The King Years

The author of the most comprehensive history of the Civil Rights Movement has produced a short but powerful book that highlights the major events of the era and puts those proceedings in chronological and documentary perspective. It can serve as either an introduction to the movement or a coda for those with greater knowledge of the times. Narrator Leslie Odom, Jr., has a firm yet gentle voice that conveys the significance of the story and reinforces Branch's soaring words. His clear, well-paced reading accentuates the text and underlines the book's inherent dignity. Odom doesn't hurry the book along, nor does he use his voice as an instrument of instruction or oration. He simply and, at times, tenderly allows us to witness the movement as it inexorably moves toward its resolution. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine