3 comments about Black and White Airmen: Their True History.

1. I bought this book for a paper I was writing in college about the Tuskegee Airmen. This book was great, I read it cover to cover in one sitting. While its not packed with the information other books are, it does include stories from white and African American air and service men. Its also facinating to compare the treatment of men of different races during the war. There is a story behind it that is quite interesting as well considering what a large war it was. I highly recomend this book. If your reading this I ask somthing of you, thank a veteran or service person for what they have done or are doning to protect your rights and freedoms.



2. Fun Fact: If you want to get the attention of a class of sixth graders, tell `em about a book where a guy blew a metal rod through the top of his skull and lived. That'll wake the little buggers up! Yes, when it comes
   to booktalking a work of non-fiction to kids, I've relied on John Fleischman and his book, Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science for years. Insofar as I could ever tell, this was Fleischman's one and only contribution to the world of children's literature, and it was a doozy. Science is rarely so simultaneously gory and well-written. I suppose I had the feeling that maybe Fleischman was some kind of one hit wonder. I mean, he spends most of his time writing scientific articles for journals like Muse and Harvard Health Letter. He also writes for Air & Space Smithsonian, which, had I but known, would have made his latest book a little less left-fieldish for me. "Black and White Airmen: Their True History" is exactly what you want out of your historical non-fiction for kids. It strikes just the right balance of personal stories, historical clarifications, and exciting air battles.
   
   They grew up in the same town, were in the same third grade class, and fought practically side-by-side in the same air battles, but John Leahr and Herb Heilbrun didn't know one another until the year 1997. At that time, Herb read in the paper that the mayor of Cincinnati would be presenting a public award to some Tuskegee pilots not too far away. So Herb crashed the reception. He wanted to thank the guys who'd covered his tail during multiple escort missions and in doing so he met John. Herb and John became fast friends, finding that they had more in common than they had ever expected. Through their eyes, Fleischman tells the story of Fifteenth Air Force and the Tuskegee airmen. He draws attention to racial lines and divides at that time then brings you face-to-face with what it meant to fly an airplane during the Great War. The author is adept at making this a very personal story at one moment and a look at history the next without ever straining his narrative or cutting too quickly. It makes for a startlingly good story.
   
   For kids, the notion that your grandparents and great-grandparents were ever children can be baffling. Baffling and more than a little inconceivable. You might concede that they were capable of fighting in a massive war more than 60 years ago, but that they were ever kids running about reading comic books? Go pull the other one. So some of the best parts of this book come when you see contemporary John and Herb going to classrooms and showing classes a picture of the two of them in third grade. That was part of what I really liked about this title. You see enough of our two heroes as kids to give them some depth and history, but not so much that you get bored waiting for the action to start.
   
   Now a book of this sort becomes a very delicate balancing act early in the game. On the one hand, Fleischman must have known how important it was to give history and context to racism in America during the Second World War. Tying this into John's story is easy enough, considering some of the challenges he faced. But when you write a book about a black pilot and white pilot, the temptation is going to be to sort of ignore the white pilot's tale in favor of the more exciting black pilot's narrative. Fleischman does a good job of evening out the storyline without padding it out or filling it with unnecessary information. Even as you find yourself on Herb's side, you can't help but notice how unfair John's life was in comparison. A kid's temptation would be to blame Herb for his race's stupidities, but Fleischman never allows that to happen. In a way, this book felt like a slightly more fleshed out version of Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement, which paired the stories of a black and a white civil rights activist and their shared experiences in participating in the 1961 Freedom Rides. Yet I found this title superior in terms of showing the ties between the lead characters while really pulling you into their story. Both are great books, but this one felt a little slicker in the delivery.
   
   The portions dealing with racism in America are just great. There are sentences like, "the color line in Cincinnati was invisible in law but razor sharp in daily life." And darned if the author doesn't actually make me interested in airplane and air battles. Admittedly my own grandfather was a pilot in WWII, but I'd never thought to research what he would have gone through in the air. Fleischman includes all sorts of interesting mentions. Planes needed an overhaul if they had five hundred hours "on the clock" (i.e. in the air). You may not think much of that fact when you first hear about it, but when Herb is later given a plane with 521 hours on it, you know he's in for trouble. And exciting? You betcha. There's one moment where Herb tears every single muscle in his upper back just by wrestling his B-17 into formation and then he has to continue to fly it alone through a five-hour mission because his co-pilot was paralyzed by fear and almost killed the entire crew... whew!
   
