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Stephen B. Oates
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Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (P.S.) Reissue Edition, Kindle Edition

by Stephen B. Oates (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 185 ratings
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“The most comprehensive, the most thoroughly researched and documented, the most scholarly of the biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr.” —Henry Steele Commanger, Philadelphia Inquirer

Winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book Award * A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

By the acclaimed biographer of Abraham Lincoln, Nat Turner, and John Brown, Stephen B. Oates's prizewinning Let the Trumpet Sound is the definitive one-volume life of Martin Luther King, Jr. This brilliant examination of the great civil rights icon and the movement he led provides a lasting portrait of a man whose dream shaped American history.

“Drawing on interviews with those who knew King, previously unutilized material at Presidential libraries, and the holdings of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, Mr. Oates has written the most comprehensive account of King’s life yet published. . . . He displays a remarkable understanding of King’s individual role in the civil rights movement. . . . Oates’s biography helps us appreciate how sorely King is missed.” —Eric Foner, New York Times Book Review
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0060924737
  2. Edition
    Reissue
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    HarperCollins e-books
  5. Publication date
    June 23, 2009
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    1739 KB
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

with malice toward none man behind the myths fires of jubilee let the trumpet sound
With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln: The Man Behind the Myths The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
661
4.4 out of 5 stars
94
4.5 out of 5 stars
232
4.8 out of 5 stars
185
Price $12.29 $11.39 $11.29 $17.26

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Moving, scholarly, lucid, invaluable....The book on Martin Luther King."

-- "William Manchester, #1 New York Times bestselling author"

"Stirring...Evokes King and his epic struggle with you-are-there vividness."

-- "Newsday"

"Thrilling...Not only full of drama, but of the real King, his bravery, his triumph, his pain and doubts."

-- "Washington Post Book World"

"Martin Luther King is captured in all his power, glory, and humility."

-- "Chicago Tribune"

"A monumental work."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"The most comprehensive, the most thoroughly researched and documented, the most scholarly of the biographies of Martin Luther King Jr."

-- "Philadelphia Enquirer"

From the Back Cover

Winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book Award
Winner of the Christopher Award
A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year

By the acclaimed biographer of Abraham Lincoln, Nat Turner, and John Brown, Stephen B. Oates's prizewinning Let the Trumpet Sound is the definitive one-volume life of Martin Luther King, Jr. This brilliant examination of the great civil rights icon and the movement he led provides a lasting portrait of a man whose dream shaped American history.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002EBDPC8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books; Reissue edition (June 23, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 23, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1739 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 777 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 185 ratings

About the author

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Stephen B. Oates

Stephen B. Oates

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Stephen B. Oates is the author of sixteen books, including The Approaching Fury; With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln and Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the latter two books winning, respectively, the Christopher Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book Award. They have been translated into several languages.

Oates was a consultant and "talking head" in Ken Burns's Civil War series on PBS, and is a recipient of the Nevins-Freeman Award of the Chicago Civil War Round Table for lifetime achievement in the field of Civil War studies. A teacher at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he is now writing the concluding book of the Voices of Storm trilogy, about the years of Reconstruction, 1865-1877.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
185 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kathleen V
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading.
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I first read this book in 1982, shortly after the book's release. It is an excellent, indepth and well researched biography of one of the greatest men of out times.
One person found this helpful
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CJmitten
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a worthwhile read.
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2018
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This book is truly comprehensive with substantial insight into Dr. Kings spiritual calling, philosophic and theological beliefs, political and economic theories, and the power of non-violent protest and love. Those wishing to know intimate details of his personal life may find this book lacking information on his family life albeit his love for his parents, wife, and close associates is obvious. There is a frank assessment of his emotional makeup, leadership skills, and commitment to making the world a better and all inclusive place. The many excerpts from his sermons, speeches, letters, and books were especially meaningful and some to take seriously in th e current political and social upheaval we are currently faced with. A reincarnation of Dr. King would certainly be welcome. Highly recommended reading!
11 people found this helpful
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Paul A. Baggaley
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent biography with one significant flaw
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2015
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Incredibly powerful book. After watching "Selma" recently I realised I really didn't know much about Dr King. This book is an excellent biography - readable, balanced, intelligent. Unlike many dry biographies, this can be a tear jerker at times, especially when recounting some of King's fine speeches, and with the way in which it builds to the fateful climax.

