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E. R. Braithwaite
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Reluctant Neighbors Kindle Edition

by E. R. Braithwaite (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 44 ratings
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The acclaimed author of To Sir, With Love recalls his lifelong struggle against ignorance and racism while sharing a train ride with a bigoted white neighbor
On a commuter train traveling from New Canaan, Connecticut, to New York’s Grand Central Station, a well-heeled white suburbanite reluctantly takes the only available seat and eventually strikes up a conversation with the black man sitting next to him. The white businessman’s verbal barrage of insensitive questions and offensive remarks incites a rage in his black neighbor that can barely be suppressed. But the offended rider is E. R. Braithwaite—former Royal Air Force pilot, Cambridge graduate, schoolteacher, social worker, diplomat, and bestselling author—and he has triumphed over prejudice and hatred throughout his truly extraordinary life and multifaceted career.
Against the backdrop of a short railway commute, E. R. Braithwaite powerfully recounts a personal history of remarkable accomplishments in the face of bigotry and hatred. Part memoir, part treatise on racial intolerance and oppression, and the ignorance that engenders them, Reluctant Neighbors is the unforgettable story of one man’s continuous struggle against injustice and his unwavering dedication to the pursuit of human dignity.
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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media
  5. Publication date
    January 14, 2014
  6. File size
    2572 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fascinating life.” —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

E. R. Braithwaite was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1912. Educated at the City College of New York and the University of Cambridge, he served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Braithwaite spent 1950 to 1960 in London, first as a schoolteacher and then as a welfare worker—experiences he describes in To Sir, With Love and Paid Servant, respectively. In 1966 he was appointed Guyana’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. He has also held positions at the World Veterans Federation and UNESCO, was a professor of English at New York University’s Institute for Afro-American Affairs, and taught creative writing at Howard University. The author of five nonfiction books and two novels, he currently lives in Washington, DC.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HG1SZJY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (January 14, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 14, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2572 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 ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 44 ratings

About the author

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E. R. Braithwaite

E. R. Braithwaite

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E. R. Braithwaite was born in British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1912. Educated at the City College of New York and the University of Cambridge, he served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Braithwaite spent 1950 to 1960 in London, first as a schoolteacher and then as a welfare worker—experiences he describes in To Sir, With Love and Paid Servant, respectively. The author of five nonfiction books and two novels, he currently lives in Washington, DC.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
44 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

R. Weiss
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
My introduction to this author, already famous for To Sir, With Love. An uncompromising look at the issues of racism, race relations, but above all about the right and freedom to live and to aspire equally. Very strong writing.
2 people found this helpful
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Cathy A. Thibeault
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read!
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it as he had a lot of interesting and revealing statements concerning racism, and self-reflection and acceptance. His ability to see himself as his students would have seen him allowed us to see him as a vulnerable human with humor and insight. He became much more interesting to me in the short scene under the tree than he had to that point. His conversation with his reluctant neighbor gave me pause to think of the many times I have done the same thing. How many times do we talk ourselves into believing what we feel, rather than what was actually meant by the person speaking?

This book is not to be dismissed as ranting and whining. I see it as truth. When anyone, black or not is unfairly rejected there is plenty of whining and ranting going on. It is a truth we are all privy to. This man rose above it all and became someone he could take pride in being. Bravo!
2 people found this helpful
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Mary Strobbe
5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant to todays current events
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2020
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I have recommended this to many and the first reaction is often how they picked it up and could not put it down. There is much to learn and digest from this small book.
One person found this helpful
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CK
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended Reading!
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021
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Timely and relevant now with charges of racism in all spheres of society! Valuable insight from one whose lived it.
2 people found this helpful
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Morris B Carter I like rick's books, just finished the second book. Plan to read more books by him.
5.0 out of 5 stars Really like the book but his prejudice popped up time after ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
Really like the book but his prejudice popped up time after time. With all his education he just couldn't get past his inferior of the white man. Good book!
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booker
4.0 out of 5 stars Reader
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2017
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Inciteful book
2 people found this helpful
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Peggy A David
5.0 out of 5 stars CONVERSATION TURNS INTO CONFRONTATION
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2000
The author takes his readers on an exciting commuter train ride. It is the 8.05 from New Canaan, Ct. to Grand central station in New York City. For about an hour readers are exposed to a conversation on race and race relations during the author's life course between the black author and a white executive both residents of New Canaan. The author is full of rage based on the Questions asked and the answers given by his neighbor. The book is racially charged and thought-provoking because the author chronicles his life (Quite a full and productive one)which seems to be an unending struggle. The book is written in the context of his life experiences as a black man in a white world with lots of reminiscences. He has been author/diplomat/teacher. The book is quite dramatic. This book could easily have been set in a broadway play. But there is this huge gap between the views expressed by the author and his reluctant neighbor. These two commuters seemed to be operating on different planets.They never really did see eye to eye on any issue.It reminds us that we still have a long way to go in understanding the problems and fears we all have as human beings who must share this great planet earth. I wished that reluctant neighbor and the author had exchanged pleasantries before parting. That would have been the civilised thing to do. After all they were residents of the same community who were really not thrown together by chance.
12 people found this helpful
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Roger Bagula
4.0 out of 5 stars Another autobiographical look at E.R. Braitwaite
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2008
E. R. Braitwaite is a truly remarkable man and a very goods writer.
We feels his pains and learn from his experiences.
I think that the British educational system is flawed in structure
so that he arrived at the post war without
the slightest notions of history or the social distortion
that was the British Empire. He finds that France has much less of the
prejudice against skin color, but we know historically they are
anti-semitic. He found less discrimination when he had recognized social standing for his success.
He changed careers several times from air officer to physics to teacher
to welfare officer to diplomat, but he continued to make his comments on the society around him.
After all this time from his original book in 1959, the treatment of
people "of color" in Britain and most of the world has not that much improved. Housing discrimination has just changed in character
but not in fact?
Briatwaite is a trained scientific observer from the physical
sciences who used his experimental method to get results teaching.
He never quite generalized that to the further living of his life,
but he has remained an "observer" of value.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mrs Sarah Parkin
5.0 out of 5 stars enlightening
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
Another great book from the Author of To Sir With Love. A must read for white people. It’s us who need to dismantle white supremacy.
One person found this helpful
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Brian U Seville
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on October 22, 2017
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Interesting
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Patricia Filby
5.0 out of 5 stars Still teaching .......
Reviewed in Australia on March 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
What a joy to have E.R. Braithwaite, as my teacher. I hope many, many others choose to be his pupil by reading this book, and his others, with an open heart and mind, and so see, however dimly, the beauty of his soul. I would that I could give a gift to him so I could attach a card saying “To Sir, with Love”.
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yeshwanth raj
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on April 1, 2016
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after 'to sir with love ' this book is a continuation
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Diane P. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2017
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Great book. Great service
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