This book was fantastic. My first graders got more info from than any historic book that I have shared with them. They remembered more details. It was great the way the author related the past with the future on their level. This is a most have book.

Many of those who claim to admire Dr. King and quote from his I have a dream speech seem to have never read his books. This book is the best of all the books King has written and probably the least read. In it, Dr. King critiques himself for giving the then youthful leaders of the Black Power Movement too overly optimistic views of the progress of integration. He also presents the pros and cons of Black Power. He states the need for White America to do much more to improve race relations other than declaring racism to be wrong. He calls for the teaching of African-American history, and for the nation to focus more on helping the poor over military spending. This book should be mandatory reading for high school students, college students, teachers, public officials and business leaders.

I bought this book, not really knowing much about it. Once I opened it up, saw the beautiful artwork and imagery and read the story, I was amazed. This book gives an excellent, truthful, beautiful portrayal of a restless time in our history. The final page with the picture of Martin in the stained glass windows, overlooking four candles which represent the four little girls who died in the Birmingham church bombing was beautiful. Yes, it's true: some of this history might be frightening for small children. But the theme is important: Dr. King taught people to use their voices, not their fists. As long as a parent is engaged enough to talk about this with their child, the child should have no problem hearing, reading and loving this book.

Now I want to buy a copy for every kid (and adult) I know.

This is a truly amazing book, from many perspectives. As a children's book, it is an interesting and acccurate introduction into the life of one of the most important men of our time. It captures the reader, both the young and not so young, with its moving illustrations and powerful text. My six year old was captured by the "Whites Only" sign; she has referred to it numerous times since reading the book. "Mom, would black people have been able to go here/sit here,etc. without Dr. King's words?" has been a consistent question for her, and inspired some thought provoking conversations for us. I can't over stress the importance of this book. It is engaging and honest, refreshingly simple in the delivery of it's most important message, that we must remember to fight with words, rather than our fists. This is a wonderful classroom addition, the historical time line encourages additional discussion of the events surrounding King's life. Martin's Big Words will engage preschoolers through grades 4-5, and encourage them to consider and discuss this eloquent and visionary man. It quietly encourages children to consider the limitless possibilties of their future.

Martin Luther King was a man of BIG words. When others said "hate", Martin said "love." When others said "separate", he said "together." And when he heard others say "war", Martin said "peace." "Sooner or later, all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together." Martin always went where he was needed in the struggle for equality. He shared his dreams and filled people with hope. "He walked with them and talked with them and sang with them and prayed with them." Doreen Rappaport has written a simple and inspirational picture-book biography that combines her quiet, yet powerful prose, with Dr King's own "big words." Her text emphasises his courage and strong committment to non-violence, equal rights, and the civil rights movement. "White ministers told them to stop. Mayors and governors and police chiefs and judges ordered them to stop. But they kept on marching." Bryan Collier's watercolor and cut paper collage illustrations are stunning and evocative, and together word and art create a passionate and powerful tribute to a great man of peace. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Martin's Big Words is an engaging and elegant introduction to a man who stood up and struggled to change America and the world, and includes a marvelous timeline of important dates and additional books and web sites to explore. "His big words are alive for us today."

This book picks up where "A Dangerous Road" left off, and continues the excellence! Nelscott brings unique perspectives of the Black experience during the turbulent 60's. She does it while weaving a tale of mystery, intrigue and double dealing. This is the start of, I hope, a series of Smokey Dalton novels. Maybe Nelscott could have Smokey meet Tamara Hayle in Newark, N.J.

I inadvertently reviewed "A Dangerous Road" in this space earlier. But now I've read "Smoke Filled Rooms." I had braced myself for the possibility of a let-down because, after all, I felt that "Road" was a hard act to follow. Not to worry: Nelscott has done it again, and in spades. Nelscott's Smokey Dalton character has all the layers of an onion:there's always another layer for Nelscott to peel away and surprise the reader with more of Smokey's past, more mysteries within mysteries, more bad stuff from more bad guys, more pain for Smokey who just, really, wants to find a quiet place to live and be left alone, preferably back in Memphis although that seems increasingly unlikely. Then, Nelscott has me wondering if there ever will be such a place for Smokey.

Arriving in Chicago, Smokey is having a tough time adjusting but thinks that he and Jimmy are, at least, safe. And now he's learning just how wrong he is as trouble prowls after him in the forms of Northern-style racism, gangs, undercover police, yippies and hippies, an old love and an old enemy, a serial killer, missing children, the fears and worries and events from Memphis that remain alive and well and real and bring more danger than ever, and the riots of the 1968 Democratic Convention. "Smoke Filled Rooms" continues where "A Dangerous Road" left off but can stand alone, although I would encourage reading them in sequence because, after all, this is a series.