My only disappointment is the abrupt ending. As a new to the subject non-American, I was really wanting an epilogue - something to summarise the future of the civil rights movement and King's legacy. To not include that was a huge let-down for an otherwise virtually faultless book. Now I know how he died but nothing about what happened after his funeral.

Despite that single flaw, I would heartily recommend this book as a fantastic introduction to the life of Martin Luther King.
18 people found this helpful
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John Allen
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2022
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Good biography of a great man,f lol flaws and all
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Canopus
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Biographies hard to find
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2022
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I searched high and low for a good biography , which was surprising for one of a greatest leaders. This is more a detail of his civil rights work, and a smattering of his early days which fill it out. It seems that for the more modern people, it is hard to get accurate details, since much is still sealed, but this one is great background. If you wish toi know what he did and how, this is the book to get. To listen to one paragraph opinions, read books like these with their annotated sources and the REAL data. Their are too many falsehoods "on the air" and by so called experts who never even bothered to review what he actual did and what he believed and stood fore. Highly recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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BookLover
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2019
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This book is a very thorough accounting of a very productive life. I have read several books about M. L. K., and this is the best. Very well-written and was a page-turner. God bless him. He's in my to five people's list.
2 people found this helpful
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M B
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful biography of a wonderful man
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2020
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But, the more I read the sadder I became because I knew what was going to happen. Growing up in Southern California I had very little experience with segregation or real poverty. This book was a real eye-opener.
4 people found this helpful
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Placeholder
5.0 out of 5 stars A mesmerizing look into a complex life of a True Christen
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2019
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This should be required reading for all Americans. The power of love and non violent confrontation shows how one man can change the world. Martin Luther King was truly a gift of God and a voice crying in the wilderness. He wasn't perfect but neither was David, Peter, Paul and many other prophets of Old and New Testaments. He was honest and had a vision that is included all into forging a better nation. Stephen Oakes truly captures the pain, struggle, triumph and sadness of the 60's.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Neasa MacErlean
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that changed my life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2018
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There is a gap in knowledge about Martin Luther King in the UK. Yes, we know the headlines but his speeches were not broadcast here and, in my view, otherwise well-read people can have a lucana about the broader facts of his lief — for instance, his heroic stance on the Vietnam War, his anti-poverty work and his beautiful personality. I don't think I've ever read such a moving story. In fact, odd as it might sound, I think I became a better person by reading this book — because I learnt more about what it means to love and to do everything you can to help other human beings. If you flick through the opening pages, do not let yourself be put off at all by a (slightly pompous-sounding) author's essay at the start: the book itself is very well researched and written. Martin Luther King achieved in seven years what could have taken seven decades — the successful challenges against various forms of segregation. But, the last couple of years of his life were deeply painful because he tried to tackle informal and economic serration. And 50 years after he died, we still haven't got near to solving that. But, we shall overcome one day. And, as he said: "Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
3 people found this helpful
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Nigel P
5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding biography of an outstanding man
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2009
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This is an excellent and readable biography of Martin Luther King. Here is portrayed one of the most outstanding people of the twentieth century, and done with both sensitivity and realism. Stephen Oates must have reflected very carefully over his sources: his own preoccupations stay carefully in the background while he ensures that his subject stays centre stage through turbulent times. Oates deferentially ends the story so quickly that some matters are not tied up. It would be helpful to know, for instance, what happened to the plans for the Washington march and what happened to King's family in the following years. His family righly merited some mentions while he was alive, and his death must have left them facing empty shoes even more than Ralph Abernathy. I wonder if we might ever see a post-Obama postscript in a new edition.
2 people found this helpful
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