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gbliss 's review for:
Hampton Sides is an incredibly talented writer. The phrase, "impossible to put down," is a cliche, but for this book, for me, this cliche was true. Sides brilliantly tells the story of "the stalking of Martin Luther King Jr and the international hunt for his assassin" and in doing so captures a dark, sad moment in American history and provides insight to a whole decade of turmoil and upheaval. At times the book reminded me of Manchester's Death of a President -- both have detailed behind-the-scenes descriptions of well-known horrific events at their center. The public moments filled in with details that remind you that at the end of the day, these were murders of sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. Sides does not delve deeply into the controversies and alternative theories about what may have really happened. His narrative has few blank spots, but there are gaps in the timeline and Ray was slippery to the very end. I remain convinced he did not act alone. And that, and the failure to really explain his motivation remain frustrating. Sides acknowledges this, without indulging in conspiracy theorizing. Doing so would have diluted the power of the story he does tell. For anyone who has even a passing interest in the 60s, in King, in the Civil Rights movement, and savors brilliant writing -- add this book to your list.