace, we knew he was assassinated the year my older sister was born, and we MAY have learned about the bus boycotts, Rosa Parks, and that he fought for the dismantling of Jim Crow laws. But the main thing is that we all learned about his "I have a dream" speech, although I don't remember analyzing it the way my kids have done in their classes. I think I learned about his imprisonment and letters from a Birmingham jail from my current students, but ultimately, I think what we got was an idealized version of King, with just the highlights (both good and bad) of his life. Coretta Scott King was often just a footnote.
I was not familiar with Eig before, but he did an amazing job with this book. After a chance meeting with someone who was childhood friends with King, he was inspired to interview those who knew King before it was too late. Moreover, he was able to use recordings by Coretta when she was writing her own memoir, as well as many FBI recordings (I think the rest of the material on King will be released in the near future). Although King's infidelity and penchant for plagiarism are mentioned many times, there is no judgment from Eig. He is able to retain his journalistic objectivity, and the result is a more complete portrait of a great man who is also very human. I had no idea that Hoover appeared to have a vendetta against him, nor did I realize just how amazing a woman Coretta was and that who she was inspired many of his goals.
I never understood the bigger picture of his life against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement, as well as the fear of Communism. I didn't know about his relationship with Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, as well as with Johnson, and Hoover. I didn't know anything about his best friends, including Andrew Young and Ralph Abernathy. There was a LOT to unpack in this book and it's one that I will probably read again, and probably pick up something new each time.
I listened to the narration by Dion Graham who was brilliant and followed along with the text. I also enjoyed looking at the photographs that were included at the end and I skimmed through the references, which were extensive, as you can imagine. After reading this, I would be very interested in checking out Eig's book on Mohammad Ali next. But I suspect that like this one, I will have to take my time with it.
Highly recommended, but be prepared to take your time with it.
I was not familiar with Eig before, but he did an amazing job with this book. After a chance meeting with someone who was childhood friends with King, he was inspired to interview those who knew King before it was too late. Moreover, he was able to use recordings by Coretta when she was writing her own memoir, as well as many FBI recordings (I think the rest of the material on King will be released in the near future). Although King's infidelity and penchant for plagiarism are mentioned many times, there is no judgment from Eig. He is able to retain his journalistic objectivity, and the result is a more complete portrait of a great man who is also very human. I had no idea that Hoover appeared to have a vendetta against him, nor did I realize just how amazing a woman Coretta was and that who she was inspired many of his goals.
I never understood the bigger picture of his life against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement, as well as the fear of Communism. I didn't know about his relationship with Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, as well as with Johnson, and Hoover. I didn't know anything about his best friends, including Andrew Young and Ralph Abernathy. There was a LOT to unpack in this book and it's one that I will probably read again, and probably pick up something new each time.
I listened to the narration by Dion Graham who was brilliant and followed along with the text. I also enjoyed looking at the photographs that were included at the end and I skimmed through the references, which were extensive, as you can imagine. After reading this, I would be very interested in checking out Eig's book on Mohammad Ali next. But I suspect that like this one, I will have to take my time with it.
Highly recommended, but be prepared to take your time with it.