The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

This is an outstanding biography and it accounts for the full story of Dr. King, literally from cradle to grave. Martin Luther King Jr. at university, when he met his wife Coretta, their children being born, the movement begins, fights and struggles, getting arrested etc. etc. Carson does an absolutely amazing job transporting the reader into Dr. King's thoughts, ideas and feelings. I have only read a couple of other biographies that I rank as high as I rank this one. The other two are Che Guevara and Malcolm X's biographies.

Few people are given strength, means and opportunity to make a real and great impact in the world. Martin Luther King Jr. was not only given such opportunity; he seized upon his opportunity as well. His fights and sacrifices made life better not only for millions of black people in America - his fight made the world a better place to be for all of us.

The author uses Dr. King's letters, college papers, and speeches; such as the "I have a dream" speech from 1963, and the Nobel Peace Prize speech from 1964 when telling his story. I had never read the whole "I have a dream" speech, so I greatly enjoyed that.

Carson has done a great jobs combining his own research with Dr. King's own speeches and writings and this is all masterfully woven together into a unique biography. Dr. King had a huge impact on the Civil Right movement, and he made his way into American history as one of its greatest, most charismatic leaders ever.

My recommendation is given for two reasons. Firstly, Dr. King is an extraordinary interesting subject, but also because of Carson's excellent job writing this biography.

Great read - highly recommended!


Brilliantly conceived life of a brilliant man   October 23, 2001
Richard E. Hourula (Berkeley, CA. United States)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful

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.


Wonderful insight into Dr. King's philosophy   January 26, 2001
Ken Showman (Redmond, WA USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Clayborne Carson has done a great job of combining MLK's writings and speeches into a single narrative that tells the story of King's life and the amazing impact he had on the U.S. civil rights movement. This is not Mr. Carson writing from the perspective of Dr. King; it's King's words almost verbatim, with relatively minor editorial changes to allow disparate writings to flow together into an autobiography that otherwise simply would not exist. Of course, as any autobiography would, this book only tells the story of the civil rights movement from a single perspective -- but in this case, that perspective gives truly unique insight into the philosophy that drove King every day of his life. And it's impossible not to be moved by King's last sermon, which ends with an inspiring, heart-wrenching foreshadowing of the fate that awaited him the very next day.


The Manifestation of a great Man   July 18, 2001
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

The autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. is a manifestation of his thoughts, words, philosophies, and his way of life, reborn and written by Clayborne Carson. Carson has done a great job re-writing Kings life, and combining his letters, and speeches, and notes with his words to create the world of Martin Luther King again for us. The book gives us good insight on MLK's life, and his impact on the civil rights movement. You get to know his standpoints well, and how the man worked things out. Sadly you mostly can read about MLK's life inside the civil rights movement, and less about him at home, or his relationship with his family. This is a good one to help you gain insight on the civil rights movement of that time, and all in all, is a great and interesting book to read even if the civil rights is not your main interest.


Moving and Vital   December 8, 2005
Kevin Stickley (Austin, TX)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

When every child turns 16 in this country they should be required to read this book. I can't think of any other book that hit me so hard in the gut. Each page was a revelation, a call to humanity. MLK wasn't a saint but he was such a deeply focused, powerful person that his influence will be felt as long as this species roams this earth. Every chapter is perfectly put together, cohesive and augmented by personal papers, speeches, etc. the Editor knows his subject and it shows in the way the book, the story is organized. Simply inspirational.