Celebrated Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson is the director and editor of the Martin Luther King Papers Project; with thousands of King's essays, notes, letters, speeches, and sermons at his disposal, Carson has organized King's writings into a posthumous autobiography. In an early student essay, King prophetically penned: "We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great group living in ignorance.... We cannot have a nation orderly and sound with one group so ground down and thwarted that it is almost forced into unsocial attitudes and crime." Such statements, made throughout King's career, are skillfully woven together into a coherent narrative of the quest for social justice. The autobiography delves, for example, into the philosophical training King received at Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University, where he consolidated the teachings of Afro-American theologian Benjamin Mays with the philosophies of Locke, Rousseau, Gandhi, and Thoreau. Through King's voice, the reader intimately shares in his trials and triumphs, including the Montgomery Boycott, the 1963 "I Have a Dream Speech," the Selma March, and the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. In one of his last speeches, King reminded his audience that "in the final analysis, God does not judge us by the separate incidents or the separate mistakes that we make, but by the total bent of our lives." Carson's skillful editing has created an original argument in King's favor that draws directly from the source, illuminating the circumstances of King's life without deifying his person. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Amazon.com Audiobook Review
By weaving together an unprecedented amount of material, including Dr. King's books, articles, essays, personal letters, and unpublished manuscripts, Clayborne Carson (historian, documentarian, and director of the King Papers Project) has crafted an excellent production that represents the unique medium of audiobooks at its very best. With the effective and engaging narration of actor Levar Burton as a foundation, the tapes provide understanding and insight into this important religious and political leader's powerful convictions. Original music from the civil rights movement, plus rare recordings of Dr. King's moving speeches and sermons, help create an inspiring portrait of one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. (Running time: 9 hours, 6 cassettes) --George Laney

From Publishers Weekly
Carson, director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project and author of A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., has pieced together an incomplete study of King's life by supplementing his extant autobiographies (e.g., Stride Toward Freedom and Where Do We Go from Here) with previously unpublished and published writings, interviews and speeches. If King's rhetorical flourishes and use of the word "negro" sometimes seem outdated, the compilation still offers a concise first-person account of his life from his birth in Atlanta in 1929 to his awakening social consciousness and discovery of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. History propelled King to center stage in the struggle for black liberation. When Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat in 1955, the "once dormant and quiescent Negro community was now fully awake" and King, along with many others in Montgomery's black community, organized the bus boycott that would launch King into his leadership role in the civil rights movement. The book offers glimpses of King's family life as well a view of famous Americans such as Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X and JFK. (In 1960, King did not feel "there was much difference between Kennedy and Nixon." He writes, "I felt at points that he was so concerned about being President of the United States that he would compromise basic principles.") But what is most evident throughout Carson's study is the moral courage that sustained King and allowed him to inspire a largely peaceful mass movement against segregation in the face of bloody reprisals. (Dec.) FYI: In November, Carol Publishing will release Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X, by his nephew Rodnell P. Collins. ($21.95 230p ISBN 1-55972-491-9)Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
"Autobiography" is somewhat of a misnomer, of course, as Dr. King did not ever write his own history. This is an interesting substitute, however, which pieces together parts of his writings, speeches, sermons, and letters into a chronology of his life. There are segments missing, most notably coverage of his family life and his relationship with his wife, but this abridgment very adequately covers his political and social involvements, his commitment to nonviolence, and his belief in the equality of all people, using his own words. Most of the text is read by LeVar Burton, whose light, eager voice is all too reminiscent of his work with children on the Reading Rainbow series and does not often display the power and passion of the subject; the contrast between the two voices is sometimes painful. On the other hand, King in full cry is often hard to follow, and Burton is certainly easy to understand. There is no way to locate on the tapes the various famous speeches advertised on the jacket, and no dates are given for them. The musical snippets should have been eliminated; they do not convey the richness of the ethnic music and seem merely interruptive and annoying. On the whole, however, this would be an excellent addition to any collection, for it is very useful as history and compelling as biography.AHarriet Edwards, East Meadow P.L., NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The New York Times Book Review, David Walton
...a valuable reminder that ... King was consistently eloquent and polished, a master of word and effect, possessed of a voice that was unmistakable and true.

