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4.65 AVERAGE
4.65 AVERAGE
I have traveled to Memphis and seen the place King was killed, I consider myself an ally of the civil rights causes, but there was so much I didn’t know. Reading this book opened up my mind and taught me so much about his life, him as a person, and the civil rights movement in general. I am deeply grateful for this book.
Perhaps the best book of 2023. Jonathan Eig paints a fuller, more nuanced portrait of MLK Jr.. Relying on previously unreleased wiretaps from the FBI, Eig is able to give more details on MLK’s thoughts surrounding the major civil rights milestones of his day - Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, Chicago and Memphis - with moving prose and great emotion. The book doesn’t sugarcoat his shortcomings or the corruption of Hoover’s FBI. A truly remarkable biography.
And Dion Graham’s narration is so good, so powerful it will move the reader to tears.
And Dion Graham’s narration is so good, so powerful it will move the reader to tears.
Incredibly insightful biography, humanizing a mythical figure, and also making me admire him even more. Makes me wonder how my perspective would’ve morphed along with the public during those days as he became more polarizing. He was uncompromising with his ideals except for his vows to his wife, which speaks to the contradictions that left him riddled with guilt and depression.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Another outstanding biography by Eig, filled with facts and historical perspectives even a student of American history never knew. Starting with his birth name - Michael, after his father, who later switched names to Martin Luther, Sr. so his son became Martin Luther, Jr. - and presenting a very broad perspective of King's life and career. Eig used access to the vast catalog of FBI files recently released (yes, they bugged every house, hotel room, office that King used, with more to be released by 2027), as well as years of interviews with all of the key figures in King's life, to produce this excellent portrait of America's incredibly racist past and present.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced