Martin Luther King, Jr.: 10 good books about the civil rights leader

Every elementary school child knows his "I Have A Dream" speech, and adults can remember having seen him in grainy clips on TV or – for some lucky ones  – in person. But how is Martin Luther King, Jr. remembered by biographers? Here are 10 good books for those hoping to learn about the life of a leader who changed America forever.

Library of Congress, New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection

1. The King trilogy, by Taylor Branch

Branch’s Pulitzer-prize winning trilogy consists of “Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-1963” (Simon and Schuster, 1088 pp.), “Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-65” (Simon and Schuster, 768 pp.), and “At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years 1965-68" (Simon and Schuster, 1056 pp.). Readers agree that this all-encompassing body of work isn’t just a biography of a great man, but a portrait of America.

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