Wilson L. Deaton
5th February 2007, 07:38 PM (19:38)
Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. – Edited by Clayborne Carson
[This book is not a "pure" autobiography. It was put together after King’s assassination using previously written autobiographical materials and other writings, previous sermons, previous interviews, etc.]
The preface states the book is “largely a religious and political autobiography rather than an exploration of a private life.”
This book was an absolutely fantastic read. My perception of King has completely changed.
He starts off telling enough about his childhood & teen experiences to help understand how he became the person he became. He then shares about his higher education and all the influences that blended to shape his thinking. In case anyone thinks the title of, “Dr.,” was simply honorary that would be a great mistake. He was highly educated, and apparently brilliant. He references how he grappled with, and synthesized thinking from writers including the likes of Tolstoy, Marx, Nietzsche, Thoreau, and Neibuhr. This was not the reading list I expected from a Baptist preacher.
The largest part of the book is arranged by the major events surrounding the civil rights movement. For each movement he shares how it came about, what he was thinking and feeling, his strategy and the reason behind his strategy, what was accomplished, lessons learned, etc. Events cover the bus boycott, lunch counter sit-ins, marches, voting rights, Chicago years, Watts riots, his numerous jailings, etc. Seeing these events through his eyes is absolutely amazing.
Previous to reading this, I had the attitude that he was a great African-American. Now I think he was a great American.
Wilson
[This book is not a "pure" autobiography. It was put together after King’s assassination using previously written autobiographical materials and other writings, previous sermons, previous interviews, etc.]
The preface states the book is “largely a religious and political autobiography rather than an exploration of a private life.”
This book was an absolutely fantastic read. My perception of King has completely changed.
He starts off telling enough about his childhood & teen experiences to help understand how he became the person he became. He then shares about his higher education and all the influences that blended to shape his thinking. In case anyone thinks the title of, “Dr.,” was simply honorary that would be a great mistake. He was highly educated, and apparently brilliant. He references how he grappled with, and synthesized thinking from writers including the likes of Tolstoy, Marx, Nietzsche, Thoreau, and Neibuhr. This was not the reading list I expected from a Baptist preacher.
The largest part of the book is arranged by the major events surrounding the civil rights movement. For each movement he shares how it came about, what he was thinking and feeling, his strategy and the reason behind his strategy, what was accomplished, lessons learned, etc. Events cover the bus boycott, lunch counter sit-ins, marches, voting rights, Chicago years, Watts riots, his numerous jailings, etc. Seeing these events through his eyes is absolutely amazing.
Previous to reading this, I had the attitude that he was a great African-American. Now I think he was a great American.
Wilson