The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The most powerful aspects of this "autobiography" are the excerpts from Dr. King's speeches. It is stunning to hear him speak to the very first meeting of the Montgomery bus boycott supporters (after first hearing how little time he had to prepare) and to also hear the voices of the crowd chiming in their approval. The text that stiches the speech excerpts together is considerably weaker, because that text was not written by Dr. King and lacks his eloquence. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating insight into a great leader and an extraordinary time in American history.

I rarely post reivews but this book was beautifully done. Pulled together from the writings of MLK and featuring many of his recorded speeches this is a wonderful work of scholarship and, with Kings renowed oratory style, especially well suited for listening (though recording quality of King's early speeches is uneven, it gets much better as we move through the chronology of King's life). Sadly for society, his insights and eloquent comments on social inquality and American forgein policy remain right on point. Overall though, this work stands as a testament to the capaity of individuals to change the world.

I enjoyed this audio book that was created from Dr. King's writings and speeches. The narration by Levar Burton is excellent and made even more compelling by the inclusion of some of Dr. King's actual speeches. We hear about the experiences, the moral and philosophical influences, and the circumstances that propelled Dr. King to the forefront of the civil rights movement. We learn why he maintained his commitment to non-violent and racially inclusive demonstrations while other leaders began to advocate separatism and the use of violence, if necessary. His assessment of Malcolm X and his concerns about the decision of other black leaders to make the slogan "Black Power" a prominent part of the movement are highlights.

I was surprised to learn that in the 1960's, Dr. King characterized the U.S. as a society fueled by consumption and that he believed that the inflammatory rhetoric of the vocal opponents of equal rights was intended to create an atmosphere that would provoke an act of violence. Both of these observations appear to have relevance today.

This is not as comprehensive as a biography; there is little about Dr. King's family life after his early years. However, it provides the details about the various strategies developed and implemented (not always successfully) in the different cities where Dr. King led demonstrations and negotiations, as well as the thoughtful considerations behind Dr. King's controversial opposition to the Vietnam War.

This was an EXCELLENT book/recording. The way the reading is interspersed with Dr. King's speeches is excellent. The choice of the narrator was spot on. Some of the sound quality of the speeches is low but that is simply unavoidable due to the age and circumstances they were recorded in.

I was very impressed at how Dr. King's faith touched every area of his short life.

Just for everyone's information, I am not African American. But I think that every white person should listen to this to and learn the reality of discrimination that is not entirely removed from society today. (Not only against African Americans but many others too.)

I think every African American should listen to this to get a true picture of who Dr. King was in his own words and hear his depth of faith.
Anyone of would benefit from listening to this recording.

Close to the top

It gave me an understanding and appreciation that I didn't have before

I really liked the audio clips they added of Martin Luther Kings real voice giving speeches

Yes but I had to listen in parts

Very powerful story of taking the energy of peace and love into the problems of his day and bringing about necessary change. These methods are what is needed to continue to resolve the current problems of our current time and remembered to be practiced in our daily lives.I highly recommend this book. Wonderfully written! The reading by Levar Burton is most clear and enjoyable. The audio version also includes many original recordings by Dr. King.

Inspirational, daring, motivational.

The speeches are fantastic.

Pronunciation great for foreigners to understand.

I do not like to listen to books all in one sitting, so I cannot comment on this, but I'd certainly recommend it as one of the best audible books I've read so far.

This book which is primarily writings of King interspersed with some autio of his speeches is illuminating and heart breaking at the same time. The passages tell the story of King's struggle to achieve justice for the poorest Americans -- black and white -- through non-violent confrontation with corrupt systems in the North and in the South. His words are so apt for today's turbulent times, it is astounding. I feel honored to have spent some time with this man-- and know I will return for a listen to uplift my spirit and for insight, again and again. Beautifully read.

The idea behind this book is ok. A biography in the words of MLK. The book seems honest and well researched but it feels like the author ran out of inspitation and therefore the book is filled up with soundclips of old recordings from public speeches and sermons. Some of these is moderately interesting but as the book progresses the pieces become longer and longer. Some are longer than 30 minutes and together they amount to half of this audiobook. Unless you are a big fan of the words of MLK go find an alternative.