I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World, Special 75th Anniversary Edition (Martin Luther King, Jr., born January 15, 1929)

Book Description

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial looking out over thousands of troubled Americans who had gathered in the name of civil rights and uttered his now famous words, "I have a dream . . ." It was a speech that changed the course of history.

This anniversary edition honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s courageous dream and his immeasurable contribution by presenting his most memorable words in a concise and convenient edition. As Coretta Scott King says in her foreword, "This collection includes many of what I consider to be my husband's most important writings and orations." In addition to the famed keynote address of the 1963 march on Washington, the renowned civil rights leader's most influential words included here are the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," the essay "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence," and his last sermon, "I See the Promised Land," preached the day before he was assassinated.

Editor James M. Washington arranged the selections chronologically, providing headnotes for each selection that give a running history of the civil rights movement and related events. In his introduction, Washington assesses King's times and significance.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Collection of Speeches.......2007-01-15

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of America's greatest heroes and this is a collection of his wonderful writings and speeches. Often people stop at "I Have a Dream" but this shows the complete evolution of Dr. King. A wonderful read that has been part of my library for the past 10 years -- and I've read it three times and often use it for reference and store it next to the Bible.

AMERICANS SHOULD REALIZE THIS 'DREAM' TO THE FULLEST!.......2002-11-28

Dr. Martin Luther King's collection of writings and speeches, "I Have A Dream", brings aspiration to light. The events that surrounded the life and death of this true hero reveals the shameful fact that no matter how great the United States of America is today, it is one country that was nurtured with inhumane machinery: slavery, racism, injustice, Mickey-Mouse freedom, and Mickey-Mouse democracy. I hate to think about it, but it is an honest fact, which we should all come to terms with. Nobody can rewrite history.
The 256 pages that is "I Have A Dream" was enough to highlight the wickedness and the violence that were deliberately sustained in America, for a full century, after a bloody Civil War ended her tenacity on slavery.
One question that will always beg for answer is: How on earth did U.S. Presidents who presided over the ruthless color-bar era qualified for those Nobel Peace Prizes that they received? Knowing what life was like in the U.S.A. just a couple of decades ago melts my heart. "I Have A Dream" is a big eye-opener!

The essential King.......2001-10-26

"I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World," by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a fine collection of texts by this important figure. The book has been edited by James M. Washington. Coming in at less than 300 pages, this is a concise but meaty book.

Washington includes King's most important texts: the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; the "I Have a Dream" speech; his Nobel Prize acceptance speech; "My Trip to the Land of Gandhi"; "A Time to Break Silence," his 1967 speech criticizing the United States war in Vietnam, and more. These writings and speeches cover King's great themes: nonviolent resistance, the African-American civil rights movement, etc.

Those seeking a more comprehensive collection of Kings' work should seek out "A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr." also edited by James M. Washington. At more than 700 pages, this is a truly monumental collection, and includes much material not found in "I Have a Dream": the 1965 "Playboy" interview, transcripts of television interviews, and more. But for those who want a shorter text that cuts to the heart of King's life and work, "I Have a Dream" is perfect.

"I Have a Dream" reveals King to be a true Christian prophet, and a man with a global vision. As literature, these texts also show King to be the heir of such American thinkers as Henry David Thoreau and W.E.B. DuBois. Highly recommended.

Excellent introduction to Dr. King's works.......2000-10-21

This collection of Dr. King's writings includes all the major speeches -- such as I Have A Dream and I See the Promised Land, as well as important writings such as Letter from A Birmingham Jail. It also has great essays on the lessons Dr. King learned from Ghandi and a wonderful introduction from Mrs. King. This is a great collection to get started learning about Dr. King -- from his own pen. I highly reccomend it.

Inspirational.......2000-06-21

Reading the speeches of Dr. King are inspiring. You get a glimpse into his mind and to genuinely understand the struggle he was up against. I'm not just refering to the Civil Rights movement. you also get insights into the responsibilities and pressure he felt as the leader of this movement. He was a man who changed history. This book offers glimpses into his humanity as well as his motivational and inspirational speeches. A must for anyone interested in American history, the Civil Rights movement or in biographys. It will continue to effect you long after you have put the book down.

Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America

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The most famous inaugural speech that made history
VANITY FAIR FICTION WRITER PROMOTES CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF DEAD KENNEDY
Too small a book for what it wants to accomplish
A real belter!
He spoke from the heart

Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America
Thurston Clarke
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 080507936X
Release Date: 2005-08-25

Book Description

Ask Not is a beautifully detailed account of the week leading up to the inaugural, which stands as one of the most moving spectacles in the history of American politics. As the snow covers Washington in a blanket of white, the perfectionist Kennedy pushes himself to the limit to find the words that would capture what he most truly believed and which would far outlast his own life. For everyone who seeks to understand the fascination with all things Kennedy, the answer can be found in Ask Not.

Customer Reviews:

The most famous inaugural speech that made history.......2007-03-15

This was one of the best books i have read about J.F.K. and was taken back in to the 60's and as if i was there.So uplifting.

VANITY FAIR FICTION WRITER PROMOTES CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF DEAD KENNEDY.......2006-08-28

and if this is how he writes for Vanity FAir, whoa, who's their copyeditor?

We do not do well to speak ill of the dead.

I bought this in greeat hopes it would be a scholarly historico-literal textual analysis. Instead I soon got stuck in a thick swamp of unsupported, unchecked tabloid gossip and sniping, laden with cliche catch phrases like "white noise (both the ocean and jets)" and how JFK's fear of solitude and horror of boredom later combines to be a supposed horror of solitude . . .

THe writing is very poor, the research is worse, and unverified from at least wto independent sources, and the hypothesis he alleges to hold, that Ted Sorenson did not write the Inaugural Address, he goes on to disprove.

Yet TEd in actuality served no more function than a Harvard Grad research assitant, taking notes from JFK for themes and structure and format, receiving from JFK catchphrases and syntax and semantics, checking sources, forming rough outlines that were later rejected or at best adapted, etc. JFK wrote and spoke, and IMPROVISED his Inaugural Address, listed as one of the all-time greaets American speeches. And Yet the GREATEST SPEECH never given in all of American HIstory is JFK's Second Inaugural, which would have saved our nation from the disaster we all now live.

Unfortunately the author of this work wallows in miserable petty interpersonal details and allegations of personal habits of the president which cannot be verified. He faintly dismisses some allegations in such as way as to present them as fact, in fact.

THe most valuable part of this book is presented in italicized Roman Numerals, the actual address, which takes all of three pages, and then the ending where Boy GEorge Bush plagiarizes and destroys the JFK Inaugural Address. But the edition of the Address presented here varies greatly from that which I closely studied a quarter century ago. This one reads like the REader's Digest version. If it does sound "bellicose" remember it was written in a time in which Senator Joe MacARthy still cast a chilling pall over our nation, in which commie and pinko baiting was rampant, in which one had to act all out anti-commie in order to do anything. In fact in the context of the times, thius speech is a real and orignal and a unique call for negotiation and understanding and common ground and to peace.

THe middle is just puff and airy filling you can get from Kitty Kelly (who is actually better substantiated and researched) or any tabloid or late night talk show host any day of the week as the character assassination of this greatest American family continues under our present imposed unelected regime.

Once we were Kings, the once and future Kings, of a free and a just and a peaceful, contented world.

And where did they get that absolutely bad cover photo, the worst they could have gotten, that gives no true image of the man?

For a more scholarly approach to this address get Sounding the Trumpet instead. A great DVD is included.

Too small a book for what it wants to accomplish.......2005-08-19

If you are looking for a book which will use primary documents to discover if JFK did a large amount of the writing of his inauguration speech, then Clarke has written your wish. Well researched with excellent use of primary documents, Clarke asserts that JFK was indeed the author of his own speech.

However, Clarke's arguement is hurt on two fronts.

The first is that he is an obvious Kennedy worshiper. Though I agree that no historian is able to completely remove bias, Clarke's praise and defense of Kennedy in all aspects of life begin to wear thin on the reader. By the end of the book, one wonders if Clarke wrote the book not so much to discover who wrote the famous line "ask not." but rather to praise his role model.

The second is Clarke spends way too much time on other issues. From the writing of FDR's inauguration to JFK's relationship with Jackie, Clarke covers subjects that are not dealt with in depth due their importance or with any real link to the writing of ingaugural.

