Let the Trumpet Sound

by Stephen B. Oates

Book Overview

"The most comprehensive, the most thoroughly researched and documented, the most scholarly of the biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr." --Henry Steele Commanger, Philadelphia InquirerWinner of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006092473X
• ISBN13: 9780060924737
• Release Date: December 1993
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 586 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Received Paperback paid for & was promised Hardcover… NOT Happy.

Shame on you for Advertising a hardcover and shipping a heavily used paperback. Honesty is expected and our overwhelming experience in the used book trade. So when someone is NOT honest it’s particularly disappointing.

Masterful balanced biography

Stephen Oates writes a masterful biography of one of the pivotal figures of the twentieth century. Today we view Martin Luther King Jr. as a saint, and a model of what the human spirit can achieve. In his day, he was viewed by many in the South with fear, hatred and loathing. It is easy to view this situation in hindsight, and assume that everyone was just ignorant. Oates writes of the complex history, the battles within and outside "the movement" and how divided the nation was at the time. Oates also does not shirk away from many of Martin Luther King's personal weaknesses. In this sense, he humanizes the great leader, instead of canonizes him.In the end, I am left with three conclusions:1 - Martin Luther King Jr. indeed found a way to overcome hatred with love, and in doing so helped America avoid a race war.2 - The message of civil rights was both religeous and personal. Despite today's views of the right being the party of religeon, in his day the southern liberal movement was galvanized in the church.3 - Despite this, he was a flawed individual. His human weakness does not diminish his accomplishment.The book is not light reading. Read it. Let it soak in. And comprehend.

Important book about a hero

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).

enlightening, portrays MLK, Jr. as I never knew him

I didn't know much about Martin Luther King, Jr. before I found this book in a second hand store and picked it up just because it looked interesting. I am glad I did. I finished this book respecting MLK and his message more than I ever thought possible. It amazes me that MLK so accurately pegged the United States attitudes about racism, social injustice and the Vietnam War in the heat of the moment--a true visionary. It is a shame that whenever somebody in this world tries to change things for the better somebody feels the need to kill them. Stephen Oates' portrayal is honest and forthright. An admirable performance. I highly recommend it.

Reverence from the gut

I was fortunate enough to study under this brilliant and passionate man at the Univ. of Massachusetts. his heart-felt lectures are tangible, leaving the listiner hungry for more when the damn bell rings. Compassion, sympathy, and an overwhelming desire to understand, are the standards which seperate this man from most.

This book portrays his life so perfectly.

It makes me feel like I was in his place at the time. I got the tingles whenever I read the line "I have a dream!" Reading this book just makes me feelghtful, because now I know a little bit better of the struggles that the black race went through.