A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspiring and suitably named collection. King was such a powerful orator that even reading his words can give you an idea of his fierce dedication to civil rights. The speeches in his book naturally share common themes (and often draw on certain Biblical metaphors time and again), but also addressed the specific issues of each situation -- fighting for the vote, urging nonviolence, eulogizing the four girls killed in a Birmingham church bombing, advocating the end of the Vietnam War. The intros to each piece give some context, but really the selections stand well on their own, and are worthwhile reading for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, or any time one needs to be reminded of the struggles of that era ... and how much farther we have to go. ( )

The speeches are great! But his most famous speech wasn't even in the compilation! ( )

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Powerful speeches from Dr. King. Not always the best sound quality. ( )

[audiobook] Thrilling, inspiring, and humbling. The brilliance of Dr. King's speeches is marred only by the poor audio quality of the early recordings. ( )

These are definitely the landmark speeches. It's amazing to read them in a row and realize how much of an effect he had on our country in a very short time. The introductions are interesting because they are by people who knew him, but they don't offer much in the way of interesting commentary. ( )