Customer Reviews

We Shall Overcome: A Song That Changed the World

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Many of us enjoyed "The Power of Song," the video documentary about folk singer Pete Seeger. Now we have "We Shall Overcome: A Song that Changed the World," which can be considered a powerful "case study" of the power of song. It traces the journey of "We Shall Overcome" across a century and a half of American history, with all its fascinating twists and turns, and demonstrates the song's power to inspire, comfort, and motivate millions in America and around the world.

The handsome layout and design of the book, a wide, square book with easily-readable double-spaced text and generous photographic supplements, makes it attractive to students seeking sources for American history papers and projects. It is packed with fascinating information about the song and its many singers, including some little-known ethnographic data, but the book is never pedantic, and the historical data is always broken up into small portions, written in a readable style and with many captivating photographs.

Stotts' writing style is conversational and engaged, always keeping both a tone of respect and a sense of wonder. The writing style will help the book attract a broad readership. Kids will not just pick it up -- they will actually read it!

The book is an indispensable resource for classroom libraries and school libraries and teachers of American history, social studies, black studies, ethnomusicology, and labor history (the uses of the song in labor organizing are detailed, in addition to its better-known status as an anthem of the civil rights movement). There is probably a secondary market for adult ESL, as well as GED and U.S. citizenship classes because of its contribution to the study of American history.

The inside sleeve, a CD of Pete Seeger singing the song, is the icing on the cake. Stunning brightly colored illustrations by Terrance Cummings start off each chapter with dramatic flair.

Clarion Books is to be congratulated for a compelling and important book about a powerful and important song. "We Shall Overcome: A song that Changed the World" is sure to make a lasting contribution to our understanding of the importance of culture in the study of history, and the unending power of song.

Stuart Stotts' WE SHALL OVERCOME: A SONG THAT CHANGED THE WORLD comes with a CD performance by Pete Seger and provides the powerful, detailed story of the song packed with black and white archival images and graphic drawings. From music history to civil rights issues, this provides a lively, powerful account especially good for home listening and discussion.

This is an excellent book, The cover sets the tone for the contents inside. The text and photos are incredible and very informative. The icing on the cake is the enclosed CD of Pete Seeger singing his song. Wonderful! This should be in every school and community library and ideally in every classroom library.

Great book and resource. I did not know all of the history of this song. Thank you

Love this! Will make great use of this book as I teach the Civil Rights Movement to my 5th graders. I could listen to the CD all day!