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An astonishing account of the assassination of America's most beloved and celebrated civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, by New York Times–bestselling author, James L. Swanson.NAACP Image Award Nominee Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year* "[James L. Swanson's] masterful work . . . reveals, in gripping style, how one individual can impact history." —Booklist, starred review In his meteoric, thirteen-year rise to fame, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a mass movement for Civil Rights—with his relentless peaceful, non-violent protests, public demonstrations, and eloquent speeches. But as violent threats cast a dark shadow over Dr. King's life, Swanson hones in on James Earl Ray, a bizarre, racist, prison escapee who tragically ends King's life. As he did in his bestselling Scholastic MG/YA books Chasing LIncoln's Killer and "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!", Swanson transports readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history. More than eighty photographs, captions, bibliography, various source notes, and index included.
James L. Swanson
James L. Swanson (1959-2025) is the author of the New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, which won an Edgar Award and was adapted into an acclaimed Apple TV+ series. His other books include Bloody Crimes: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Chase for Jefferson Davis. Swanson served on the advisory council of the Ford's Theatre Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign and was a member of the advisory committee of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
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