For those wanting to see excellent research on the speech, they do get a good book. However, they have to muddle through alot of unexplained Camalot praise.

A real belter!.......2005-07-09

This is a short, interesting, and satisfying read. It follows closely, and as factually as is possible, the development of this historic speech. I think it does a good job of finding and exploring the influences and authorship of the speech as well as the editing and construction of the speech - its amazing to see how much each word and phrase is considered, changed and laboured over.

Something which adds weight to the book, is the authors ability to depict the feeling and temper of the time. Kennedy obviously brought some new hope to America and was also just a very popular, charismatic figure. There are some good, revealing anecdotes which i have not come across in reading other kennedy books. The book goes into quite a bit of detail about a very short period of time which gives also a closer insight into their day to day lives and habits.

For mine, Kennedy comes across as an intelligent and sincere man. His ideals are admirable and i think he was the real author of this important speech. I'm not so interested in the complete and utter originality of Kennedy's ideas, what is more important is that he selected, developed and articulated them in a way that spoke directly to the world and will leave an indefinite mark.

Overall, a beaut little book, i really enjoyed it.

He spoke from the heart.......2005-02-06

I loved this book. As a New Englander who was only 6 years old at the time of the inauguration, I can no longer tell if I remember watching the Inaugural or if over the years seeing the newsclips and videos at the JFK Library have indelibly stamped his words in my brain. In any case, the book made me want to hear the speech again. A visit to the Library during my next visit to Boston may be in order.

One bone to pick. How is it that a regular person like me constantly finds errors in books that seem to be otherwise well-researched and the editors don't catch them? Henry Fonda's ex-wife who was at Joseph Alsop's party was named Afdera, not Alfreda. Errors like that drive me nuts.

Average customer rating:

did not get it
The Greatest Inspiration
If you love history, you'll love this

Speeches That Changed the World

Manufacturer: Westminster John Knox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

Rhetoric | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Public Speaking | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0664221491

Book Description

From Moses' delivery of the Ten Commandments to Nelson Mandela's "Let freedom reign", the world has been transformed by memorable speeches. This unique collection captures the drama of history in the making.

Customer Reviews:

did not get it .......2006-08-31

Well i don't really know how good the book is becouse it is now August 31, 2006 and i still have not recieved it.
that is my review.

Thank you,
Joanna morales

The Greatest Inspiration.......2003-01-24

There is something noble about those things that inspire you. I got this book because I speak for a living and wanted to read the words of some of the most articulate speakers of all time. When I got this book, I found a volume of inspiration beyond what I expected. There are, of course, the great speeches like MLK's "I have a dream" speech and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, but there are also a good number of jewels that most people haven't seen; like a brief submitted to the Supreme Court by Mother Theresa that made me think long and hard about a very tough subject and reexamine my stance somewhat. If you purchase this book, you won't be disappointed.

If you love history, you'll love this.......2002-06-21

This is a remarkable collection of famous speeches, as well as those that are not very well known. It is organized in chronological order, beginning with Moses and ending with Hilary Clinton. If you're looking to expand your knowledge of history, or simply looking to see what great speeches are made of, this is the book for you!

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Speeches That Changed the World

Manufacturer: Bounty Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Flawed history

Speeches That Changed the World

Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | History | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

General | Reference | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1905204167

Customer Reviews:

Flawed history.......2007-05-22

The book is a nice collection of famous or near famous speeches. The major flaw of the book is Mr. Montefiore's personal grasp of history. His comments introducing the speeches are badly flawed in a number of places. He states that the Revolutionary War lasted 6 years. It lasted 8 years (1775 - 1783). He gives Napoleon a reason for escaping from Elba -- he was "Alarmed for the safety of his wife and son in France...." No where in any historical writing has this fact come out. Napoleon wanted to regain the power he once had. Under Hitler he states "April, by which time Hitler had survived various assassination plots by his own countrymen......". There was only one assassination plot that came to fruition. Under Churchill he states that Churchill was "Elected Prime Minister in 1940......". There was no election. It was an arrangement between the political powers in England at the time. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt there are two flaws. With respect to Roosevelt's inclinations in the early years of WW II -- "Initially determined to keep America out of the conflict, Roosevelt nevertheless....." In fact Roosevelt was in favor of getting the U.S. into the war. Politically he was prevented until the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Finally, Mr. Montefiore states that "....American spies indicated that Japanese naval forces were moving towards the oil-rich East Indies and Malaya. Reports that aircraft carriers were heading towards Hawaii were not taken seriously." In the first instance the reports of the Japanese task forces heading south were reported by a number of various sources, none of which were "American spies". Secondly American intelligence had lost sight of the Japanese carrier forces and reported them to be in the Inland Sea of Japan. There were NO reports of approaching carriers before the attack Dec. 7, 1941.