   A co-worker of mine pointed out that for some kids, certain sections are going to grab their attention more than others. There are definitely child readers out there for whom air battles and combat via planes is going to be the primary focus of their interest with this book. Other kids will want to know about the Tuskegee airmen, and maybe only look at the book from that perspective. Still others might need to find WWII biographies, and this title certainly has two. I like to think that it's the personal stories that will allow some kids to read this book cover to cover, growing close to the real life characters. When Herb finds out that his best friend during the war that he thought was dead turns out, fifty years later, to be alive and living in Minnesota, THAT is amazing and makes for a great read.
   
   Abundant photographs pepper the pages of this book, keeping the eye moving without ever distracting. Fleischman has eschewed the use of pullout boxes or entire pages dedicated to a related topic that pull away from the narrative. This is a smart choice on his part. And while I rarely see authors of non-fiction children's titles justify their lack of source notes, Fleischman is careful to point out that, "I leave source notes to scholars who write about History." Aside from the first-person interviews Fleischman conducted to get much of his information, there is also a nice list of Resources for kids under topics like "For the Tuskegees", "For the air war in general", "For the air war at the movies", etc. An Index is included in the back.
   
   One of the very first things Fleischman says of this true story is, "We have all sorts of `true' stories today that aren't entirely true... True books like this one are usually called `nonfiction,' which is a funny word. All it guarantees is that this book is `not fiction,' that is, that I didn't make it up entirely. Imagine if food were labeled that way; imagine that the ingredients listed on an ice cream wrapper said only `Not stones.'". Be that as it may be, I'll take Fleischman's "not stones" over that of his contemporaries any day of the week. "Black and White Airmen" mixes different kinds of history topics alongside personal recollections with flair. The result is a book I'll be handing to any kid doing a WWII assignment or just wanting to know more about some of the great men who served so long ago.



3. Two boys from Miss Pitchell's third grade class in 1928 Cincinatti, Ohio grew up to be World War II pilots. John Leahr was one of the famed "Tuskegee Airmen", African-American pilots who flew for the United States even as they were being systematically oppressed. Herb Heilbrun flew bombers over Europe completing 35 successful missions. The parallel stories of these two men are told in BLACK AND WHITE AIRMEN: THEIR TRUE HISTORY.
   
   Full of photographs and primary sources, this book is a fascinating look at the different wartime experiences of military men in the segregated armed services. Leahr and Heilbrun became friends later in life and currently speak to students about their experiences. Fleischman details their childhoods, education, service records and their lives after the war. The narrative is exciting with many details that will keep any reader with the slightest interest in flying, history or wartime interested.

5 comments about Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography.

1. I considered myself a fan of Vincent Price since I was a small child. His voice, his height, his choices of roles, I was hooked. However, after having read Victoria's account of his life, I no longer consider myself a fan. Her views on his politics were not necessary. In my opinion, the comments bordered on hate. I wish I had selected a biography written by someone other than Victoria, then I would not have been so disappointed.



2. The one thing you could always count on from Vincent Price was a good performance. Price always gave his all to whatever character he played, be it Brigham Young or Dr. Phibes, Mr. Manningham of Angel Street or Egghead of Batman. He was a professional, through and through.
   
   This biography of Price by his lovely daughter Victoria would certainly have made Vincent proud, for it is also thoroughly professional. The author's prose is about as polished as it gets, which makes reading the book a joy. And the editing is nothing if not top notch.
   
   The book starts with interesting information on Vincent Price's early life in St. Louis, then moves on to his college years (Price graduated from Yale), to his overseas travels, his work in London theatre, his eventual return to the United States and work on Broadway, his marriages to actress Edith Barrett (who bore him a son, Vincent Barrett Price), to designer Mary Grant (who bore him Victoria), to Vincent's work in Hollywood, to his eventual final marriage to actress Coral Browne, and much more.
   
