Powerful Days: The Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore (Paperback)

~ Charles Moore (Author), (Author), Andrew Young (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Moore was an Alabama news photographer who in the late 1950s began documenting what would become the Civil Rights movement. Initially, gatherings by Martin Luther King and his followers were no more than local news, but in 1963, Moore's shocking photos of blacks being doused with fire hoses, beaten bloody with clubs, and mauled by dogs at the hands not of racists and Klansman but of police officers made the rest of the country if not the rest of the world fully aware of what was transpiring in the American South. These photos, which captured the horrors better than words ever could, forced the public and the politicians to recognize the need for immediate change. Moore's photos undeniably were as influential to the passage of Civil Rights legislature as any march or speech and no doubt altered the course of our nation's history. This volume collects 188 examples of Moore's works along with text by Durham, a LIFE magazine reporter who often accompanied Moore, and an introduction by former King aide and UN ambassador Andrew Young. Powerful Days is powerful indeed; essential for all libraries.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"Moore's photos undeniably were as influential to the passage of Civil Rights legislation as any march or speech and no doubt altered the course of our nation's history. . . . Powerful Days is powerful indeed; essential for all libraries." --Library Journal

"Here are all the gripping photographs of the Freedom March of 1963, of the Birmingham boycott, of James Meredith attempting to enroll at the University of Mississippi, of Martin Luther King, Jr., of black children being hosed and beaten by white policemen. . . . They are simply amazing photographs, photographs that graphically demonstrate both the villainy and heroism of an era." --Kliatt

"Mr. Moore's stark, crisp photos of freedom marchers beset by police dogs and fire hoses . . . helped to shape the nation's conscience. . . . [This book] contains many images that will be wrenchingly familiar to those who lived through the proud moral turning point in American history, and that might serve to inspire younger generations." --New York Times Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: University Alabama Press; 2 edition (March 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817352597
• ISBN-13: 978-0817352592
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,656,094 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars would like to give this a 7 rating, June 25, 2003

By	William D. Tompkins (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Powerful Days: Civil Rights Photography Charles Moore (Modern and Contemporary Poetics) (Paperback)

ive had this book for several years and used to skim the photo pages. the photos alon give it a 5 rating. reading the text increases my rating to a 7 if it were permitted. charles moore discusses his background as a white man growing up int he south and his early days as a photojournalist. a great book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Days brings powerful images, October 20, 2008

By	J. M. Bentley "teacher" (Elk Grove, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Powerful Days: The Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore (Paperback)

Charles Moore was there. He witnessed the events of Selma, Birmingham, and Montgomery. His camera captures the struggle at close range, in all its glory, drama, and tragedy. Charles Moore does a fantastic job of showing how the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s was a series of historic events that took place throughout the South, connected by common themes: justice, fairness, humanity, dignity, and ultimately...love.

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning photographs--as history and art, August 3, 2008

By	Constant Reader (Gloucester MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Powerful Days: The Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore (Paperback)

It's great to see this book back in print! Moore was one of the most famous photographers of the civil rights movement, and chronicled the people and events in images that have become iconic-- from the exhausted, wounded US marshall assigned to protect James Meredith to the brutality of Birmingham to the quiet pride of the voter registration efforts. The book presents Moore's black-and-white photos in gorgeous, sharp, usually full-page view (some, however, cross the page), and he had an unbelievable talent for catching the expressions and individual moments that really make this history come alive. These photos are works of art as well as historical documents, sometimes difficult to look at, but unforgettable. A very good introduction gives Moore's own words describing some of his experiences with the movement, and clear captions place each picture in historical context. This is a book I've found myself returning to over and over again; I can't imagine anyone interested in the civil rights movement or photojournalism who would regret buying it.