Customer Reviews

Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton

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Booby Seale's "Seize the Time," though not well written, is essentially a primary source of the Black Panther Party--written by the Party's courageous co-founder. Much of the book focuses on the work and vision of Huey P. Newton. I was very much struck by Seale's unquestioning devotion to Newton. Having read other books by or about Party members, I realize from reading this classic book that Seale was blind to many of Newton's contradictions. At the same time, however, Seale seemed devoted equally to the freedom and self-determination of African people.

Both of these leaders took the African struggle in America to another level. They put into practice what the great Malcolm X said about "making it plain" and to defend one's self. As hard as it was, they worked to simplify the struggle rather than intellectualize it. Unfortuneatly, however, they spent more time having to overcome relentess pressures and attacks by Oakland police, the FBI, the racist judicial system, and the entire White racist society.

Seale's book is not a critical analysis of the Party, like for instance Elaine Brown's book "A Taste of Power," but it does bear witness to one of the most radical organizations ever developed in America.

This book was very, very good. Easy to read, lots of information, flows well. Covers the history of the Black Panthers from their formation in 1966 to 1969, Seale dictated the book while locked up in jail on bogus charges. This book got me interested in the Panthers, I knew almost nothing about them until I read this book, and I stayed up all night reading it, because I couldn't put it down.

In schools you are taught to think of the Black Panthers as rebels with communist intentions. The true nature of the black panthers is revealed in Bobby Seale's book. The amount of struggle that blacks had to go through in the "free" nation of America was depressing. The problem with history books is that they are sugar coated with so-much utopian ideas that you wonder if America's political system is flawless. Having a backgound of Jamaican and Indian, this book is a must for any person who's been confronted with prejudices of any sort. A must-read is the chapter "Gagged and Shackled", I honestly couldn't believe how Bobby Seale was treated.
The problem today is that blacks in America still believe that they have rights and freedoms. In essence corperate America puts rich blacks in the media instead of the educated ones. This systematic brain washing system allows for the youth of today to look up to these so-called blacks and always wanting to attain this rich lifestyle. Suggestive readings should be of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, WEB Dubois, Fidel Castro, Marcus Garvey, Angela Davis.

Seize the time writtin by Bobby Seal has got to be one of the most electrifying, in-depth accounts seen through the eyes of the co-founder of the party. It expresses the political ideals and the organized plan for the upliftment of not only for the American African Man, but all those whom were opressed by the systmatic plan made for the wealthy few. Topics rarley discussed in the texts and media nowdays are brought to the table in this book . It discusses numerous veiws held by that of the founder of the party Huey P Newton. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I read in 8th grade and now that I am a senior in high school I can understand and gather the universal message that was described in the book.

Seize the Time shows the true colors of an American life. It not only shows the racial injustice but opens the eyes of the majority in our United States. It gives a detailed account of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense from its conception to the time Mr. Seales wrote the book. This should be a required text in the American school system to wake those who might think we have equality. The book relates to the lives of all American citizens the same as it did thirty years ago. It shows the institutional racism in its purest form, through the police and the government.

I bought this book almost 7 years ago, at that time I was finishing books of that size in a week tops. However, because the book is so poorly written, has a very slow speed to it, and is very difficult to 'get into' in general, it is still unfinished!

Seeing the book as mandatory reading for those interested in Black empowerment, I tried over and over to stomach it, but to no avail, regardless of reading location, time of day, or any other self-directed motivator.

Looking at all of the other posts, I'm glad others enjoyed it. I purchased the book to support the cause, and to reward the author for his most powerful works as a Black panther. Please rewrite the book, I'd really like to finish it.

This defidentally is Bobby Seale's best book. It exposes the 60's police for who they were giving details in the murders of Bobby Hutton and Denzil Dowell. And tells a real story of the Panthers in the Co-founders own words. It also goes into detail on what the party was really about.

Now featuring a new introduction by the author Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton is the reissue of a protest-era manifesto first published in 1970. Recorded and written by the author during 1969 and 1970 when he was a political prisoner in the San Francisco County Jail - incarcerated as a defendant in two prejudiced political trials that he later won in court - Seize the Time offers an amazing, up-close and personal view of the Black Panther Party's formation, goals, and obstacles both within and without. The party's strict code of conduct, including an absolute prohibition against drug use or the misuse of firearms, is described in depth, as are the lives of its founders. From persecution and harassment by all levels of government to the need to expel individuals who were "black racists", or who tried to use the party for personal status and reputation without doing any work to promote the party's cause of equality, awareness, and self-defense, Seize the Time is an absorbing true portrayal of the rocky road of resistance to racism and class oppression. Highly recommended.

Excellent. Everyone else should read this book as well! Its not hard to read like a lot of people say. Every now and then you run into weird sentences but nothing wrong with it!

This is the book you need to read on the history of the Black Panthers, wehre it all began, how they formed, the ideology behind the movement and the eventual collapse of the movement.

Yes there are contradictions from the party members (not to mention a few from what the members turned into post BPM) but this is realy a document of one of the most important aspects of the civil rights movement an aspect that is largely overlooked. The Black Panthers always saw themselves as the 'sons of Malcolm X' and in many ways they were a manifestation of the policies of Malcolm X.

After this you should check out 'Die N****r die' by H Rap Brown.