   We learn much about Price's great love for art and of his desire to make art affordable for everyone (which led to Price's work for Sears); of his contributions to various art galleries and his efforts to have a permanent gallery of his own (he had one, for a time, but had to close it); of his travels to exotic places around the world; of his gourmet cooking; of his love for animals; of his extensive work in film (Price made a number of horror films, but most of his work in film was not horror related), of his extensive television and stage work; of his incredible solo show as Oscar Wilde and of his many speeches; and of his relationships with many of the biggest stars of his day, many of whom became his close personal friends.
   
   Some of the most interesting parts of the book were those in which the author wrote of Vincent's relationships with people in general. Although Price was a big star, he apparently treated everyone with the same genial kindness, be they celebrities like himself or mere street sweepers.
   
   So as not to make him into too much of an angel, Victoria also tells of her father's occasional angry outbursts, of his affairs, and of his two divorces. She tells of his insecurities, and of his all-consuming desire to be liked.
   
   Vincent Price has been gone for a few years now - gone but not forgotten. His work remains, as does his spirit in the hearts of his family, friends and fans.



3. Although written in tiny type, it gives a great overview of what Dad Price was all about. I also got some insight into life in the 50s and what a Hollywood star does with his off-time. A bit too detailed at times, such as describing Art life in Hollywood -- I would have liked to have seen more written in other areas than his horror genre -- which was there, just not enough. Overall, good job, a good paced read.



4. Victoria Price has written a book that i feel is a double edged sword toward her father. i've read it many times and prior to buying the Lucy Chase Williams book on Vincent, i'd pull out Victoria's book as a reference for something obscure or whatever. well, those times are over. it is no secret that Vincent was a liberal politically. his interest in art, conservation, and theatre among other things are stereotypically liberal that we didn't need his daughter to hammer the point home because there's some fans out there, like me, who could care less about their favorite actor or singer's political views and i get offended when it comes across that Republicans like myself shouldn't be a fan of Vincent's because "we're bad and want to destroy public TV and arts programs", which is how i took it from reading this book. politics you might ask? it's true! Victoria at times brings up the liberalism that she and her parents lived and practiced but she intentionally or accidentally makes people who don't live that way or think as her friends do as being strange or abnormal...in addition, Victoria goes into detail about his successful career on the stage in playhouses all over the United States and abroad and to me this was informative because most people focus on his horror career only. but, here comes another problem, the lack of information on his horror career and his movies in general. what we're treated to are her accounts of what critics or her father had to say about the movies...she offers no first-hand knowledge and SHE IS HIS DAUGHTER so she should know things we don't already...and by the time this book arrived she had PLENTY of time to watch his horror films and get an opinion of them. but, Vincent's dramatic films are also given very little discussion. if we're to believe her, none of her father's films are worth watching unless they recieved high praise from a nationally known critic or were box office successes. she paints a picture that her father's films can't be open to anyone's viewpoint once a critic has stamped it a bomb or whatever. i've seen quite a few of his so-called flops and they were GREAT! near the end of the book we're told about his career on TV and in commercials. his 1981-1989 run as the host of the PBS classic show "Mystery!" is also touched upon but once again, Victoria showers the chapters with second and third-hand information that family should already know first-hand. the pictures in the book are great!! i love the one where he's with his peers: Karloff, Lorre, and Rathbone during a photo shoot in the early '60s. there is a segment in the book that details Vincent's artistic flamboyance, and she brings up the silly rumors that Vincent was bi-sexual. first off, Vincent's sexual behavior isn't interesting to me! when i'm watching him stare at someone with that menacing look or if he's laughing at some devious scheme he's cooked up, i'm certainly not thinking about who he's sleeping with or who he finds attractive off-screen and so i find this section of the book silly and uncalled for and a MAJOR distraction to what the book was suppose to be, a biography of her father through HER eyes and NOT through the eyes and opinions of critics and industry insiders, which is basically what it turns out to be as a whole!! the only time i see that she gets personal and really says how she feels is when she talks about Vincent and his life with Coral Browne {near the end of the book since the marriage came in 1974}. now, i don't expect Victoria to drop to her knees and kiss the ground her step-mother walked on because after all Coral wasn't Victoria's mother, but at the same time, Corale couldn't have been that awful or else Victoria would've said something DECADES ago to a tabloid paper!! i give this book 3 stars because Victoria doesn't seem to realize that her father's fans aren't interested in rumor, gossip, and alleged communist involvement that were never proven because the accusations were flimsy and had no weight, so it's baffling as to why she'd plant those kind of thoughts about her father to potential new fans who ONLY know of Vincent through Batman re-runs {Vincent played "Egghead" on a few episodes}.



