Hellhound on His Trail

The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

By: Hampton Sides

Narrated by: Hampton Sides

Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

From the acclaimed best-selling author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder, a taut, intense narrative about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the largest manhunt in American history.

On April 23, 1967, Prisoner #416J, an inmate at the notorious Missouri State Penitentiary, escaped in a breadbox. Fashioning himself Eric Galt, this nondescript thief and con man - whose real name was James Earl Ray - drifted through the South, into Mexico, and then Los Angeles, where he was galvanized by George Wallace's racist presidential campaign.

On February 1, 1968, two Memphis garbage men were crushed to death in their hydraulic truck, provoking the exclusively African American workforce to go on strike. Hoping to resuscitate his faltering crusade, King joined the sanitation workers cause, but their march down Beale Street, the historic avenue of the blues, turned violent. Humiliated, King fatefully vowed to return to Memphis in April.

With relentless storytelling drive, Sides follows Galt and King as they crisscross the country, one stalking the other, until the crushing moment at the Lorraine Motel when the drifter catches up with his prey.

Against the backdrop of the resulting nationwide riots and the pathos of Kings funeral, Sides gives us a riveting cross-cut narrative of the assassins flight and the 65-day search that led investigators to Canada, Portugal, and England - a massive manhunt ironically led by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI.

Magnificent in scope, drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished material, this nonfiction thriller illuminates one of the darkest hours in American life - an example of how history is so often a matter of the petty bringing down the great.

©2010 Hampton Sides (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

"Sides's storytelling packs a visceral punch, and in Hellhound on His Trail, he crafts an authoritative and riveting account of two intersecting lives that altered the course of American history." (Amazon.com review)

Entertaining story of tragic incident

Where does Hellhound on His Trail rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very good book. Good history of turbulent late 60s and tragic death of MLK

The facts. The story.

If these are the facts then the book, Orders to Kill, is a fabrication. I tend to think this one has it close to real story. Great vocabulary and it's used properly. The performance was spot on. Recommended highly.

Spectacular Storytelling

I hesitated purchasing, assuming I would eventually just discount any further reading once this became yet another hate-filled racist rant. Instead, this book turned out to be a spectacularly researched and written masterpiece with virtually no undertones, telling the good, the bad, and the ugly without hiding from either side of the same incredibly suspenseful story. I owe this book my gratitude for finally explaining why we celebrate one man, and (correctly) demonize the acts of all ignorant men.

A Bit Too Long

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - the story is complex. While there's not much new information in the book, from what I can tell, this is a comprehensive overview of events.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

No, it didn't - but I didn't expect it to. This is a non-fiction book about the assassination of Martin Luther King and we all know that's what it was about.

Which scene was your favorite?

N/A

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - it's too long.

Any additional comments?

The book goes on for a long time and seems routine once the assassination has taken place. I'd like to have seen more discussion of theories about who - if anyone - was behind the assassination. Was Ray really a lone wolf? Why does the author think so or not?

Could not stop listening

I was only 8 when MLK was killed, and somehow made it this far in life without knowing a lot of the details of this tragic event. This book fills in those gaps and does so in a way that makes it read like a thriller. I found myself skipping over my usual daily podcasts in order to finish this. The author doesn't whitewash over the flaws of King and his surrounding cast, but doesn't dwell on them unnecessarily, either. A very fine book.

The author reads and does a terrific job as well.

Great Book

Hampton Sides did a great job of narrating this book. He did a wonderful job doing the voices. When you hear or read this story it's like a fictional mystery except it's very real.
I would like these so called conspiracy buffs read this book. They may have second thoughts of what really happened.
They will actually find out the truth.

Great Book - I love Hampton Sides!

Where does Hellhound on His Trail rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This retelling of MLK’s last days and months immediately following his assassination, juxtaposed with the detailed accounting of what was happening with his assailant, is excellent. The writing reminds me quite a bit of Eric Larson’s writing - weaving two stories together, though MLK and Ray are tied in a much more concrete way. Sides manages to get this history lesson to read like a good mystery. And the details he puts in create a sense of connection. The book is also read very well.

Well written, Well narrated by author

That difficult balance between fact reporting and doing so in an interesting manner accomplished. Thoroughly entertaining.

Fascinating!

Loved how the story was told and written. Would recommend to anyone wanting to learn about historical accuracy.

skilled writing, well narrated

This book held my attention. The author did a good job of narrating his own work. However, justice was not done to the British accents. This nonfiction story lacked comic relief, but was otherwise very interesting.