Nelscott successfully imbues her second Dalton novel with the same suspense, surprising plot twists, sense of dread, real horrors, historical realism, character development, and the all pervasive, weary sadness of a reluctant hero who rejects the idea of heroism that made the first novel such a joy to read. And I am not ashamed to say that, like "Road", there are passages in this book that require me to force back tears while reading it during my train commute back and forth to work. Sometimes it seems that Nelscott spends an entire chapter setting the reader up to have the button of emotion punched with a single, simple, devastating sentence. There are scenes of such mundane horror that I am tempted to close the book and put it away for awhile, but I can't because I have to know what is going to happen next. And she presents me with a dilemma: I can hardly wait to get to the end of the story to learn the answers that Nelscott makes available but I know that I will regret it very much when the story is done. Book two in this series confirms to me Dalton's role as a tragic figure even as I am permitted to learn that Dalton, through training, experience, and his own intelligence, is, once again, the right man in the wrong place at the right time. And again I find myself cheering Smokey on, hoping that he will find a happy ending that his entire life mitigates against or, at least, win a defining battle that will allow him a respite from the nightmares he has lived. But, as Nelscott reminds the reader, that's not really the way life is. Is it? At least, not Smokey's so far.

Nelscott doesn't have any minor characters in these books. Each one carries a significance that pushes the plot or the mood forward. I really admire that ability to breathe life into each character, whether they appear only to speak one sentence or appear in every chapter as a vital element of the story. Look at Mrs. Richardson's disbelieving grief, the unnamed doorman at Laura's apartment building, Duffy, Detective Johnson, David LaVelle, Laura Hathaway's brief but pivotal appearances, Marvella, Jack Sinkovich's wife who never says a word, both Franklin and Althea Grimshaw, the patrolman who realizes who Mrs. Richardson is, Grace Kirkland and each of her two boys, and, of course, Jimmy. These are all, each and every one, recognizable people who, for whatever amount of time they do appear, walk strongly off the page into the reader's mind and make an impression that does not fade easily or soon.

I have only one criticism which may have nothing to do with Nelscott: I was distracted by the presence of annoying spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors in this edition of "Smoke Filled Rooms." That having been said, I eagerly look forward to the future installments in the Dalton series. Maybe Nelscott will give Smokey a break soon. Or not.

While waiting for the return of Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins and the ultimate fate of Mouse, I've been looking for some stand ins and found more than I was looking for with Kris Nelscott's "A Dangerous Road" and the introduction of Smokey Dalton, a getting-along private detective in Memphis in 1968 who describes his profession as "doing odd jobs", and the jobs are, indeed, odd.

This book is more than the sum of its parts: Nelscott's writing takes the book far beyond the typical detective mystery;the plots turn in upon themselves and, even when the mystery of Laura Hathaway is solved, the subplots draw the reader on in pursuit of other mysteries and to surprises that could not have been imagined earlier;and the characters are drawn so finely that they are all familiar,sympathetic or dispicable but known from personal experience. Each character, no matter how minor, has a well-defined human face that is recognizable. This is a book that entertains, educates, reminisces, and touches the heart in ways that one will only understand at the last page. Nelscott's Dalton is a childhood friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but Nelscott manages to treat that relationship as, remarkably, incidental to Dalton's own tragedy filled life and the mysteries he is trying to unravel about his client, himself, and the child alter ego he is trying to protect, thereby avoiding what might have been a predictable plot of a detective trying to change history.

The pain of waiting for Easy has been eased considerably by Nelscott in her first book. Bring on "Smoke Filled Rooms", Dalton's second outing. I can hardly wait for Smokey's return even though I suspect that his heart will, again, be more broken than healed at the end. And Dalton is a character one can only hope the best for while knowing the best is unlikely to happen to him. Perhaps the best Dalton can hope for is survival. I gave this debut novel five stars. I wish I could give it more.

I learned more about Dr. King and his philosophies by reading his actual words than I could have learned reading a history or biography.

I was surprised to learn that Dr King's journey was a long one even before civil rights movement, that he studied many schools of philosophical and religious thought. I was deeply impressed by his gifts with language, the ability to convey ideas in ways anyone can understand, and to inspire. Any writer could learn by studying his work.

If you are interested in human rights questions, I recommend reading this piece by piece, though it is a large volume. So much of what King said isn't limited to the movements of 50 years ago, but to the ongoing struggle for human dignity and equality.

This is a wonderful resource. I am particularly thrilled that it contains one of his best speeches (personally speaking): The Drum Major Instinct. What a thorough work this is... mega thanks to the author for compiling this work.

"A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.," edited by James M. Washington, is an impressive volume. This book brings together essays, speeches, sermons, interviews, and excerpts from King's books. Together, these many documents offer insights into the life and philosophy of a giant of the civil rights movement in the United States.