5. Victoria Price's book was a big disappointment. Price's own autobiography covers his early years, and the films are throroughly and more acurately covered by Lucy Chase Williams' book. Victoria's book is long, but the only "new" information would have been better left unsaid. Much of it is republican bashing from both father and daughter, at times it's hard to tell which is actually speaking. To them, it's heroic to oppose fascism, but those who opposed communism as well are "villains". The conservative bashing extended to trying to prevent the John Wayne Cancer Center from getting money Coral Browne willed them!

2 comments about The Lincoln Nobody Knows (American Century).

1. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Lincoln or the Civil War. The author does an excellent job in presenting a mostly unbiased opinion. By stating in the introduction that he allows room for error in his opinions, he sets himself aside from the fanatics and characterizes himself more as a historian in search of the truth than as a man trying to paint Lincoln as he thinks he should be viewed. Moreover, the breath, not sacrificing the depth, of this book is incredible. It covers Lincoln's family and personal life and carries the reader all the way through his assassination. The Lincoln Nobody Knows presents Lincoln as both a down to earth man and as a complex, indispensable historical figure. It causes one to revaluate what he previously held to be fact about Lincoln and it allows room for interpretation-the author doesn't always give an opinion for the reader. Most are "inclined, quite naturally, to discover in Lincoln the beliefs that they themselves espouse," (57). This remains feasible since Lincoln will always be an enigma, but to his credit Current presents sound facts for his arguments and presents both sides, drawing upon many respectable sources. He begins by describing Lincoln's personal and family life-his mother's possible illegitimate birth all the way to Lincoln's relationships with women and Ann Rutledge specifically. It then goes into his involvement in the beginnings of the civil war, his policies and their changes, and the way he conducted the war. That being done, the author finishes by discussing his larger role as a politician, an emancipator, a commander in chief, a martyr and a myth. All of this does well in presenting the multidimensionality of Abraham Lincoln, and it makes one realize that there are not easy answers to questions about good old Abe. It is important to note that much of this text is controversial and a portion of it has implications beyond his contributions to American history-it attempts to define who Lincoln was as a man, not as an idol.



2. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Lincoln or the Civil War. The author does an excellent job in presenting a mostly unbiased opinion. By stating in the introduction that he allows room for error in his opinions, he sets himself aside from the fanatics and characterizes himself more as a historian in search of the truth than as a man trying to paint Lincoln as he thinks he should be viewed. Moreover, the breath, not sacrificing the depth, of this book is incredible. It covers Lincoln's family and personal life and carries the reader all the way through his assassination. The Lincoln Nobody Knows presents Lincoln as both a down to earth man and as a complex, indispensable historical figure. It causes one to revaluate what he previously held to be fact about Lincoln and it allows room for interpretation-the author doesn't always give an opinion for the reader. Most are "inclined, quite naturally, to discover in Lincoln the beliefs that they themselves espouse," (57). This remains feasible since Lincoln will always be an enigma, but to his credit Current presents sound facts for his arguments and presents both sides, drawing upon many respectable sources. He begins by describing Lincoln's personal and family life-his mother's possible illegitimate birth all the way to Lincoln's relationships with women and Ann Rutledge specifically. It then goes into his involvement in the beginnings of the civil war, his policies and their changes, and the way he conducted the war. That being done, the author finishes by discussing his larger role as a politician, an emancipator, a commander in chief, a martyr and a myth. All of this does well in presenting the multidimensionality of Abraham Lincoln, and it makes one realize that there are not easy answers to questions about good old Abe. It is important to note that much of this text is controversial and a portion of it has implications beyond his contributions to American history-it attempts to define who Lincoln was as a man, not as an idol.

