History Maker Martin Luther King Jr: History Maker, (Paperback)

Publishers Weekly,When I was a young man growing up in Bradford, West Yorkshire," Reddie, the son of Jamaican immigrants recalls, "King was second only to Jesus within our Christian household." From this British perspective, he offers a brief biography that American readers unfamiliar with the landmark events of King's path may find useful. While Reddie (Black Muslims in Britain) promises "to get behind the powerful image-making industry, to discover the real King," his straightforward chronological biography simply proceeds through King's domestic life (birth, education, death) and his political life (Montgomery, Ala.; Atlanta; Albany, Ga.; Birmingham, Ala.; the March on Washington; Selma, Miss.; Chicago, Memphis). Reddie seeks as well to address the " ���whitewashing' of King's ideas and image since his assassination," which appears largely to have to do with his "foibles and indiscretions." While recounting both the now well-known internal conflicts among the diverse organizations and people involved in the civil rights movement and equally well-reported accounts of King's sexual behavior, Reddie offers nothing new. However, this amply illustrated compact account could serve as a handy introduction for novices. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.,Publishers Weekly,Publishers Weekly,When I was a young man growing up in Bradford, West Yorkshire," Reddie, the son of Jamaican immigrants recalls, "King was second only to Jesus within our Christian household." From this British perspective, he offers a brief biography that American readers unfamiliar with the landmark events of King's path may find useful. While Reddie (Black Muslims in Britain) promises "to get behind the powerful image-making industry, to discover the real King," his straightforward chronological biography simply proceeds through King's domestic life (birth, education, death) and his political life (Montgomery, Ala.; Atlanta; Albany, Ga.; Birmingham, Ala.; the March on Washington; Selma, Miss.; Chicago, Memphis). Reddie seeks as well to address the " ���whitewashing' of King's ideas and image since his assassination," which appears largely to have to do with his "foibles and indiscretions." While recounting both the now well-known internal conflicts among the diverse organizations and people involved in the civil rights movement and equally well-reported accounts of King's sexual behavior, Reddie offers nothing new. However, this amply illustrated compact account could serve as a handy introduction for novices. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.