Parting the Waters

America in the King Years, 1954-63

By: Taylor Branch

Narrated by: Joe Morton, CCH Pounder

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

This audio adaptation focuses primarily on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the key moments that defined his rise to the forefront of the civil rights movement. From Rosa Parks' monumental arrest in Montgomery to King's imprisonment in Birmingham and his triumphant march on Washington, Taylor Branch provides an unsurpassed portrait of King's rise to greatness. He illuminates the stunning courage and private conflict, the deals, maneuvers, betrayals, and rivalries that determined history behind closed doors, at boycotts and sit-ins, on bloody freedom rides, and through siege and murder.

Parting the Waters is the first volume in Taylor Branch's three-volume history, America in the King Years. Don't miss Pillar of Fire or At Canaan's Edge.

©1998 Taylor Branch, All Rights Reserved (P)1998 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved, AUDIOWORKS is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

• Pulitzer Prize Winner, 1989, History

Powerful...Moving!!

The details of this historic movement are riveting and moving. The right people at the right time doing the right thing.

Outstanding story well told.

This is the best audio book reading gets.
The story rings with truth and behind the scenes detail. The narration by two people is the best I’ve heard. Renewed my hope for future downloads.

Eloquent and Riveting

This book was fascinating! I learned details of events only mentioned or never mentioned in history books. Detailed it was, but it never lagged. I can't wait to listen to the next volume of Branch's work. I am a history teacher of mostly white students in South Carolina. This book will greatly enhance my teaching of the Civil Rights Movement. For that I am most grateful.

Great underlying work, but poorly abridged

Great storytelling & performance, but would prefer that audible provided a full version. The abridgement resulted in an uneven pace, you can really feel the gaps.

Good book, informative and detailed

Great story, flows well and keeps you interested. It assumes the listener (reader) already has a knowledge of some basic landmark events and dates. Without a strong understanding of those events there are a few places I had to rewind/ look them up.

So much I didn't know

With the difficult political climate that faces as now I wanted to go back in time to learn about the civil rights movement. I'm ashamed that so much of this is new to me I'm so glad that I got to listen to this. It was truly inspirational.

A geat series

I agree with the previous reviewer. Great book lousy sound.
I've listened to the Taylor Branch trilogy about King and regard it as the most balanced telling of one of America's most important stories. I was inspired by the courage of so many, mostly unknown, people. Black, white, old, young, Jewish, Christian etc. etc. I'm not an American and I'm not a person of color, but the story of the US civil rights movement and the capacity of the USA to grow and change, makes me glad to have you guys as neighbours.

Parting the Waters

Spellbounding presentation of an award winning book. I got it to listen as I drove and I and my wife really enjoyed it. I only wished I had the unabridged.

intriguing

very enlightening. I wish every African-American would be required to listen to this story. I found particularly informative the marchers braved through it was much more than dogs and fire hoses. This I never knew. Also was the fact that MLK was not held in high esteem by everyone during that time since I was only 5 years old and he died I missed this entire movement. great book

Amazing.

Great story of the history of MLK and his partners. Great courage by the people of that time.