Customer Reviews

An American death; the true story of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the greatest manhunt of our time

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Gerold Frank's "An American Death" is one of those hard-to-put-down books about the assassination of Martin Luther King. This was the first book I had read about King's assassination. I didn't know much about the killing other than that James Earl Ray was the purported killer. Frank does give ample time to all elements of the story - a) that JE Ray acted alone b) that JE Ray was framed c) that JE Ray was willingly duped by others d) that JE Ray never fired the gun. However, Frank slowly shows us how the evidence does mount against Ray as being the lone gunman. The book does an adequate job of suggesting and proving that no one else but Ray was the killer. I was very impressed with the book and its conclusions. However, I have a copy of a newspaper article that appeared in the May, 2000 edition of the Houston Chronicle. It said that Loyd Jowers, who ran Jim's Grill, testified in 1993 that he hired someone else other than JE Ray to kill MLK and that King's murder was a plot conceived by a late Italian-American Memphis produce merchant. This was alluded to in Frank's book (page 173) but nothing more was said of it. So...what can one really conclude? Nevertheless, "An American Death" is quite excellent and worth a read.

What a great book. Theres info in there I didnt even know. I wont give anything away. Anyone who has an intrest in the MLK assassination needs to read this book. GREAT READ !!!!

This book is investigative journalism documenting the search for Martin Luther King's killer and the facts surrounding the case.

Other information that should be added to/corrected in the book's description:
Publisher: Bantam
Year: 1973
Published by arrangement with Doubleday & Company, Inc.
(Note that Doubleday published their edition April 1972)
Bantam book code: Y7156
Original cover price: $1.95
Pages: 557, which includes an extensive 20-page index
Size: 4.25 x 7 inches