Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year

“Death of a King” is one of those books that changed my life after reading it. Never have I read a book that so intricately described a person that I have heard about so much in my life. Tavis Smily (with David Ritz) put together a truly powerful book that shows the complexity of following your heart, even when the crowd is no longer with you. In this book, you see the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after the “I Have a Dream Speech”. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who had to battle people questioning his moves against the Vietnam War, questioning the efficacy of non-violence, and people questioning whether Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. really could bring about the “Dream” he so believed in. Yet, you also get to the see the other side of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that is rarely discussed. You see the Dr. King, who likes to joke, is worried about his duties as a father, listening to Aretha Franklin, and trying to keep his struggling non-profit together. You’ll see the depressed side, the personally morally conflicted side, the angry side, the tired side, and more. After seeing so many frozen images of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. as a civil rights activist, this was the first book I read that treated him as a human. It’s a truly multi-faceted and well-researched book that I would put in the same category of Alex Haley’s “Autobiography of Malcolm X”. I encourage anyone who wants to do a deeper study of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his life to read it. I got this book from the library, but I’m buying it for my personal collection. There is great content for reflection in each chapter. It is amazing that Tavis Smiley was able to capture the essence of Dr. King’s life in one year in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beautifully written book, delicately written with pure interest, respect and love. I loved it and wanted to read the whole thing in one day.

No Blackification or Diatification here. The raw reality of King taking on the powers of 1970 American. Martin King is seen in a very different light and one that brings out the depth of his importance to America

I purchased this Book from Amazon and have read about 30% , It is fairly written but is not a very good Read I find that the Author's use of " Doc " when referring to Rev. King to be Off-Putting in that I am not familiar with that nickname being used in the past. So far I have found nothing New to justify the Sub Title "The Real Story Of Dr.Martin Luther King"

This is a very inspiring book and makes me think a lot about how life was back then with only white people being treated well and other skins having to suffer i just it realy makes me think about that time and i just feel so bad but then martin luther king came in and gave his i had a dream speech and know because of hime we can all do the same thing he really was a hero that i bet nobody would forget

I thought this book by Tavis Smiley was insightful into the life of Dr. King. A lot of things about the man that I don't think many people know. A lot of what the book says is also Smiley's interpretation from his research. A good, easy flowing read, just the same.

Tavis Smiley is captivating in his report of Dr. King's plight. His oratory skills are dynamic and entertaining, while recreating a vivid account of this historical time. Well worth anyone's time and effort to add this literary piece to their collection.