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Five Speeches That Changed the World
Ben F. Meyer
Manufacturer: Liturgical Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0814622828

Speeches That Changed the World: The Stories and Transcripts of the Moments That Made History

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Important speeches, some great

Speeches That Changed the World: The Stories and Transcripts of the Moments That Made History
Smith Davies Publishing
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Speech | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1905204027

Customer Reviews:

Important speeches, some great.......2007-04-01

This book contains 48 speeches, or excerpts from speeches (mostly the latter). It starts with Moses (with the ten commandments, which is not actually a speech) and ends with George W. Bush. Each of the 48 sections contains a picture of the speaker (or representation for those for whom no likeness is known), a brief biography of the speaker and the context of the speech. Unfortunately, in most cases the complete speech is not provided, only excerpts are presented. The choice of the speeches appears to be their historical importance, not their quality. As such, many are interesting, but far from memorable. Some are, however, powerful, very moving and worth the price of the book. I place the examples of the speeches given by FDR, Churchill, JFK, Martin Luther King and Elie Wiesel to be is this latter category. In this regard, the "I have a Dream" speech given by Martin Luther King stands far above all the others, even when the others include the likes of Churchill and John F. Kennedy.

I only have two complaints (in addition to the fact that only excerpts are given from most of the speeches). Except for the last speech (that given by George W. Bush after 9/11) the author (when it was not the speaker) is not given. The second criticism stems from the fact that the book was prepared in Great Britain and there is a certain lack of knowledge of US history. The president to succeed Woodrow Wilson was Warren Harding, not Warren Hardy. All in all, this is mostly a history book, rather than one on rhetoric.

I Have a Dream: Twenty-Four Writings and Speeches That Changed the World

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I Have a Dream: Twenty-Four Writings and Speeches That Changed the World
Martin Luther, Jr. King
Manufacturer: Borgo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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SPEECHES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Unknown
Manufacturer: SMITH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SDR58O

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Speeches That Changed The World - The Stories And Transcripts Of The Moments That Made History
By the Editors
Manufacturer: Smith-davies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VC2YHO

Book Description

THE REST OF US is the third panel of Stephen Birmingham's Jewish triptych (OUR CROWD and THE GRANDEES)--the story of Eastern European Jews who, between 1882 and 1915, thronged into New York to escape the pogroms of czarist Russia.

From Ellis Island, these immigrants poured into the Lower East Side. To established German Jews, this horde was an embarassment and a burden. But the Russians had a passion to succeed and soon they stood on their own.

They made it in an astonishingly short time--from the pushcarts of Hester Street to the Grand Concourse and on to the manicured lawns of Scarsdale and Beverly Hills, "from Poland to polo in one generation."

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining.......2003-05-18

The Rest of Us isn't really about the 'rest of us', it's mostly about the American Jewish experience through the lives of those Russian immigrants who became famous in America. This emphasis can be forgiven, because the famous are the people that most of us want to read about and identify with. You get a peek at the turn of the century Lower East Side community, and gain an understanding of how very reformed Jewish traditions and entrepreneurial opportunity for Jewish immigrants got a jump start in a free country. I would have liked to have heard the author debunk the myth that all Jewish immigrant families wind up rich in this country, however. Enjoyed the insights regarding the clash bewtween German and Russian Jewish comminities and influences.

The Rest Of Us: The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews

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The Rest Of Us: The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews
Stephen Birmingham
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 042508924X

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The Rest of Us : The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews
Stephen Birmingham
Manufacturer: Little, Brown & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JVVYFU

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'The rest of us': The rise of America's Eastern European Jews
Stephen Birmingham
Manufacturer: Macdonald
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0356109909

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Rest of Us: The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews.
STEPHEN- BIRMINGHAM
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQ2W5S

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