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John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community (Black Lives) Hardcover – January 16, 2024

by Raymond Arsenault (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings
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The first full-length biography of civil rights hero and congressman John Lewis
 
“The perfect book, at the right time.”—Michael Henry Adams, The Guardian
 
For six decades John Robert Lewis (1940–2020) was a towering figure in the U.S. struggle for civil rights. As an activist and progressive congressman, he was renowned for his unshakable integrity, indomitable courage, and determination to get into “good trouble.”
 
In this first book-length biography of Lewis, Raymond Arsenault traces Lewis’s upbringing in rural Alabama, his activism as a Freedom Rider and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, his championing of voting rights and anti-poverty initiatives, and his decades of service as the “conscience of Congress.”
 
Both in the streets and in Congress, Lewis promoted a philosophy of nonviolence to bring about change. He helped the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders plan the 1963 March on Washington, where he spoke at the Lincoln Memorial. Lewis’s activism led to repeated arrests and beatings, most notably when he suffered a skull fracture in Selma, Alabama, during the 1965 police attack later known as Bloody Sunday. He was instrumental in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and in Congress he advocated for racial and economic justice, immigration reform, LGBTQ rights, and national health care.
 
Arsenault recounts Lewis’s lifetime of work toward one overarching goal: realizing the “beloved community,” an ideal society based in equity and inclusion. Lewis never wavered in this pursuit, and even in death his influence endures, inspiring mobilization and resistance in the fight for social justice.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    588 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    January 16, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.2 x 9.54 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300253753
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300253757
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

From the author of Freedom Riders: John Lewis: In Search of Beloved Community
"If you liked King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, read John Lewis: In Search of Beloved Community by Raym
Also in the Black Lives series: Isaac Murphy, Ward, Bigger

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The perfect book, at the right time.”—Michael Henry Adams, The Guardian

“Deeply researched and accessible. . . . A substantial entry in Yale’s Black Lives series.”—Matthew F. Delmont, New York Times Book Review

“If you liked King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, read John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community, by Raymond Arsenault.”—Washington Post

“This sweeping biography represents the first effort at a comprehensive account of the life of the civil-rights icon John Lewis.”—New Yorker

“John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community examines a rare journey from protest leader to career politician, buffeted by the winds of Black nationalism, debates over the acceptability of violence and perennial tensions between purity and pragmatism.”—David Smith, The Guardian

“Now, less than four years after his death, we have the first full-length biography of this remarkable citizen. John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community . . . tells the story of Lewis’s tireless work as a Freedom Rider, as an ally to oppressed people in every corner of America, as a defender of voting rights, and as the conscience of Congress.”—Ron Charles, CBS Sunday Morning

Named a New Yorker “Best Book We Read This Week”

“Deeply researched and profoundly insightful.”—Steve Nathans-Kelly, Chicago Review of Books

“The first comprehensive biography of the icon, an inspiring portrait of a man whose vision and moral courage propelled him to share his belief in the Beloved Community and inspire generations.”—Henry L. Carrigan, Jr., BookPage (starred review)

“Well-researched. . . . An illuminating account of the differences among civil rights activists over goals, tactics, and strategy.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, Florida Courier

“To its last page, John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community presents not only the definitive history of an admirable American, but a gripping account of an American struggle for freedom that continues today.”—Michael Ray Taylor, Chapter 16 and Nashville Scene

“How to capture the full humanity of such a legendary figure [as John Lewis], whose life was intertwined with some of America’s lowest lows and highest highs? Civil rights historian Raymond Arsenault does just that in his new biography.”—Bookstack (podcast)

Recommended by San Francisco Bay Times in “Top of Your Stack”

“Beautifully written and deeply researched, Arsenault’s biography of John Lewis captures his indomitable courage and steadfast moral clarity.”— Mia Bay, author of Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance

“Arsenault’s highly readable book presents us not just with an indispensable chronicle of a transformative era, but with the portrait of a remarkable human being whose character and vision challenge us all to live up to both his ideals and his sacrifices.”—Drew Gilpin Faust, Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor and President Emerita, Harvard University

