King: A Life by Jonathan Eig was an illuminating biography of one of the most recognizable social leaders of the century, Martin Luther King Jr. The prevailing themes I got from this book were 1) how obsessed the FBI was with MLK Jr 2) The impact of the Vietnam War on MLK's and the Civil Rights Movement's momentum 3) Humanizing MLK, and also understanding his failures
I was staggered by J Edgar Hoover's obsession with Martin Luther King Jr. He bugged all of MLK Jr's hotels, homes, friends apartments, etc., in an effort to somehow prove he was communist, although nothing in the hundreds of pages of memos suggested that. Further, the FBI compiled a tape of recordings of MLK's sexual affairs and black mailed it to him, writing a letter "composed to suggest that its author was a disaffected Black man" (p458). While the FBI listened to MLK's entire life, they shopped the story of MLK's sex scandals around to every major newspaper; none of them accepted (p468).
MLK Jr had a number of critical failures: he was a serial womanizer, maintaining years-long affairs with multiple women at the same time; he did not elevate women to leadership, despite their roles as organizer, founders, and backend leaders.
Also interesting is the importance of Christianity in society at this time. It seems that Christianity was explicitly viewed as positive; it was the antithesis of sin, communism, etc., in a way that I didn't realize (p523). I also didn't realize how international this was; MLK Jr. received a Nobel Peace Prize and traveled internationally; Thich Nhat Hanh published a letter to him (p562).
Further, my favorite speech of all time is the last 2:35 of "I Have Been to the Mountaintop," by Martin Luther King Jr. I had no idea that, leading up to that point on the night of his death was years of political and social decline in popularity and influence.
Miscellaneous quotes:
Upon hearing that MLK Jr. had been shot, J. Edgar Hoover said "I hope the son of a bitch doesn't die. If he does, they'll make a martyr out of him," (p656).
"[MLK Jr.] loved books before he could read, took comfort in their...promise of conversations to come" (p36).
On the value of changing laws, "The law may not be able to make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me," (p294).
He referred to segregation as "the Negro's burden and America's shame," (p304).
MLK, at a march: "I believe in my heart that the murderers [of three organizers, two white] are somewhere around me at this moment." "You're damn right," said Deputy Sheriff."