The book includes the "I Have a Dream" speech, the letter from Birmingham jail, the "Playboy" interview, and more. There are even fascinating transcripts from two television appearances.

This is a thought-provoking collection. I was fascinated by King's strong critique of that part of the white Christian establishment which opposed his movement. It is also intriguing to read that, apart from the Bible, King would choose Plato's "Republic" if he were to be marooned on the proverbial desert island with only one book. Also noteworthy is the emergence of King's multi-faith, global vision of humanity.

This is an important volume for those interested in African-American studies, 20th century U.S. history, or progressive currents in Christian theology. But more than that, "A Testament of Hope" is truly a testament for all people.

I personally do not like to read any sort of autobiographies or biographies but this book was different. This book is supposed to be the autobiography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Clayborne Carson, who did a extensive amount of research. I was very pleased that he included alot of original and personal documents of Dr. King. This book lets the readers put on Dr. King's mask and see for themselves what it might have been for him on a more personal level. I found this book very interestingly touching and I recommend it to anyone intrested in Dr. King's life, his works or his philosophy.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King is inspiring and well written. One thing that I thought would be a downfall of the book was that it wasn't as "autobiographical" as the title insinuates with the editor doing 70-80% of the writing. However, as I became engrossed in the text, the editor Clayborne Carson's style captivated me. In fact, it soon came to the point that when MLK's words were used (italicized), they seemed drab and out dated. Through Carson's more modern approach, the book was made more interesting to a young reader like myself. Though you can tell the difference between Carson and King's words even without the italics, Carson did a respectable job in essentially becoming Dr. King. I feel he suceeded in accuratley telling the story through MLK's eyes, though maybe not in his words. Through it all, the book was by far the best on King that I've ever read. This is because of it's depth. Since Carson's words were used so much, letters, speeches and college papers written by Dr. King were used very much throughout the book. I liked this because it gave insight into Kin'g personal life and writing style, which other books I've read on the leader fail to do. In addition, the format of the book (I, us, we) makes you feel like it is a truly personal and accurate account, even though it is the editor talking. In closing, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. was an excellent book that I feel every American should read.

Dr. King has become such an American icon that it's easy to forget what a brilliant, passionate man he was. This "autobiography" will remind you. Clayborne Carson does a masterful job of weaving King's writings and speeches together into what serves as a credible autobiography but more importantly, as a chronicle of King's powerful oratory.

I found the book an endless source of inspiration for me as a pacifist and believer in justice and equality for all.

Here are the unforgettable words, not only of the "I Have A Dream Speech" and "The Letter From a Birmingham Jail" but other speeches and writings as well and the stories behind them. We are constantly reminded that King was both a determined and eloquent leader, who was the focal point of America's most succesful social movement.

This is not only unique as an autobiography because it wasn't really written as such, but because it is such a rich source of wisdom and passion.

It's a book to be read and kept handy. I'll be referring to it often and reading it again.

It is very possible to go into this book not knowing what to expect and come out fully educated about Martin Luther King Jr.'s and Fred Shuttlesworth's endeavor to desegregate Birmingham, Alabama. In his eloquent style of writing, King patiently explains the situation for African Americans before, during, and after his movement for equality. One admires him as a human being much more after reading his own heartfelt words as he remembers these times. King uses simple logic to delineate exactly why he did what he did. Suddenly, after reading this book, a nonviolent direct action movement makes so much sense. History lesson? Story? Documentary in words? Why We Can't Wait is all of these, but above all, this is the work of one man's private and public struggle for civil change. Why we can't afford not to read this book: It looks back at a darker time in American history, more specifically, in 1963. As a student, just knowing that these turbulent times were not too long ago is somewhat upsetting. However, this book serves as a document marking how far America has come since then. The afterword by Jesse Jackson demonstrates this purpose perfectly.

Dr. King's "Why We Can't Wait" is a remarkable book. The chapter containing the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is one of the great political, religious and social works humanity has ever produced. If you read nothing else about the civil rights movement, or about Martin Luther King, this letter will show you why it was the right thing to do, why he won a Nobel Peace Prize, and why America (and the world) is a better place because King lived.

Every American should read two documents: The Constitution and "The Letter from Birmingham Jail."

I often wonder why we honor Martin Luther King with a holiday. For those who wonder why, read this book. In this book, King uses non violent techniques to force a change in the structure of race relations in this brutal city. The sixties could have been such a violent time in America had it not been for Dr. King.
With his techniques, he changed the social landscape in the deep South for the better. Why we can't wait is his reason why blacks should not tolerate a gradual change in race relations, but one that recognizes that change is needed as soon as possible.

