Clayborne Carson has created a book that remarkably approximates a self-portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. Delving into all aspects of this mans life, the work covers his boyhood, his education, and his emergence as a leader. From his relationships with his wife and children, to his dealings with the important political figures of the era, this book defines the history of a genuine hero.

Early years -- Morehouse College -- Crozer Seminary -- Boston University -- Coretta -- Dexter Avenue Baptist Church -- Montgomery movement begins -- The violence of desperate men -- Desegregation at last -- The expanding struggle -- Birth of a new nation -- Brush with death -- Pilgrimage to nonviolence -- The sit-in movement -- Atlanta arrest and presidential politics -- The Albany movement -- The Birmingham campaign -- Letter from Birmingham Jail -- Freedom now! -- March on Washington -- Death of illusions -- St. Augustine -- The Mississippi challenge -- The Nobel Peace Prize -- Malcolm X -- Selma -- Watts -- Chicago campaign -- Black power -- Beyond Vietnam -- The poor people's campaign -- Unfulfilled dreams.