Death Of A King: The Real Story Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I was totally mesmerized...did a hard start and finish read today as we're honoring Dr. ML King Jr.'s birthday. The writing style was welcoming and evoked much in the way of a reality check and appreciation for MLK the man, husband, father, as well as his other life roles..but starkingly as preacher and leader on a mission, who like all of us are flawed but do the best we can. As someone who came of age during the peak of the civil rights movement, this book was a good reminder of the sacrifices of those who held up the blood-stained banner for the opportunities that have come mine and countless others way. Just saw Selma over the weekend, so it's been a riveting portrayal of progress yet the fact that the eyes still need to be on the prize. I've read a number of books on Dr. King, however, Tavis Smiley's focus on the last year of his life provided more insight into this complicated, flawed and extraordinary freedom fighter. The pressure and the controversy created by Dr. King's stand against the war in Vietnam became a wedge issue among fellow civil rights leaders and the lengths some of them went to as a means to discredit him were daunting. It was a time when Dr. King transitioned from the restrictive venue of civil rights to a broader arena of human rights. It is a good read and lays bare the reconstructed image that we have of Dr. King today. He was heroic and more of a revolutionary than others gave him credit for and I would submit that he would be amazed at how he is viewed today and the monument in Washington would be astounding to him. In his last year, he felt abandoned and discredited in many ways but he was a champion for the poor and marginalized and that can't be refuted.
What do You think about Death Of A King: The Real Story Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year (2014)?
I prefer the more substantive works of Taylor Branch, Clayborne Carson and David Garrow.
—MickMan
Great book and quick to read. The book makes him human - flawed and righteous.
—nangtiengau
