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A review by davehershey
Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-63 by Taylor Branch
5.0
This book is a beast.
Back in 1998 when I was a freshman, somehow I tested out of the basic composition class required for freshman and into the advanced composition class. This book was one of our assigned texts. I don’t remember how much we were assigned to read but I know for certain I did not read it all.
Its sat on my shelf for the ensuing 22 years. That’s more than half my life.
Wow.
Last summer I picked up volumes 2 and 3 at a used book store. That’s nearly 3,000 pages of history on the era of the Civil Rights movement.
Double Wow.
As the new year dawned, I decided this was the year I dove in. I’ve been reading this monster in bits and pieces, taking breaks to dine on lighter fare such as Stephen King’s Desperation. Also, just to be honest with the four or five people who will read this...I did not read every single word. I mean, come on! Its 920 pages! Branch earns five stars just for the mere accomplishment of this book (in addition to my five stars, he got a Pulitzer). But unless you’re a professional historian or seeking to be, I cannot imagine reading every single word. And definitely not if you’re in your first year of undergrad!
That said, this book is absolutely delightful. I was enthralled reading of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the summer of Freedom Rides and the marches in Birmingham. I was inspired meeting not just Martin Luther King Jr, who looms large to the point this is almost a biography of him, but also of Bayard Rustin, Ralph Abernathy, Stanley Levison, John Lewis and others. Branch most excels when he is drawing the reader into these big events with these amazing people.
You just gotta slog through the names and details in between.
Branch also keeps an eye to the world events, setting the context. The battles between Hoover and RFK in the JFK administration were memorable. So too were the the battles/debates/dialogues between the civil rights leaders and government leaders, first Eisenhower and then JFK.
Sure, Branch could have omitted some details and made it a bit more concise. But I’m not gonna fault him for that. I’d just say if you tackle this one, don’t feel guilty to skim now and then.
I got Pillar of Fire on my shelf which covers 1963-1965 at a paltry 600 pages. That should only take 6 weeks rather than 8!
Back in 1998 when I was a freshman, somehow I tested out of the basic composition class required for freshman and into the advanced composition class. This book was one of our assigned texts. I don’t remember how much we were assigned to read but I know for certain I did not read it all.
Its sat on my shelf for the ensuing 22 years. That’s more than half my life.
Wow.
Last summer I picked up volumes 2 and 3 at a used book store. That’s nearly 3,000 pages of history on the era of the Civil Rights movement.
Double Wow.
As the new year dawned, I decided this was the year I dove in. I’ve been reading this monster in bits and pieces, taking breaks to dine on lighter fare such as Stephen King’s Desperation. Also, just to be honest with the four or five people who will read this...I did not read every single word. I mean, come on! Its 920 pages! Branch earns five stars just for the mere accomplishment of this book (in addition to my five stars, he got a Pulitzer). But unless you’re a professional historian or seeking to be, I cannot imagine reading every single word. And definitely not if you’re in your first year of undergrad!
That said, this book is absolutely delightful. I was enthralled reading of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the summer of Freedom Rides and the marches in Birmingham. I was inspired meeting not just Martin Luther King Jr, who looms large to the point this is almost a biography of him, but also of Bayard Rustin, Ralph Abernathy, Stanley Levison, John Lewis and others. Branch most excels when he is drawing the reader into these big events with these amazing people.
You just gotta slog through the names and details in between.
Branch also keeps an eye to the world events, setting the context. The battles between Hoover and RFK in the JFK administration were memorable. So too were the the battles/debates/dialogues between the civil rights leaders and government leaders, first Eisenhower and then JFK.
Sure, Branch could have omitted some details and made it a bit more concise. But I’m not gonna fault him for that. I’d just say if you tackle this one, don’t feel guilty to skim now and then.
I got Pillar of Fire on my shelf which covers 1963-1965 at a paltry 600 pages. That should only take 6 weeks rather than 8!