“This is a lovely, honest, and thorough book about an American hero who should be better known.”—Thomas E. Ricks, author of Waging a Good War: How the Civil Rights Movement Won Its Battles, 1954–1968

“An inspiring and movingly drawn portrait of a true American hero who, armed only with raw moral courage, managed to leave his beloved nation better than he found it.”—Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., author of Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith

About the Author

Raymond Arsenault is the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History Emeritus at the University of South Florida. He is the author of several award-winning books on civil rights history, including Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice; The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That Awakened America and Arthur Ashe: A Life.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press (January 16, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 588 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300253753
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300253757
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.2 x 9.54 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

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Raymond Arsenault

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
17 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindled
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing life, an amazing journey!
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
Even though I didn't agree with everything Congressman John Lewis did, I was able to see his thought processes. Congressman Lewis stayed true to his beliefs, and that's what makes him a true patriot and statesman.
5 people found this helpful
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LaShanda
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend This One!
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2024
This biography delves deeply into John Lewis's life, illustrating his profound influence on the Civil Rights movement and later in politics. John Robert Lewis emerged as a pivotal figure in activism, dedicating six decades to effecting change. He gained recognition for his roles as a Freedom Rider and leader of the SNCC. Lewis tirelessly advocated for voting rights, combatting poverty, and held a lengthy tenure in Congress. Despite encountering violence and arrests, he remained steadfast in his commitment to non-violence, consistently advocating for fairness and equality. The book portrays Lewis as a modest yet immensely impactful individual, continuously striving to serve his country and its people. His concept of instigating "Good Trouble" continues to resonate and inspire today.

It's unfortunate that not everyone fully appreciates the significance of John Lewis's contributions. I genuinely urge everyone to read this biography. It offers a genuine understanding of the remarkable impact this Civil Rights hero had on history. For that reason, I highly recommend this one!!
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Reading Obsession
5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply Powerful
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024
This biography is a deeply powerful story
told about John Lewis. It is filled with first-hand accounts since the author was privileged to know Lewis, as well as packed with meticulously researched information. I found myself reading and setting the book aside to absorb and process, yet eager to pick the book back up again.

The author includes a quote at the beginning where Lewis refers to himself as a “tugboat, not a showboat”. That quote hit me with force because it applied to Lewis so well. He did not seem to be a showy, glamorous person. He had dogged determination that shone from him, and the vignettes and information revealed in the book confirm that. I admired this man, and I am glad that this biography does him justice. Read it. The book is not a quick skim of a story, so take your time to savor it, to appreciate the book and the man.
3 people found this helpful
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Opusquest
5.0 out of 5 stars A complex and scholarly book
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
Author, Historian and Academic Raymond Arsenault and Yale University Press bring us this important, first full-length comprehensive biography of John Lewis In Search of the Beloved Community. This book is part of Yale University Press’ Black Lives series.

John Lewis started life in rural Alabama and went on to become a Congressman and
was one of the most important activists and advocates in the struggle for civil rights in the United States.

This was a complex and scholarly book and would be really good for someone working on a research paper.
4 people found this helpful
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Charles Booker
2.0 out of 5 stars A hagiography, with several errors of fact ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
Appreciative of a biography of Lewis - a quarter of a century after his sterling autobiography Walking With the Wind. This book, however, is dropped too early to gain a proper perspective on the man and his life's work. It suffers from a natural desire to grieve for a beloved figure shortly after they have died by casting that person in a sanctified glow. I'm left wondering: Was Lewis really human? Did he suffer character flaws, make serious mistakes? Was he always the hardest worker (a repeated refrain)? Also, there are several errors of fact - indicative that this book is a rush job: RFK was assassinated on June 4, 1968 and not April 4: when King was assassinated (p. 274) ... Clarence Thomas was sworn into SCOTUS a year before the '92 election, not two weeks before (p. 326 ) ... and Obama was not the first Black U.S. Senator since Edward Brooke; Carol Moseley Braun was (p. 383).
4 people found this helpful
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