To Die For The People [Mass Market Paperback]

Huey P Newton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1972

Long an iconic figure for radicals, Huey Newton is now being discovered by those interested in the history of America’s social movements. This new release of a classic collection of his writings and speeches traces the development of Newton’s personal and political thinking, as well as the radical changes that took place in the formative years of the Black Panther Party. More than just a historic record, Newton’s prescience and foresight make these documents strikingly pertinent today.

Huey Newton was the founder, leader, and chief theoretician of the Black Panther Party, and one of America’s most dynamic and important revolutionary philosophers.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The former leader and chief theoretician of the Black Panther Party, Huey Newton was (and for some, remains) an iconic figure. This new edition of writings and speeches from between 1967 and 1971 moves Newton out of the haze of memory and brings his ideas (as well as the early history of the Panthers) into sharp focus. Recording the Party's internal struggles, rivalries, and contradictions, selections trace the development of Newton's personal and political thinking during these tumultuous five years. A new introduction by activist and former Panther Elaine Brown puts Newton's writings and political ideas into broader perspective. This book will greatly appeal to both political activists and readers interested in the history of social movements." --Book News --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Huey Newton was co-founder and leader of the Black Panther Party, and its chief theoretician. In 1967 Newton was arrested and charged with killing an Oakland police officer during a dispute, leading to a much-publicized "Free Huey" campaign. In 1980, Newton earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of California. He died in 1989. Toni Morrison is a Nobel-prize winning American author, editor and professor. Among the best known of her novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. Elaine Brown became, in 1974, the first and only woman to lead the Black Panther Party. Today, as an activist, writer and popular lecturer, she promotes the vision of an inclusive and egalitarian society, focusing on resolving problems of race, gender oppression and class disparity in the United States.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Vintage Books (1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394718348
• ISBN-13: 978-0394718347
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,422,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you can feel the strength, April 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: To Die For The People (Mass Market Paperback)

This book became my guideline in times when I did not know where I should take strength from. It is a book full of power, intelligence and passion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile addition to any collection focusing on social issues and memoirs, December 12, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Die for the People (Paperback)

The fight against injustice and cruelty pushes people to new heights. "To Die for the People" is a biography of Huey Newton, founder of the Black Panther party, and has been labeled a radical all of his life. Offering insights to one of the biggest influences of the civil rights movement and black power movements of the 1960s and 70s, his story is one that's crucial to understanding the social changes of the second half of the twentieth century. "To Die for the People" is a worthwhile addition to any collection focusing on social issues and memoirs.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF SEMINAL "RADICAL" BOOKS OF THE EARLY 70s, January 20, 2011

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Die For The People (Mass Market Paperback)

Huey Percy Newton (1942-1989) was a political and urban activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party. He was also the author of War Against the Panthers: A Study of Repression in America (his doctoral dissertation) and Revolutionary Suicide: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (his autobiography).

Here are some quotations from the book:

"The Black Panther Party is a Marxist-Leninist party because we follow the dialectical method and we also integrate theory with practice." (Pg. 25)
"Because the Black Panther Party is not embarrassed to change or admit error, tonight I would like to accept the criticism and say that those critics were absolutely right. We are a collection of communities ... because we have no superstructure of our own." (Pg. 37)
"There are more Black people in America than the total population of many countries now enjoying full membership in the United Nations." (Pg. 84)
"We see very little difference between Blacks who make profits from the Black community and refuse to contribute to Black survival programs, and the White profiteers such as Mayfair... Why should the Black community nourish a Black profiteer who has no concern for his brother?" (Pg. 110)
"If the Peace Movement is successful, then the revolution will be successful. If the Peace Movement fails, then the revolution in the mother country fails." (Pg. 151)
"But the women's liberation front and the gay liberation front are our friends, they are potential allies, and we need as many allies as possible." (Pg. 154)
"America is World-Enemy-Number-One and the military is its strong arm." (Pg. 190)