If all you know of MLK is his I Have A Dream speech, you should definitely read this book. The book does a good job detailing his life and the struggle he lead for civil rights in this country. My main problem is that book seems to be too reverent of MLK. His extra-marital affairs are not examined at all in the light of how such a moral leader could have betrayed his wife. Also, the book examines his stand against the Viet Nam war, but never really asks the question of how much more the civil rights struggle might have progressed if this stand had not been made. But MLK was a great man and all Americans should know his story. Even though I knew had the book had to end, I still felt choked up when I read through the section of his murder.

This book was about a big part of our United States History. It was about Civil Rights. Martin Luther King Jr. was a big Civil Rights activist in the 1960's. I learned quite a bit about Martin Luther Kings's life that I did not know before I had read this book.
Martin Luther King was one of the most important people of our country's history. He fought for African-Americans Civil Rights. He was a very determined man, who was alwyas put into jail numerous times for his "peaceful protests". He had given several speeches as well. The author of this book is Stephen B. Oates. He is a good writer, who has written 16 books.He has also won many literary prizes such as the Christopher Award. This book is very well written. He clearly tells the story as if he had experienced it. His strenghts include: Getting actual quotes from the people that were important in this time, having pictures of Mr. King and others, and having footnotes that explained the story more in depth. I can not think of many weaknesses that he has. However, the book was long but I did not expect it to be short due to the importance of the topic. I would reccomend this book to many people. The reason why is because it tells you in depth stories about Martin Luther King Jr. and his life, but it does have profanity and innappropriate content for young children. All in all, this was a very good biography and taught me many things.

This is the best biography I've read, not only about King but overall. Oates does a fine job balancing between illuminating details that help make King accessible to the reader without getting bogged down in this detail. Likewise, this balance provides a fine introduction to the Civil rights movement. (I don't consider a weakness of Let the Trumpets Sound that Oates doesn't dwell on certain of Kings weaknesses, as he instead focuses on King's message and actions; again, I think Oates concentrates on the myriad aspects of King's life, and the movement, that truly were important.)

Anybody trying to learn more about the Civil rights Movement should read this (along with such books the Autobiograpohy of Malcolm X and any of a number of books about Gandhi).

Pappas' reasearch is very engaging. Yes King did steal his most famous essays and speechs and back his theory up with hard facts.

On reviewer on this cite insisted that King's doctoral thesis reads similar to Jack Boozer's but does not rise to plagiarism. As Pappas points out, when Boozer cites a quote from Tillich he mis-cites page 282 istead of page 252. An honest mistake. But King aslo cites page 282 rather than 252. Clearly the two did not mis-cite the quote by mere coincidence.

Pappas' only problem is that he does not use this book to break down King in whole. I'm still amazed that King and Jesus are the only two people honored with national holidays.

I too was brought up to admire King. However after researching his life I find nothing about it worth celebrating. In fact I find him as being the source of many of our race problems today. The book should have focused on debunking King in whole.

...

The great thing about Theodore Pappas' account is its transparent fair-mindedness. Pappas is interested solely in the ramifications of intellectual corruption; he isn't an apparatchik at all. Thus, his scrupulously documented account of MLK's (and other late-twentieth-century demigods') mania for literary theft can't be accused of ideological axe-grinding. He sets out the facts in the most sober manner possible. Moreover, his style is clear, trenchant and unassuming all at once.

Theodore Pappas' book is a devastating look at the state of academia and "scholarship." The treatment of MLK, Jr's dissertation is especially troubling.

I knew very little about MLK and the civil rights movement before reading this book. It was a very detailed account of MLK's involvement in civil rights and his personal life. From the late 50's to his death the author tells you practically everything about his life. Though it would be easy for an author to be bias toward or against King, I felt that Garrow did a good job of just telling the story and leaving conclusions to the reader.

Although not completed I already have the idea that it should be required reading for Seniors in High School and/or a Freshman College requirement. After all it is a most significant event of modern day history along with the civil war and both world wars. David Garrow simultaneously celebrates and condemns human nature by revealing the courage and strength of Dr. King and his followers even as his wife and daughter are attacked with fire bombs by the hateful white mobs. A very compelling beginning story of Rosa Parks... the injustices and inhumane treatment she suffered at the hands of a hate filled people...sets the stage for a work that could begin a lesson in tolerance and unity for our next generations. I unfortunately believe we are still condemned to live our hateful existence in America and the world until works like this can get the attention they deserve.

First of all, this isn't a biography for the weak-hearted. It's around 1,000 pages on long. Rather than bouncing from Montgomery to Birmingham to Selma, as if the Southern Civil Rights Movement carried itself entirely on momentum, this book explores the details and compromises that went into King's political maneuverings.

Garrow is also unafraid to discuss King's frailties, implicitly positing (and answering) the question: don't a persons public actions and deeds outweigh their private shortcomings? (yes)

This is not only the best book on King that exists, it may very well be the best book on the Southern Civil Rights Movement of the 60's that exists.