"As a crime fiction writer, I know you can't make this stuff up. As an American, I'm troubled that it is still so entirely believable—and topical—some fifty years later."
—Theresa Schwegel, Edgar Award Winner
In 1999, a largely unknown civil trial found government agencies guilty of conspiring to assassinate Martin Luther King. The verdict and other circumstances have cast doubt on initial findings that a blundering criminal named James Earl Ray operated as the lone perpetrator. Drawing from a vast bounty of shrouded government reports, preeminent books, articles and witness accounts, Dan Taber offers an astute answer to the question of who was really responsible for the death of the greatest American equal rights proponent.
Curiously, that answer is connected to a continually unfolding story. Fifty years later, echoes of the civil rights era resound. Systemic racism remains and the forces that foster wealth inequality have grown stronger. In order to cultivate change, it is necessary to recognize the obstacles to cultural progress. Therein lies the extraordinary value of Tragedy of Kings. It traces the evolution of gluttonous corporate strategies and demonstrates how propaganda is driven into the minds of voters through industry-backed online campaigns. Incidentally, the destructive impacts of business consolidation, white-collar crime and inadequate education are illuminated. There are a lot of reasons why all of this matters, but most importantly, knowledge is the power that will revive King's dream.
