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105 reviews for:
The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Peniel E. Joseph
4.19 AVERAGE
105 reviews for:
The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Peniel E. Joseph
4.19 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
while not presenting any radically new information on malcolm x and mlk, jr., this book does position their lives and their legacies in a way that illuminates their complementary yet seemingly contradictory ideologies and methodologies in a fascinating way. really great read!!!
A very in depth history that I didn’t know I knew so little about. It reads very academic, which I felt slows the book down.
An interesting and unique take on two well-known activists, chronicled together through time. This provided opportunity for direct comparisons in style and messaging between these 2 great men and shows how the words and actions of each affected the other. I only wish there were more of it in this book. At times it was hard for me to follow whether the author was talking about King or X as he weaves their biographies together. I appreciated him including other activists and their role and effect on King’s and X’s dynamic, such as James Baldwin and a young John Lewis. I appreciated seeing King and X through this different lens. A good intro for those unfamiliar with King and X’s biographies.
As someone with only a passing knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I found this book to be fascinating and completely compelling. Like many people my age (40 something) I grew up celebrating MLK Day and learning the history of the Civil Rights Movement as MLK and his 'good' non-violent strategies vs. Malcom X and his 'bad' radical/violent strategies. Clearly, this version of history is extremely limited if not simply untrue and most certainly does not capture the complex and nuanced nature of these men and the Civil Rights Movement in America.
I recently listened to the Autobiography of Malcolm X with Alex Haley and found that hearing his own words and perspective allows for a much more in-depth understanding of the man and his motivations. Peniel E. Joseph continues in this tradition of discussing both MLK and Malcolm X's experiences and understandings of the world to better grasp the underlying reasons for their particular strategies throughout the Civil Rights era. I also appreciated that Joseph allowed and documented the changes in philosophy of both leaders throughout their lives. These men were complex, imperfect, and learned from their life experience (both good and bad) thus, they were not the monoliths that our history makes them out to be, but rather they were humans, doing the best they could with the resources they had to bring more justice to the people they loved.
I found this history to be very readable, never dull, and full of insights that caused me to stop and think about my own perceptions of MLK, Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as my own complicity in the systems of harm that continually allow and encourage injustice in our society. I have no reservations about recommending this book to everyone!
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I recently listened to the Autobiography of Malcolm X with Alex Haley and found that hearing his own words and perspective allows for a much more in-depth understanding of the man and his motivations. Peniel E. Joseph continues in this tradition of discussing both MLK and Malcolm X's experiences and understandings of the world to better grasp the underlying reasons for their particular strategies throughout the Civil Rights era. I also appreciated that Joseph allowed and documented the changes in philosophy of both leaders throughout their lives. These men were complex, imperfect, and learned from their life experience (both good and bad) thus, they were not the monoliths that our history makes them out to be, but rather they were humans, doing the best they could with the resources they had to bring more justice to the people they loved.
I found this history to be very readable, never dull, and full of insights that caused me to stop and think about my own perceptions of MLK, Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as my own complicity in the systems of harm that continually allow and encourage injustice in our society. I have no reservations about recommending this book to everyone!
Want more book content? Follow me at thebookwar.com
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder
Nothing radically new, but I appreciated the carefully-documented plotting of how Malcolm and Martin’s viewpoints converged.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
An incredible dual biography illustrating an incredibly nuanced and grounded picture of two of the most important civil rights leaders in American history.
informative
slow-paced
“By the end of their lives, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. each drew closer to the political philosophies of the other—the sword and the shield no longer reflecting divergent worldviews but dual, at times intersecting and even complementary, strategies that continue to shape movements for racial justice, dignity, and citizenship in America and around the world.”
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced