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At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68

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America, created as an experiment in individual freedom, embedded the legal right to own slaves in its founding charter. The working out of these contradictory impulses has been the central American story. This is the story that Taylor Branch tells in engrossing detail through his three volume history of "America in the King Years."

The Civil Rights Movement brought out the best and the worst in the American character; over almost 3,000 pages, Branch assembles the facts, interviews the survivors, and bears witness. The first volume, Parting the Waters, traces Martin Luther King's rise from obscure Baptist preacher to a civil rights leader forged in the crucible of the Montgomery bus boycott. Pillar of Fire goes from JFK's assassination to an abrupt, somewhat unsatisfactory ending at the beginning of the 1965 Selma campaign. At Canaan's Edge starts with the triumph of the Montgomery march and ends with King's assassination in 1968.

The author describes his approach as a "narrative biographical history," that uses King's life to illuminate broad American themes. There's more narrative than history in these volumes. Very seldom does Branch take the long view, or give us contextual exegeses. What he does give us is compelling, often brilliant reporting that features participant interviews, a deep dive into formerly classified documents, and a you-are-there look at the conversations, strategy sessions and public theater of the friends and foes of civil rights. These books aren't exactly a King biography, a history of the Civil Rights Movement or a history of America during a time of wrenching change, and yet they're all these things, the whole becoming greater than the sum of the parts.

One of the many rewards of reading this trilogy is the skill with which Branch has resurrected the living, breathing King. We learn about an intellectual more at home parsing Reinhold Neibuhr's philosophy than facing down rabid mobs of diehard segregationists. A holy man beset by common human lusts. An executive who dealt with PR, fundraising and staff squabbles. A preacher buffeted by the sectarian struggles in the Black Baptist Church. A politician weaving, often groping, through racial and cultural thickets toward goals that seemed impossibly distant. One comes away awed by the immensity of the burdens King assumed, and humbled by the grace with which he bore them.

The books also chronicle the history of the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968. The relationships among the various civil rights groups were often tempestuous. The NAACP under Roy Wilkins thought King's nonviolent demonstrations too radical. The young activists of SNCC (the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) eventually dismissed King's approach as too temperate. The leaders of his own Southern Christian Leadership Conference, James Bevel, Hosea Williams, Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, were often at odds with King and each other over movement strategy and tactics. The brilliant, mercurial Malcolm X breaks free from the Nation of Islam, but they get him in the end. SNCC's rise and demise get covered in sympathetic detail, from early sit-ins to the non-violent triumphs of 1964's Freedom Summer Project up through the divisive times of Black Power separatism. In particular, SNCC leaders Bob Moses and Stokely Carmichael come across as courageous, committed activists who did lonely and dangerous voter registration work in the rural South when no one was watching and only their enemies cared.

Another strand recounts the actions of America's political leaders. John and Bobby Kennedy engaged in an excruciatingly complex dance between white southern politicians and civil rights leaders. JFK personally believed segregation was wrong, but didn't want to lose the South for the Democrats by forcing integration through federal mandates. Although Bobby Kennedy became increasingly committed to civil rights, as Attorney General he allowed J Edgar Hoover to illegally bug King in order to save his brother from an incipient sex scandal. Hoover, a diehard segregationist, had an irrational hatred for King, and lost no opportunity to try and discredit him. Branch does a great job of revealing the extent of the FBI's illegal wiretapping campaigns and their corrosive effect on both civil liberties and the rule of law.

The tragedy of lost opportunity befell LBJ. He had the vision, commitment and skill to forge a national mandate to end segregation and begin to eradicate poverty. His domestic agenda got highjacked as he drifted deeper into a war he knew from the outset he couldn't win. In one of his rare pullbacks to take the long view, Branch pinpoints 1966 as liberalism's high water mark. After that, the white South deserted the Democrats over Civil Rights and FDR's New Deal coalition fell apart. We're still dealing with the aftershocks of this pivotal moment as we navigate through the less idealistic, more Darwinian terrain of George Bush's America.

Martin Luther King exhorted us to rise above moral expediency and sectarian passion and "live out the true meaning of our creed." We never rose to the greatness he thought was in us, but his words and example still point the way for the work to be done. Taylor Branch has captured in indelible fashion the grace and heartbreak of King's life and times.

As usual I am finding myself engrossed by Taylor Branch's scholarship and prose. I have not quite completed this epic book about MLK, but I soon will. I can't put it down. MLK was one of the greatest human spirits to grace us with his presence. If you want a stunning, modern take on the power of MLK's eternal power, watch and listen to the DVD "USA The Movie" which is infused with his prophetic voice in a unique, unforgettable way.

Branch has done us a wonderful service by devoting the last 25 years of his life to chronicling MLK's life and the life of America during the struggle for civil rights. As usual, Branch is detailed, infinitely knowledgeable and obviously deeply devoted to his work and his subject. I recommend this book --all of his trilogy actually -- with great admiration and gratitude. Branch pieces together the inward and outward life of MLK in such a wonderful, well-researched project that is as impressive as it is eye-opening.

This is the third volume of an epic history of King, the Civil Rights movement and America during a pivotal moment.

In this volume Branch traces the last years of King, the years post-March on Washington, the years when many in the movement decided that non-violence was not the correct line. Our memory of King ends largely at the "I had a dream" speech and passes over these years when King, took the logical step of expanding his quest for justice to the North, against poverty and against Vietnam.

Each step in that expansion cost King allies. Whites who were courageously against southern racism, turned out not to be so courageous when it applied to their own states. King's opposition to Vietnam found opponents within the Black community. And no one wants to talk about class.

Today it is common to contend that King `declined' in these years, or became `irrelevant', and we assume this is a judgment on King. Reading this book, I became even more convinced that the judgment is on us. King was faithful to his belief in God, in Christ and the non-violent way of the cross to the end, proving beyond any doubt his sincerity, his faith and his integrity. America took a profound wrong turn in those years, or perhaps, failed to grasp the opportunity presented to it.

While this book is as meticulously researched, as detailed and as broad in vision as the previous two in the series, it suffers from occasional bouts of confused writing. Every 50 pages or so you have to read some incident twice or three times before it becomes clear. His account of the Memphis march and the final days of King curiously lack impact.

Still, the story itself is compelling, and King's gradual abandonment as he journeys in faithfulness towards his Golgotha is epic and cosmic in its meanings for our time.

This final installment in the triptych of Dr. Martin Luther King's life reads almost like a stream of consiousness piece. Engrossing in scope, yet intimate and fastidious in detail, it is gripping, compelling reading. I own "Parting the Waters", and after having put it aside for awhile, I am reminded of the great service Taylor Branch has done with his nearly quarter-century of research; which bears fruit so powerfully in this concluding work.

I was lucky enough to discover this trilogy just when the third book (At Canaan's Edge) was released. Much has been written in other reviews that I will not repeat, except to say that this is an incredibly gripping tale, told by a master historian and story teller, that provides unique insight into the people and dynamics of the Civil Rights movement in America in the 60's.

This book is especially worth reading if you think this is a story you already know well; because Branch manages to surprise you and extend your understanding without ever losing sight of the landmarks of well established facts.

This truly is history as it should be written, and while the second book is admittedly a bit weaker than the first and third, they are all excellent and Branch more than deserves a second Pulitzer for the final book.

this is one of the best history books i've ever read. in fact, it transcends the history genre. canaan's edge is first and foremost about one of the most courageous men in american history -- martin luther king jr. of course, king didn't lead the 60's civil rights movement by himself -- branch's book shows the courage of many people known and unknown.
it also casts other historical figures in a new light. primary among these, for me, is lyndon johnson, who comes thru in these pages as a brave supporter of civil rights, whose civil rights record was eclipsed by his mistakes with the vietnam war. beautifully written, moving, filled with people and powerful vignettes, this is a must read for all americans.

In concluding his three-volume masterpiece on America in the King Years, Taylor Branch's tone is somber even before MLK's assassination. Despite the significant achievements of these years, the civil rights agenda expanded so much that in some ways success seemed further from reach than ever.

In this volume Branch tells how the movement sought to move beyond attaining voting and other legal rights for blacks in the south by taking the movement north for what we would now call economic justice. In Branch's telling, the quest for improved housing and integrated education in Chicago is the highlight of this aspect of the movement, as are preparations for a poor people's march on Washington.

Amid the actual work of the movement are big distractions, especially the escalation of the Vietnam War. MLK opposed the war not only for reasons of conscience, but also for fear that it would deflect resources and attention from the civil rights movement. In Branch's account the war doesn't just loom in the background, but is an integral part of the story. In fact, I would argue that the author goes into too much detail about it. It's true that the subtitle is "America in the King Years," but to me it seems implicit that the subject is the civil rights movement rather than America as a whole.

If MLK has to fight Vietnam's shadow for political priority, he also has to fight for dominance within the movement itself. Not only are there rivalries within his SCLC, there are also contending forces from the rising Black Power movement with its repudiation of MLK's non-violent methods. Besides undermining MLK's dominance it also threatens white backlash, with Ronald Reagan's victory in the California gubernatorial race attributed in part to the memory of the 1965 Watts riot. In this atmosphere it is a very depressed MLK who days before his death laments, "Maybe we just have to admit that the day of violence is here."

In an era when MLK is a national hero large enough to have his own holiday, it's interesting to read of contemporary media attitudes towards him. For example, many reporters cited here seem patronizing and uncomprehending. Branch also administers a nice rebuke to the New York Times, which even then felt that blacks should serve liberalism rather than the other way around.

Taylor Branch has completed the definitive account of this essential story. Remarkably, he has done it in a largely dispassionate way. For example, MLK's flaws are discreetly noted, not hidden, but are never dramatized in a sensational way. Several characters of the time who are still active statesmen and activists (eg. Teddy Kennedy and Jesse Jackson) are portrayed in this book, but their futures are not anticipated; their significance is the role they played then. It has been some years since I read the first two volumes of this history, but my vague memories suggest that this one is more hectic, rather cinematic in construction. I found it a bit distracting at times, but perhaps this method was an apt way to follow these tumultuous days. One serious disappointment I had was that Simon & Schuster printed the book on surprisingly cheap paper for a trade hardback. It smells like a phone book. The previous two volumes were printed on heavier stock.

At Canaan's Edge is the third and final volume in Taylor Branch's classic work on the civil rights movement in the United States. We see Martin Luther King in his final few years. King like Moses of Israel would not live to see all of his dreams for equality for all of our nation's citizens realized in his 39 years. D. King was a leader of incredible energy and brilliance. He
did reach Canaan's edge of glory before his assassination at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis in April, 1968.
The book deals in incredible blow by blow detail with the march to Selma; the turbulence of the Vietnam conflict; the deterioration of the relationship between Dr. King and LBJ over the former's
strong condemnation of US policy in Vietnam. Also the opposition to nonviolence advocacy by King among the leaders of the African American leadership. King a Nobel Peace Prize winner died in Memphis fighting for justice for the poor and largely black garbage workers in that large city.
This book shows prejudice against the blacks and the poor not only in the deep south but in Chicago, Detroit and throughout the nation. It sorrows the Christian soul to read of such injustice and blindness to the reality that we are all God's
children. As a Presbyterian pastor I was appalled at how white religious figures often turned a blind eye to cries for justice.
Many in the reilgious community did support King and his movement and for that they deserve our thankfulness.
Branch believes that King along with Lincoln and Madison should be our most admired leaders Dr. Martin Luther King was
human; he had countless affairs and could be difficult to fellow associates but the man is, in my opinion, a true hero and a Moses for his oppressed people. Sermons and phrases from King such as "I have a dream" will live as long as the English language is spoken on this conflicted globe!
The book deals not only with King but with such leaders as
LBJ; Robert Kennedy and the racist governor George C. Wallace, Stokely Carmichael, Ralph Abernathy and countless local leaders.
You will meet fascinating heroes and cads in these pages!
This book is a classic and should be read by every American
who cares about freedom and justice for all our citizens.
Taylor Branch deserves the deep gratitude of all lovers of
freedom for his lifetime devoted to this work of beautifully
crafted prose about a terrible time of hatred, injustice and
cruelty. Prejudice in America is not yet defeated but this book
may help to eradicate its imprint on the souls of the aspiring
generation. Indispensable!

