Assata: An Autobiography (Lawrence Hill & Co.) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Angela Davis (Foreword) "There were lights and sirens..." (more)
Key Phrases: middlesex county jail, bank robbery trial, jersey trial, New York, Black Liberation Army, Miss Shirley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This black activist's memoir is like a freeze frame of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Though the polemical rhetoric is dated, the book is an otherwise compelling tale of the impact of white racism on a sensitive and powerful young black woman. Born Joanne Chesimard, she took an African name to confirm her commitment to black liberation, joined militant organizations, and was ultimately convicted of the murder of a New Jersey highway patrol officer in 1977. Her descriptions of life in prison and the vagaries of the court system are especially wrenching. Living now in Cuba as an escaped felon, she continues her utopian plea for revolution. Recommended for large libraries and specialists. Anthony O. Edmonds, Ball State Univ., Muncie, Ind.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

This presents the life story of African American revolutionary Shakur, previously known as JoAnne Chesimard.

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Product Details Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (November 1, 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 1556520743 ISBN-13: 978-1556520747 Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,930 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #60 in  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Race Relations > America #99 in  Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Criminals

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
There were lights and sirens. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
middlesex county jail, bank robbery trial, jersey trial, joanne chesimard, decent children, forensic chemist, new jersey state police

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Black Liberation Army, Miss Shirley, Ronald Myers, Third World, Civil War, Black Panther Party, James Harper, Puerto Rican, Manhattan Community College, Ray Brown, Rikers Island, County of Middlesex, George Washington, Huey Newton, West Coast, Elmhurst Hospital, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, Red Guard, Township of East Brunswick, Abraham Lincoln, Angela Davis, Jonathan Jackson, Nat Turner

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 6 books:

• Andrew Jackson by George E. Stanley on page 211
• Cesar Chavez (Graphic Biographies (World Almanac) (Graphic Novels)) by Elizabeth Hudson-Goff on page 199
• The Bill of Rights (Irvington Reprint Series in Political Science) by Hugo L. Black in Front Matter
• Latin America (Peoples and Cultures) by J. Clark on page 51
• Illusions of Justice: Human Rights Violations in the United States by Lennox S. Hinds in Front Matter

See all 6 books this book cites

 

45 books cite this book:

• States of Confinement: Policing, Detention, and Prisons by Joy James on page 310, page 311, and Back Matter
• Transcending the Talented Tenth: Black Leaders and American Intellectuals by Joy James on page 91, page 178, and Back Matter
• The New Abolitionists: (Neo)slave Narratives And Contemporary Prison Writings (Suny Series, Philosophy and Race) by Joy James in Front Matter, page 77, and page 273
• Between Sundays: Black Women and Everyday Struggles of Faith (George Gund Foundation Book in African American Studies) by Marla F. Frederick in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Culture Shock! Cuba: A Guide to Customs & Etiquette by Mark Cramer on page 79, and page 86

See all 45 books citing this book

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang

Discusses:

• joanne chesimard
• Huey Newton
• Angela Davis

Prison Writings in 20th Century America by H. Bruce Franklin

Discusses:

• bank robbery trial
• jersey trial
• joanne chesimard

Africana by Kwame Anthony Appiah

Discusses:

• joanne chesimard
• Black Panther Party
• Puerto Rican

Murdered in Jersey by Gerald Tomlinson

Discusses:

• jersey trial
• joanne chesimard
• new jersey state police

The Black Panther Party [Reconsidered] by Judson L. Jeffries

Discusses:

• middlesex county jail
• Black Liberation Army
• Huey Newton

Autobiography as Activism by Margo V. Perkins

Discusses:

• middlesex county jail
• bank robbery trial
• jersey trial

Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang Discusses: joanne chesimard Huey Newton Angela Davis Prison Writings in 20th Century America by H. Bruce Franklin Discusses: bank robbery trial jersey trial joanne chesimard Africana by Kwame Anthony Appiah Discusses: joanne chesimard Black Panther Party Puerto Rican Murdered in Jersey by Gerald Tomlinson Discusses: jersey trial joanne chesimard new jersey state police Loading...

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	93% buy the item featured on this page: Assata: An Autobiography (Lawrence Hill & Co.) 4.6 out of 5 stars (59) $7.97
	2% buy Angela Davis: An Autobiography 3.9 out of 5 stars (14) $13.45
	2% buy A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story 4.0 out of 5 stars (33) $11.53
	2% buy Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson 4.6 out of 5 stars (15) $11.53