1 comments about Linus Pauling: A Man and His Science.

1. This is an excellent compendium of Pauling's life; detailing his major scientific contributions (smaller than is commonly supposed). It also deals with Pauling's shenaningans in destroying the careers of other scientists who disagreed with him. It is excellently written and thoroughly researched, though likely it will irritate the scientific community by exposing many of the sordid practices so common in "objective" science.

3 comments about Founding Father: The Story of Joseph P. Kennedy.

1. This book reads like a a middle school textbook. I found it impossible to read more than a page w/o falling asleep. After a chapter,I gave up. If you want to learn about Joe K.,look elsewhere.



2. Back in AD 1964, the sordid details of Joe Kennedy's life were kept secret. So what you have here is a very incomplete picture. But, if you want to understand his stock trading or his ambassadorship to Great Britain, then this book is for you. But compared to Kearns-Goodwin and Kessler, this is very lop-sided.



3. oddly, you may be surprised about the kennedy's of massachusetts when you finish Whalen's work. It is possible that many have been quick to judge the family in a negative manner. Whalen, however, certainly points out Joseph Kennedy's very wonderful points including love of his family and gracious help for mankind. His charity for a man who wandered into his office off of the streets of Boston having just lost his son-and Mr. Kennedy buying the man a suit and paying for the funeral of that son-is particularly touching. Also of great interest to anyone interested in making a buck is how Mr. Kennedy made so much money in so many different arenas-sold out and took his profit on to the next venture-a sixth sense he had for making big money! author whalen points out this was almost always the case except his keeping ownership of Chicago's Merchandise Mart in the Kennedy name up, I believe, until currently-1998. Buy this work and then be prepared to not put it down for 48! ! hrs.! Of added interest was a historical look at how Joseph Kennedy got into B grade motion picture producing in Hollywood in the early days.

5 comments about Joe Hill.

1. This is a well-researched, fairly well-composed telling of the life and the trial and execution of Mr. Hill, which led to the famous and wonderful song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night." However, it convincingly argues that Joe most likely did MURDER two people that night in Salt Lake City in a botched robbery. So the explosive part of the story is not that "The copper bosses killed you, Joe" as the song declares, but that Joe got a fair trial, for his era, even in Utah. He was his own worst enemy during the legal proceedings, unwilling to cooperate with his attorneys and unable or unwilling to declare a credible alibi. This does not negate the power of some of his labor songs, or the power of songs about him, for songs do not have to tell the truth to be good songs. But to see four reviews, none of which point out that Joe was guilty, after all, is amazing. You can't read this book and respect Mr. Hill quite as much after you are done as you did when you were ignorant of the circumstances of the case. The song says "They framed you on a murder charge" and there has NEVER been any believable evidence produced to support the line. I wish the song WAS true, frankly.



2. This was a christmas present for my son. He really liked it. He heard about Joe Hill at a Joan Baez concert, and wanted to know more about him.



3. One of my friends, a Yale student, was reading this during a trip and I picked it up mostly out of boredom, then pratically made myself car sick finishing it on the bus. Anyone with a nominal interest in politics and labor unions should consider this an important part of their required reading, as well as anyone who is simply interested in fascinating and well-written books on subjects that too often disappear into the dusty shelves of public libraries. Pick it up; try it out! Reading is fun.



4. This book has never been out of print! It is afterall, the book that got author Gibbs Smith into the publishing business.



5. It's a shame the publisher is no longer printing this book. In a day and age of extremely poor role models Joe Hill is a breath of relief. These are the kinds of books that should be required reading in history and government classes. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a democrat. It's no wonder this is on the Rage Against the Machine reading list...

2 comments about Hold the Flag High.

