How politics is played by one who knows the game...host of MSNBC's Hardball; Chris Matthews.Chris Matthews has spent a quarter century on the playing field of American politics—from right-hand man of Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill to host of NBC's highest rated cable talk show Hardball. In this revised and updated edition of his political classic; he offers fascinating new stories of raw ambition; brutal rivalry; and exquisite seduction and reveals the inside rules that govern the game of power.
#671165 in Books 1998-02-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x 6.75 x 1.50l; #File Name: 0684808196768 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A perfect combination of biography and history.By Mike Powers"Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years; 1963-65" is the second volume of Taylor Branch's magisterial three-volume biography of Martin Luther King; Jr. First published in 1998; this masterful book picks up the story of King and the American civil rights movement right where "Parting the Waters: America in the King Years; 1954-1963" - the first volume of this trilogy - leaves off.By 1963; America is a nation in growing turmoil. Segregation of the races is still the law of the Deep South; and an unwritten code in much of the rest of the country. African Americans are deprived of basic rights in all aspects of their lives. They can't vote; and they are denied access to equal opportunities for employment; education; housing; economic advancement and the use of public facilities. There is a rising tide of discontent among African Americans; they are becoming less willing to remain silent in their demands for equality; and more willing to fight...During the two-year period covered in "Pillar of Fire;" some of the most important battles for equal rights are fought at Birmingham; Alabama; Greenwood; Mississippi; St. Augustine; Florida; and other places throughout the United States. Branch points out that by this time; Martin Luther King; Jr. has become the de facto leader of America's civil rights movement. Although he holds no "official" leadership position; he is; in effect; the voice and face of equal rights for all people of color. This is mainly due to his courage in speaking out; his commitment to non-violent confrontation to achieve equal rights; and his willingness to endure physical dangers and hardships along with those who march for freedom and equality.In "Pillar of Fire;" Martin Luther King; Jr. is once again presented as the flawed but noble hero at the center of the epic battle for civil rights. Like its predecessor; "Parting the Waters;" this book is a fabulously written; highly detailed account of a man and an era. It's a perfect combination of a brilliant biography and a penetrating study of one the most disturbing but important periods of twentieth century American history. Most highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Pillar of FireBy David BonesteelThe second volume of Taylor Branch’s towering trilogy about Martin Luther King; Jr. and the Civil Rights movement covers so many momentous events; such as the assassinations of John Kennedy and Malcolm X; the Mississippi Freedom Summer; King’s Nobel Prize; and America’s entry into Vietnam; that it is difficult to believe that it spans a mere two years that also witnessed the exodus of black America from the Republican party to the Democratic.King’s commitment to nonviolence in the face of overwhelming provocation is stunning. Branch often embeds events in an avalanche of detail about day-to-day goings-on that can be somewhat deadening but serves to make the point that there was no inevitability to the ultimate triumph of King. Throughout his career; he was beset by criticism; rivalry; and divisiveness from both within and without his ranks. The forces arrayed against him were formidable. This book is one more argument toward solidifying J. Edgar Hoover’s status as one of the great villains of modern American history; with his underhanded and unconstitutional persecution and surveillance of King; even; at one point; sinking to the depths of having evidence of his infidelities sent to him along with a message urging him to commit suicide. Lyndon Johnson emerges as a pivotal figure; ever mindful of political reality but favorable toward black suffrage in a way that Kennedy wasn’t.Writing in the early days of the Trump administration; I am reminded by this book that the most worrisome terrorists are the homegrown variety and encouraged by the precedent of citizens standing up to corrupt power and prevailing.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Another Great BookBy Maggie H.This book serves to remind me that our Founding Fathers thought they were doing the right thing for this country by pushing the slave issue off into the future to be addressed at another time. it reveals they were not infallible. I recommend reading the other two books of this trilogy as well. This book also reminds me that Martin Luther King Jr. was a giant among men.Taylor Branch does an excellent job of showing what the movement was like as well as the bitter times it lived through. MLK was a man; no question about it; but what a brilliant; courageous man he was! The movement featured a number of heroes and heroines but MLK stands out as uniquely qualified to speak for all the people; black and whiteNow read Slavery by Another Name and a book by Lillian Smith; Killers of the Dream.
