Revolution or Death

De: Justin Gifford

Narrado por: Corey Allen

The figure who embodied the militant and controversial spirit of the Black Panther Party more than anyone was Eldridge Cleaver. Charismatic, brilliant, and courageous, Cleaver built a base of power and influence that struck fear deep in the heart of White America. It was therefore shocking to many left-wing radicals when Cleaver turned his back on black revolution, the Nation of Islam, and communism in 1975. While Cleaver seemed sincerely disillusioned with radicalism, his erratic behavior over the next two decades revealed something that had been a latent part of his psyche all along - his narcissistic megalomania. His influence declined significantly through the 1980s until he found himself back on the streets committing petty crimes. By the time he died, in 1998, he was largely viewed as a turncoat who had betrayed the cause of black freedom. How can we make sense of Cleaver's precipitous decline from a position as one of Americas most vibrant Black writers and activists? Revolution or Death provides the first life story of one of the most notorious Black revolutionaries in history.

©2020 Justin Gifford (P)2020 Recorded Books

Incredible story and beautiful writing

Gifford’s book is a detailed and incisive biography of Eldridge Cleaver. His research engages many of Cleaver’s most important contradictions and forces us to reconsider whatever boxes we would like to place him in. Gifford’s writing is especially poignant in the conclusion. It’s worth the read just for an ending which forces us all to look at ourselves just as critically. Well done!

An intelligent complicated courageous human being...

excellent.. very detailed. will put your attention and imagination into overdrive.. One of my favorites without any doubt..

AMAZING!!!

Holy smokes, this is an incredible book. I don’t endorse Eldridge cleaver as a human, he brutalized many women and murdered a man in cold blood. But, this is an amazing book filled with so much history through an incredible amount of research by the author. Best book I’ve read all year.

I had no idea

I always heard the name, and recognized it as a person of the black past who fought for black people, but I had no idea of the conflict between intellect and sociopath.

Revolutionary? Traitor? Sell out? All?

A lot of non fiction leaves something to be desired, but not this one. So much of the ugly side of Eldridge Cleaver is shown. He isn't totally romanticized. He's also not a one dimensional monster. He's painfully human with all that entails. Cleaver was a very conflicted man; a product of passed on rage and violence who in turn dealt it on others. If this were the bases of a biopic I don't think they could make this honestly. The tendency would be to sanitize the subject's life so dramatically. It's a great portrait of a complicated man and the world he raged against. Justin Gifford needs to be commended for his work on this book. The audiobook performance was top notch.