The New Yorker
...an exceptionally successful posthumous autobiography...

From AudioFile
This is an essential collection piece for Martin Luther King, Jr., historians and those just becoming educated to the teachings of one of this century's greatest leaders. Commissioned by MLK's widow, Coretta Scott King, Clayborne Carson has compiled a powerful array of King's speeches, written accounts of his life (in the form of journal entries and letters to his family) and rare MLK audio clips. The result is a mainly "religious and political" chronicle of King's life. The package is narrated in part by the experienced storyteller LeVar Burton and supplemented with mood-appropriate musical segments that help to characterize the themes of the production. Even the audio case itself is a testimony to what King cherished, featuring photographs of his wife and children. The years of preparation that went into this audio presentation are evident. More than a resource, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., is a keepsake. R.A.P. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Download Description
A professor of history and the noted author and editor of several books on the civil rights struggle, Dr. Clayborne Carson was selected by the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to edit and publish Dr. King's papers. Drawing upon an unprecedented archive of King's own words--including unpublished letters and diaries, as well as video footage and recordings--Dr. Carson creates an unforgettable self-portrait of Dr. King. In his own vivid, compassionate voice, here is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as student, minister, husband, father, and world leader . . . as well as a rich, moving chronicle of a people and a nation in the face of powerful--and still resonating--change.

Card catalog description
He was a husband, a father, a preacher - and the preeminent leader of a movement that continues to transform America and the world. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the twentieth century's most influential men and lived one of its most extraordinary lives. Now, in a special volume commissioned and authorized by his family, here is the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr., drawn from a comprehensive collection of writings, recordings, and documentary materials, many of which have never before been made public.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Using Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival material, including previously unpublished writings, interviews, recordings, and correspondence, King scholar Clayborne Carson has constructed a remarkable first-person account of Dr. King's extraordinary life. Beginning with his boyhood, the book portrays King's education as a minister, his ascendancy as a leader of the Montgomery bus boycott, his pivotal role in the civil rights demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and his complex relationship with the Kennedy brothers, LBJ, Malcolm X, and numerous other leading figures of the day.

SYNOPSIS

Destined to become a classic, this powerful and inspirational autobiography of America's greatest civil rights leader calls upon Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival material, including Dr. King's previously unpublished writings, public and private interviews, audio and video recordings, and personal correspondence.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

"Autobiography" is somewhat of a misnomer, of course, as Dr. King did not ever write his own history. This is an interesting substitute, however, which pieces together parts of his writings, speeches, sermons, and letters into a chronology of his life. There are segments missing, most notably coverage of his family life and his relationship with his wife, but this abridgment very adequately covers his political and social involvements, his commitment to nonviolence, and his belief in the equality of all people, using his own words. Most of the text is read by LeVar Burton, whose light, eager voice is all too reminiscent of his work with children on the Reading Rainbow series and does not often display the power and passion of the subject; the contrast between the two voices is sometimes painful. On the other hand, King in full cry is often hard to follow, and Burton is certainly easy to understand. There is no way to locate on the tapes the various famous speeches advertised on the jacket, and no dates are given for them. The musical snippets should have been eliminated; they do not convey the richness of the ethnic music and seem merely interruptive and annoying. On the whole, however, this would be an excellent addition to any collection, for it is very useful as history and compelling as biography.--Harriet Edwards, East Meadow P.L., NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile - Rachel Astarte Piccione

This is an essential collection piece for Martin Luther King, Jr., historians and those just becoming educated to the teachings of one of this century's greatest leaders. Commissioned by MLK's widow, Coretta Scott King, Clayborne Carson has compiled a powerful array of King's speeches, written accounts of his life (in the form of journal entries and letters to his family) and rare MLK audio clips. The result is a mainly "religious and political" chronicle of King's life. The package is narrated in part by the experienced storyteller LeVar Burton and supplemented with mood-appropriate musical segments that help to characterize the themes of the production. Even the audio case itself is a testimony to what King cherished, featuring photographs of his wife and children. The years of preparation that went into this audio presentation are evident. More than a resource, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., is a keepsake. R.A.P. cAudioFile, Portland, Maine

Jack E. White