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166 reviews for:
Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party
Joshua Bloom
4.48 AVERAGE
166 reviews for:
Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party
Joshua Bloom
4.48 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
The authors show how the Black Panther Party built power step by step. They trace the roots of the Panthers’ political practices and explain their initial successes in patrolling the police. They also detailed how the party created branches in different states. I loved that the book was well-balanced and fair; this accurate history of the Black Panthers is clearly and beautifully written. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn about the party and wants to understand the fight to be treated equally. It’s fantastic that there isn’t more acknowledgment in our school history books of this group of individuals who took it upon themselves to mobilize into a military force to protect the African American community and build it up. It’s an incredible book on an important political and historical group that helped shape the African American community.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This book was so educational and an excellent choice for a Black History Month read. It really felt like I was finally getting the rest of the story. The main critique I've seen of this book is that it doesn't touch on the war on drugs in the way that it should, and while this is true, it didn't feel like there was an obvious hole in the narrative. I think the omission was intentional. A whole book can (and has) been written on the war on drugs alone. There are much better reviews for this book here, so I'll keep mine brief, but if you don't read this book, your education of American History is incomplete.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Racism, War
informative
slow-paced
Loses a bit of steam when it gets into international politics, but that's all necessary. Fascinating read, especially if all you know is Huey Newton on the wicker throne.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
An impressive meticulous examination of not only the rise and fall of the Panthers, but also the shifts the party went through during its short life. Oddly repetitive at times, but nevertheless a very important, eye-opening read -- utterly fascinating and very gratifying in the detail and ambition of its reporting and analysis.
4.5 stars, really. This book is a fantastic history of the Black Panther movement that has great resonance now in the age of BLM. For people who weren't alive at the time, it provides a wealth of detail at an approachable level. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that the authors are clearly scholars first and authors second. Sometimes paragraphs or other small sections get a bit repetitive, sometime almost exactly restating themselves word for word. I did not find that particularly valuable. But the actual historical and scholarly content of the book is wonderful, making it a definite to-read for anyone interested in social movements.