661 reviews for:

King: A Life

Jonathan Eig

4.65 AVERAGE

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orionfriday's review

5.0

Mr. Eig suggests in the afterword that he wrote this book in the hope that it would make one cry at the end. In my case, he succeeded. I didn't realize just how much my knowledge of Dr. King was limited to mystique and (quite embarrassingly) his famous quotes getting shared on his Birthday or whenever someone twists them to serve an agenda that MLK may have opposed. Having read this book, I feel I have a deeper understanding of Dr. King as a son, a husband, and ultimately a father. I also feel more connected to his mission. The legend I knew before told me Dr. King was a great man, but after reading this book I now feel it in every fiber of my being.

caitlin_bookchats's review

5.0
challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

A very accessible, very informative biography of the man often places at the heart of the USA's civil rights movement of the 1960s. Eig speaks to people who knew MLK and also uses newly declassified documentation of FBI surveillance where possible, although the tapes themselves are still classified. 

This paints a much more detailed picture not just of King's life but of the movement he was involved in than you'll get in a quick overview in history class.

King comes across as a man with deep religious convictions but also a man who was deeply flawed, maintaining a long term mistress and sexual relations with many women throughout his marriage to Coretta Scott.

Over and over the book looks at the ways King faced death in his work with acceptance and a sense of peace while maintaining a fire for pushing the majority to recognize the rights and humanity of those they were currently othering.

Really well written, interesting book. Don't be intimidated by the length the last 200 pages or so are notes and bibliography.
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daenelt's review

5.0

Do not let the size of this book intimidate you. This is one of the most accessible books of this genre that I’ve read in a long time. Eig has written a biography that reads very much like a conversation between friends. While tightly written and meticulously researched {and documented}, the writing flows so evenly that I found myself riding an emotional roller coaster.

Through the pages of this book, Martin Luther King, Jr. becomes more than “the man with a dream” who was martyred for the movement, he becomes a flesh and blood individual who struggled with self-doubt and mental health issues, intensified by the singular focus of J. Edgar Hoover’s need to bring him to heel. I knew the FBI had targeted him, but I had no idea of the extent to which they went to drive him to madness. Hoover’s FBI was not going to be content with MLK walking away from the Civil Rights Movement, they wanted him totally and utterly destroyed.

Eig delves into King’s infidelity, but not in a gossipy manner. It’s presented as a matter of fact. A fact that Coretta Scott King denied. Even when she was presented with audiotapes.

Speaking of Coretta Scott King, she was a woman who was very much focused on the mission. In fact, I’d say she was married more to the Movement than to the man. When she married MLK, she knew her role and she did it well. I wonder, though, how much more she would’ve been able to contribute had King {and the other men of the movement} not had such condescending views of women.

My view of King didn’t change from reading this book. If anything, I’d say it made me a little sad because this man, who gave so much of himself to the cause, has been reduced to a speech that narrows the magnitude of who he was. He spoke out against so many things – militarism and materialism to name a few. And there’s the slow turn towards the Black Power Movement that is wholly ignored in discussions surrounding him and his beliefs.

Again, I can’t recommend this book highly enough to those who are curious about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement {or the women who supported the men}.

If you’d like to see my video review, check it out on Instagram.

A Final Note
I read this as my first Instagram Buddy Read and, y’all, I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this read along. Having a group of people of diverse ages, experiences, and knowledge bases discussing the same book made it so much more interesting. Some of the people in the group have a background in Black lit, while others are historians, so they brought a wealth of knowledge to the discussions that I would have missed out on had it been a solo read. If you have the opportunity to read this as part of a book discussion group, do yourself a favor and do it. Furthermore, I think having accountability partners will keep you on track.

Trigger Warnings
Sex, Violence, Murder, Prejudice, Racism

bermudaonion's review

5.0

4.5 stars

This biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. doesn’t introduce a lot of new materials but it is well researched, well written, and compelling. It portrayed King as a human with faults and shared his internal struggles and brought him alive for me. Dion Graham reads the audio version of the book and does an outstanding job.

maliikawalker's review

5.0

This is the best book I ever read of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this book was very comprehensive. When Dr. King is mentioned today, it’s usually regarding his work during the civil rights movement. Dr. Kings disapproval of the Vietnam War and his push toward equitable housing is rarely mentioned. Dr. King was in a different place than when he gave the I Have A Dream speech at the end of his life. Great book. I highly recommend. I will be reading Jonathan Eig’s book on Jackie Robinson soon.

jdfoxmd's review

5.0

One of the best books on King. It does not sugar coat this complex man. He was human and this book details all the complexities that made up this civil rights leader.

debsol11's review

5.0

I’m not a biography person and I really enjoyed this. I cried at the end and feel sad about what our government interfered with and tried to control. I think that continues to happen which is sad
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aunt_jess's review

5.0

Bear with me, it’s a long book! But I promise you will discover so many interesting facts and points of view that you did not know or were not taught about MLK. The amount of research and how it was laid out to read is commendable. I loved learning from people who knew MLK and what his internal struggles and experience were like through pivotal moments. I respect how much was shared about his wife, Coretta Scott King. There would be no MLK movement without her. I was very interested in learning new facts but was conflicted about the FBI tapes that were released. It made me question his character but also felt like this was none of my business, and Hoover had an obsession to take him down. I’m interested in the tapes that will be released in 2027. Overall, an amazing read!

gina03's review

4.5
challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Incredibly written!

librarianaaryn's review

5.0
dark informative slow-paced

A monumental new biography about MLK -- so much new information presented. It is fascinating and especially powerful in this particular political moment.