This third and final volume of Branch Taylor's trilogy is of all the three the most unambiguously tragic. At times, reading the previous two volumes, I was so heartbroken at the succession of tragic setbacks in the movement that I wondered when and where the great, decisive victories against segregation ended. And ACE is of all the three the one with the most devastating setbacks. It leaves one to ponder if the Civil Rights Movement eventually achieved its immediate goals so sweepingly precisely because the white power structure finally recognized --so to speak--that those goals were compatible with its continued flourishing.

For readers interesting in buying this book: bear in mind that this trilogy is to all intents and purposes a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is NOT a hagiography; Branch frequently mentions the roiling emotions and infidelities of MLK. When contemporary observers remark that a particular appearance or speech fell flat, Branch says so. Perhaps Branch knows this narrative technique is more effective at inspiring admiration than unalloyed praise would have been; perhaps not. But in truth, it's difficult to imagine any sensitive reader not being filled with wonder that such a moral giant like King could even exist.

Rather than duplicate the effort of the other reviewers (particularly the excellent review by G. Bestick, posted below on January 24, 2006), I want to comment on something that has not been addressed by the others. I believe the single most important theme in the trilogy was the exposition of King's doctrine of "nonviolence." I use quotes because "nonviolence" is such an inadequate word to describe the doctrine. Elsewhere, Branch alludes to King's opposition to "enemy-ism," in which King rejects lines of reasoning that culminate in demonization or vilification of one's adversaries. First, King's doctrine acknowledged the common humanity of all people; humans deviated in different paths of moral conduct depending on reasons that are compelling--perhaps irresistible--at the time. Perpetrators are also victims. Second, the resolution of injustice through violence was untenable; the oppressor in any relationship would always win any challenge that employed violence, if for no other reason than because the victorious liberator would become a new oppressor. Third, the practice of nonviolence required unusual discipline and courage, and King was able to transmit the latter through the force of his oratory.

In POF (please see my review for that, also), the rival doctrine was belligerent posturing as practiced by the Nation of Islam and by the segregationist authorities. The upheaval of the '64 elections tended to reflect the loss of face of an earlier generation of white elites, and their replacement by redneck "enforcers." While the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) remained true to the principles of nonviolence, a major ally, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) repudiated nonviolence in favor of Black Power. The new SNCC was utterly ineffectual and quickly vanished. The Black Panthers was doomed from the start with its scorn of all "white" ideologies and its lack of any coherent replacement. New converts to the ideology of self-defensive violence like Charles Evers could not even bring themselves to target known killers; Byron de la Beckwith, universally known to have murdered Ever's brother Medgar, was never threatened by the SNCC.

White supremacist violence now became endemic; before, there were exceptional cases such as the 9/15/63 bombing of a church in Birmingham; but cases of ambush and murder proliferated dramatically after 1965. The destabilization of white supremacist violence now challenged the very survival of American institutions and Southern police forces increasingly intervened against their former Klan allies.

Looming over everything was the Vietnam War, which for King was the most urgent injustice he faced. Johnson hated the war (Stanley Karnow's *Vietnam* confirms this) but was unable to accept defeat in it; King was unable to compromise with a known evil, and the most conservative 60% of white American public opinion dreaded facing up to an unbeatable foe. Frustration and ambient racism further stimulated conservative support for the war, while the fiscal woes inflicted by the war extinguished every remaining trace of Johnson's Great Society. The failure of progressive initiatives, when void of King's own nonviolent doctrines, was universal and inevitable. At the time of his death, King was not so much defeated or even overwhelmed, as he was offset in a floodtide of squalid reaction.

After King, the depressing deluge; and after that, his stunning achievements, like a field of tulip bulbs, bloomed amid the receding glacier. But the triumph of nonviolence was like the glimmers of lightning in a summer electric storm, flashing without warning in random corners of the sky.

For many who were young during the turbulent 60s, this era has a mythical feel to it. Great figures have been romanticized, whether it was Kennedy and Camelot or Martin Luther King, Jr. and "I Have a Dream." Taylor Branch has found a way to bring reality to those tales. He refuses to glamorize his subject; refuses to sanitize his main character. For an epic look at a story smack in the epicenter of American history, "At Canaan's Edge" is the place to stand.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .