The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr and the Speech that Inspired a Nation [Hardcover]

Drew D. Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

A riveting account of the origins and legacy of "I Have a Dream"

Forty years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. electrified the nation when he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King's prophetic utterances started the long overdue process of changing America's idea of itself. His words would enter the American lexicon, galvanizing the civil rights movement, becoming a touchstone for all that the country might someday achieve.

The Dream is the first book about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legendary "I Have a Dream" speech. Opening with an enthralling account of the August day in 1963 that saw 250,000 Americans converge at the March on Washington, The Dream delves into the fascinating and little-known history of King's speech. Hansen explores King's compositional strategies and techniques, and proceeds to a brilliant analysis of the "I Have a Dream" speech itself, examining it on various levels: as a political treatise, a work of poetry, and as a masterfully delivered and improvised sermon bursting with biblical language and imagery.

In tracing the legacy of "I Have a Dream" since 1963, The Dream insightfully considers how King's incomparable speech "has slowly remade the American imagination," and led us closer to King's visionary goal of a redeemed America.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the 1963 march on Washington and King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which thrust King into the national spotlight, provided a barometer of the national conscience, and reflected on both our past transgressions and future moral objectives. Hansen examines King's speech on numerous levels and in many contexts, revealing the confluence of forces that account for its unprecedented impact. He explores King's theological and intellectual focus and his roots in the tradition of black Baptist sermons. Hansen uses King's speech to examine the competing elements of an American society divided along North-South, black-white lines and to explore the contradictions of such interests along a moral continuum. King's speech provided a common code of moral respect, but not consensus of action, as diverse elements agreed to its greatness or purpose but not its call to act. Readers interested in the moral issues tied to the civil rights struggle will enjoy Hansen's analysis. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A fitting contribution to the 40th anniversary of the speech and the march."
-- Publishers Weekly (Publisher's Weekly ) --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ecco; 1st edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060084766
• ISBN-13: 978-0060084769
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #802,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I have a dream" - more than just a speech, August 6, 2003

By 

Lester Craven (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr and the Speech that Inspired a Nation (Hardcover)

I read "The Dream" in one sitting this weekend. The book vividly recaptures the spirit of the time during which Rev. King developed and delivered this inspiring and world-changing speech. At first I was afraid that the author's decomposition of the speech would diminish the power and effectiveness of the speech. On the contrary, his deep exploration into the speech itself and the events leading up to that day, together with fresh perspectives on the moment itself and the years following its delivery enhanced my admiration for both the speech and Rev. King. The author's inescapable conclusion is that there was much, much more at work than a man delivering a televised speech to a supportive crowd. This singular moment in Rev. King's life was the catalyst for much of the advancement that we all benefit from today. Yet this same event is also being used by some to impede further progress in the complete fulfillment of The Dream. This is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about the history of that day and its subsequent impact over the next 40 years. It will also be of particular relevance to those with an interest in public speaking.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King of the Dream, July 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr and the Speech that Inspired a Nation (Hardcover)

I've listened to King's famous speech dozens of times and read a number of books on King, but it wasn't until reading Hansen's captivating description and analysis of the speech that I realized how little I knew about this seminal event in American history. This book is unusual in that it is both hugely readable and phenomenally informative and insightful.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Places Speech in Proper Context, July 15, 2003

By 

John Adam (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr and the Speech that Inspired a Nation (Hardcover)

I recommend this book. It is a quick, informative and enjoyable read esp if you are interested in how a speech is prepared and delivered.

I agree that the "I Have a Dream" speech has become a cliche among many and ignores King's post-1963 life.

It would be nice if the book could have contained a CD of the speech but the King family owns the rights to the speech, I think, a point not ever addressed by the author.