The Sword and the Shield cover art

The Sword and the Shield

The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

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The Sword and the Shield

By: Peniel E. Joseph
Narrated by: Zeno Robinson
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About this listen

This dual biography of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King upends longstanding preconceptions to transform our understanding of the 20th century's most iconic African American leaders.

To most Americans, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. represent contrasting ideals: self-defense vs. nonviolence, Black power vs. civil rights, the sword vs. the shield.

The struggle for Black freedom is wrought with the same contrasts. While nonviolent direct action is remembered as an unassailable part of American democracy, the movement's militancy is either vilified or erased outright.

In The Sword and the Shield, Peniel E. Joseph upends these misconceptions and reveals a nuanced portrait of two men who, despite markedly different backgrounds, inspired and pushed each other throughout their adult lives. This is a strikingly revisionist biography, not only of Malcolm and Martin, but also of the movement and era they came to define.

©2020 Peniel E. Joseph (P)2020 Basic Books Americas Black & African American Freedom & Security Politics & Government United States Martin Luther King Civil rights

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I very much enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two leaders and how do you for managed to maintain a historical view rather than spouting opinions.

Informative and useful resource

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I really enjoyed learning about the struggles of black equality and X and King's involvement at a pivotal time in American history.
I'm not going to knock the narration too much though I have to ask why does the narrator feel the need to impersonate the spoken words of the subjects? I found it quite bizarre.
would 100% recommend.

Insightful book, thought provoking book.

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This is a soaring analysis of the public lives of two of the most controversial and misunderstood Black public figures in 20th century America. For anyone who rightly suspects their legacies have been distorted and whitewashed since their assassinations in the tumultuous sixties, this book sets their records straight.

Very educative and illuminative

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