Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, this is the most comprehensive book ever written about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. David J. Garrow had unrestricted access to Martin Luther King's personal papers, to thousands of pages of newly released FBI documents, and to more than seven hundred interviews with King's closest friends and enemies.
Garrow traces King's transformation from the young pastor of a modest church into the foremost spokesperson of the civil rights movement. The book's unifying theme is King's growing awareness of the symbolic meaning of the cross, as his sense of personal mission deepened into an acceptance of a life that would demand the ultimate sacrifice. This is a powerful portrait of a man at the epicenter of one of the most dramatic periods in our history—and of his metamorphosis into a legend.
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"great look at the nuts and bolts of the civil rights movement. Garrow covers everything MLK from managerial philosophy, to fundraising methods, to personality disuptes, and of course spiritual underpinnings and organizing tactics. Very practical applications for activists today." — Kerry (5 out of 5 stars)
"great look at the nuts and bolts of the civil rights movement. Garrow covers everything MLK from managerial philosophy, to fundraising methods, to personality disuptes, and of course spiritual underpinnings and organizing tactics. Very practical applications for activists today."
“Likely to remain for a long time the most informative life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the most thorough study of the civil rights movement.”
“Provocative…A complex and convincing portrait.”
“Absorbing reading. Garrow aimed simply to write the definitive chronicle of King’s life during the period of his public eminence; and he has performed the task with skill and integrity.”
“Brilliant…one of the most valuable sources of contemporary history in print.”
“Reader Jeff Riggenbach successfully voices the words of King, his family, and his fellow civil rights activists with honest intelligence and authentic emotion. This is not only an excellent narrative but also a primer on the important events of the 1960s.”
" Interesting but the author tried to put too much information into one book and left out the human interest peice. After a while it was drugery to read so I didn't finish it. "
" Tremendous motivational story of a truly remarkable man "
" Thoroughly researched and crisply written, one of the most magnificent episodes in American history comes alive on the pages of this wonderful book. "
" Definitive. I was vaguely bothered by it literally ending with King's assassination, without any discussion of what happened after it, but whatever, I guess. Good book. "
" Great things grow from a small seed. The original goals of the civil rights movement were amazingly modest. God told Pharoah, "Let my people go!" And that old pharaoh wouldn't listen none. Then judgement fell. . . "
" The book was very detailed and a bit tedious to get through. MLK was an interesting individual though and there was quite a lot going in his life that I was unaware of. "
" Incredible book, lots of information. Slow reading at times, but worth it if you can stay focused. "
" Written by a lawyer. An interesting history, but rather more didactic than I was looking for. About 1/3 of this impressively thick book is endnotes, which would make a great investigative resource. "
" should be required reading in all high school classes. "
David J. Garrow is a professor of law and history and distinguished faculty scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is the author of four books, including Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. He is a regular contributor to the Washington Post, New York Times, and American Prospect.
Jeff Riggenbach (1947-2021) narrated numerous titles for Blackstone Audio and won an AudioFile Earphones Award. An author, contributing editor, and producer, he worked in radio in San Francisco for more than thirty years, earning a Golden Mike Award for journalistic excellence.
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