1. This book is the story about the Massachusetts 54th Regiment during the Civil War, which was all African American. This book appears to be designed for early elementary students, but the nature of the artwork would be appealing to older students, including English language learners. This perspective story could be an excellent way to engage students to talk about the Civil War, ethnicity, bigotry, exclusion, and tough diversity issues.



2. A stirring, patriotic and yet perhaps little known story of a Civil War battle. I found it too mature for younger than 7-year olds, but with some background information it could be read to them effectively. The 2nd graders I read to were very interested but puzzled when they found the battle had been lost. They cheered up to see the actual photo of the hero and to hear the war was eventually won. Third to sixth graders will enjoy reading it for themselves and may be encouraged to seek out more Civil War history.

2 comments about The Civil War Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.

1. Insight is key to this book written by Grant from basically his death bed. What we learn from Grant in this book gives us an opportunity to understand his intentions, strategies and how he worked with people. Grant tries to be very fair in his writing that covers his early days as a colonel to full-fledged commander of the US Army. His style is basic and easy to understand. At times the book feels like he is giving a history lesson about the war and sometimes is vague about triumphs or failures. I was looking forward to reading about Grant's work with the battle of Cold Harbor and he was completely brief in this book considering it was a major conflict. But, this was Grant's choice to write and memoir depth is subject to author decision. Grant does pack a lot of information in and also has interesting coverage in regards to Lee's surrender. Anyone studying Grant or looking for further insight owes it to themselves to consider reading this book.



2. The only criticism here is that the editors saw fit to edit this masterpiece of American literature. This is a little like editing Shakespeare or the Bible. Don''t tamper with genius! This criticism aside...

   General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher, bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

   Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

   Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

   Though Grant's Memoirs were written 113 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them in! their entirity 30 times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. A truly oustanding book.

1 comments about A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: The Life of Louis Houck (Missouri Biography Series) (Missouri Biography Series).

1. Joel P. Rhodes (Associate Professor of History, Southeast Missouri State University) presents A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: The Life of Louis Houck, an extensively researched biography of business entrepreneur and self-taught railroader Louis Houck, who not only built an enterprise, but also brought art, culture, and formal education to all social classes. Though A Missouri Railroad Pioneer is at its heart an engaging glimpse into the life of a turn-of-the-century tycoon, railroad enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the insights into the evolution of America's railroad system. Written in plain terms for lay readers and historians alike, A Missouri Railroad Pioneer is a welcome addition to biography shelves.

5 comments about The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr and the Speech that Inspired a Nation.

1. Few speeches in American history are as well known or had the impact of the "Dream Speech". Hansen's wonderful book gives us a unique and insider's view of how the speech was developed, its roots in scripture and in King's lifetime of words up to that point. The analysis of the composition gives the reader a new appreciation of the speech's powerful messages, but also of the sheer beauty of the rhythm and cadence of the words. You can almost hear King's voice come off the pages.



2. Martin Luther King was not an unusual black man; in fact, he wanted much of what many black men before him, probably all black men and women wanted. But Martin Luther King was a very unusual man, who happened to be black. His degree of passion, his conviction, his hope, and his perseverance were unlike most before him, and most after him, with the inspired, God given desire to make the world a better place for everyone, including blacks. His vision was not just the result of respect and reliance by his people, it was divinely inspired so that his passion, his hope emerged and blossomed before millions, many of whom were not familiar with him, his history, or his prominence and reputation. He was possessed of those rare qualities, and that rare talent, of the ability to inspire others to believe in themselves, and the world, that they had the dignity to alter their own dynamics, the manner in which they lived, and in the manner in which they were treated by others. As an evangelist, he was superb. For that, like Jesus, and many other prophets who have been threatening to the status quo, his ability to show others the way to self respect and to peace were certainly the force of why his life was taken so early, and so brutally. He was more than a leader; he was a messiah for the many black people who had waited so long for one to lead them out of the psychological bondage which was still very real to them. He positioned himself to show the way, and how to do it in the least offensive manner possible, by non-violence. He was a pillar of strength that even whites unfamiliar with him understood the necessity of yielding to God's will, instinctively knowing that all men were equal, and that all needed the recognition of being equal. Indeed, whites were aware of their obligation under the Constitution to recognize that equality but felt no compulsion to expect it of themselves until Martin forced them to face the truth they had so long avoided. Not only did he demand of blacks the energy and commitment to themselves, he demanded the energy and commitment of whites to respect themselves by being brave enough to help resolve the problem that had long festered in American social reality. The timing was right; the message was right, and Martin was right. He allowed none out of God's boat and helped everyone see that upon that ship, we were all afloat upon the ocean of humanity, and would indeed survive or perish. That message remains very much a part of his legacy, and today's reality although we face other issues as well, and the issues are now broader than ever. No one on earth has the option to say no to God and expect that it will be of no consequence to the world. He was the most remarkable of men that America has ever produced guided by his own devine light within as a beacon of humanity for all to follow.



3. Let me get first vent about the frustrating parts of this book before I get to the good stuff. First, at 229 pages of text, this was a rather short book, made shorter by Hansen's annoying habit of repeating important stretches of speeches. Second, the chapter analyzing the various drafts of the speech is probably better suited to a scholarly dissection of the speech than to a popular book. As was the chapter describing King's preaching style. And I got tired of ascribing every change in the speech to MLK's "genius". The man was exhausted, under threat and working on the run. Surely some of his decisions could have gone differently?

   But minor grumpiness aside, I found this book hard to put down. The description of the organization for the August 1963 March on Washington was fascinating in its details about the people who attended it. One got the impression that the day was pretty disorganized, with the crowd making decisions on its own about when to start marching. Hansen also did a nice job of showing the internal disharmonies among groups within "the movement," as well as hinting that MLK's leadership done to him rather than pursued by him -- less because of his ability to manage and lead than because of his philosophical sophistication, personal courage, stamina and eloquence. That King comes across as a preacher and a prophet (as opposed to a great organizer) does him no disservice, but actually helps to humanize him and make the Civil Rights movement more real. Hansen did a nice job handling the post-1963 life of the speech. He is honest about the impatience that some blacks felt about the 'dreaminess' of the speech, especially as the movement's gains stalled and the violence continued. Hansen nicely captures the slightly radioactive nature of the speech among national politicians (many of whom were wary of King's alleged Communist sympathies) in the years before King's death and the cloyingly hagiographic tributes about King and the speech after 1968.

   Hansen shows how King's memory has been sanitized and rendered harmless by linking him exclusively with the "I Have a Dream" speech. In opposing the Jim Crow laws, a main (but not the only) point of the speech, King targeted a system that was abhorrent to Northern whites and a source of shame to many in the South. Getting rid of it was the relatively easy matter of making the abuses public. But King's next targets proved more difficult -- the hard work of eliminating more subtle forms of racism from American hearts on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. King's premature death allowed Americans to accept him as a national martyr and prophet, but ironically delayed the more difficult soul-searching about America's war plans in Vietnam, its endemic racism and the blind economic violence perpetrated against the poor and powerless.




4. I read "The Dream" in one sitting this weekend. The book vividly recaptures the spirit of the time during which Rev. King developed and delivered this inspiring and world-changing speech. At first I was afraid that the author's decomposition of the speech would diminish the power and effectiveness of the speech. On the contrary, his deep exploration into the speech itself and the events leading up to that day, together with fresh perspectives on the moment itself and the years following its delivery enhanced my admiration for both the speech and Rev. King. The author's inescapable conclusion is that there was much, much more at work than a man delivering a televised speech to a supportive crowd. This singular moment in Rev. King's life was the catalyst for much of the advancement that we all benefit from today. Yet this same event is also being used by some to impede further progress in the complete fulfillment of The Dream. This is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about the history of that day and its subsequent impact over the next 40 years. It will also be of particular relevance to those with an interest in public speaking.



5. I've listened to King's famous speech dozens of times and read a number of books on King, but it wasn't until reading Hansen's captivating description and analysis of the speech that I realized how little I knew about this seminal event in American history. This book is unusual in that it is both hugely readable and phenomenally informative and insightful.