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Customer Reviews

59 Reviews 5 star:  (48) 4 star:  (6) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (59 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 21 of 21 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner!, July 30, 1998 By A Customer Assata, is an autobiography that travels at a fast pace and it's hard to put down because you will truly anticipate the conclusion. The book Assata gives great insight into the role that women played in the Black Panther Party and contrary to popular belief the women did not take the back seat. The book is a journey through Assata's life. As a child she lived with her mother in New York and came down South (Wilmington, North Carolina to be exact) to visit her grandparents in the summer. In Wilmington--home of the "Wilmington 10" and an 1898 coup d'etat(if you don't know about these events please ask somebody)--she got a first hand view of segregation. It is my opinion that her experiences as a child down South made her aware of the struggle of Black people. She went through various rebellious phases as a young adult and eventually found her way to the Black Panther Party. From this point forward you begin to see through the eyes of a comrade in th! is movement. The book deals with her expereinces with COINTELPRO (the U.S. counterintelligence program created to destablize certain civil rights organizations, particularly the BPP) to an incident on a New Jersey turnpike that leaves two highway patrolmen dead. Although she was sentenced to life in prison, she now resides in Cuba. To find out how she wound up there, I guess you will have to read the book. Among other reasons, this book continues to be timely and relevant because Assata continues to be a war cry for supporters of tightened sanctions against "Castro's Cuba". 14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous Assata, September 28, 2000 By  Tierra Mauhammad (chicago illinois) - See all my reviews The book is truly amazing. After reading it you should feel very enlightened (if not already) about the truths of the United States. Assata Shakur went through alot of things as to so many other black leader just for us. I'm a young black girl and I love Assata honestly with my whole heart. The book is tuly excellent I never wanted to put it down. I encourage everyone of every race to read it and to be open minded to the fact that its real. Just read it in the fact that if you have ever been in pain, Assata understands. 13 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars So You Think Your a Revolutionary? , May 3, 2005 By  E.H. (st.louis by way of chicago) - See all my reviews let start by saying; i hate autobiographies! yet two that have set my spirit on fire we Malcolm X's and Assata Shakur's. each opened my eyes to the struggles of the people during the 60's and 70's. showed the lengths the goverment went to to thwart the civil rights movement, the fight for equality and anyone involved. So You Think Your a Revolutionary? well read this book and find out what a true Revolutionary is. Assata's book was deep because it's rare that we are able to read of the hardships faced by the SISTA's involved in the struggle. of how the goverment treated her like an animal, keeping her caged up for years while framing her for various crimes to which Assata wasnt involved. i loved how the sister remained strong during this time....had it been, i would have folded! what was REALLY GREAT is how Assata was honest about her time with the Black Panthers. for as great as the Panthers were, Assata lets you know....it wasnt all lovely on the inside. just reading this book made my blood boil and my mind fill with rage. funny thing is, the things that happened to Assata during the 70's are still happening today. funny how things change but remain the same. Assata Shakur...Peace and Blessings to you sister. i am your humble student for life. thank you for opening my eyes to your struggle.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars EYE OPENER ASSATA BIOGRAPHY WAS FASCINATING, EYE OPENER THINGS I DID NT ABOUT HER, GREAT READ VERY POWERFUL WOMAN WHO DID NT GIVE UP. SO MUCH RESPECT FOR MS ASSATA ALL RESPECT IS DUE Published 1 month ago by anu shaheed 4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening/ inspiring/ and emotional I was hesitant at first to read this book being that it was political and sounded nothing familiar to my world as a white youth in America. Read more Published 2 months ago by bethEneey 5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Difficult I'd only heard her story in snippets; she was a Panther, a revolutionary and a wanted woman. She has been lauded and lambasted and I believed that she was someone that I needed... Read more Published 16 months ago by Soulflower 5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST-READ for Everyone Even if you have never heard of Assata you should pick up this book. It's the autobiography of a woman who now lives in exile in Cuba, telling her story of how she was arrested in... Read more Published 17 months ago by experimentius 5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational Revolutionary This book is a must have for revolutionary minds of the next generation. Assata illustrates the life and times of the struggle. Read more Published 21 months ago 5.0 out of 5 stars If you are into racism, women issues and simple reading, this book if for you! This is by far the best autobiography I have read so far. It was an easy read and extremely expressive. Read more Published on March 23, 2007 by Natasha Salam 4.0 out of 5 stars Eyes opening... Wow...When you read this book you feel in another era , in another world but the sad part is that is not, it is our world and what hapened to this woman was real. Read more Published on January 9, 2007 by J. Steadman 5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Read The real history of the Black Power Movement will seemingly never be truthfully covered by mainstream historians. Read more Published on June 24, 2006 by Mr. Richard D. Coreno 5.0 out of 5 stars WOW The story of Assata Shakur is deep and motivating, after reading the story of her journey I was surprised at the amount of people that had no clue of her story. Read more Published on May 15, 2006 by Ms Johnson 5.0 out of 5 stars Must read! The book was great. I felt like using a highlighter during numerous points in the book. "The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it... Read more Published on January 31, 2006 by Vonnie Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556520743
• ISBN-13: 978-1556520747
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,930 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #60 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Race Relations > America
  #99 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Criminals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner!, July 30, 1998

By A Customer

Assata, is an autobiography that travels at a fast pace and it's hard to put down because you will truly anticipate the conclusion.

The book Assata gives great insight into the role that women played in the Black Panther Party and contrary to popular belief the women did not take the back seat.

The book is a journey through Assata's life. As a child she lived with her mother in New York and came down South (Wilmington, North Carolina to be exact) to visit her grandparents in the summer.

In Wilmington--home of the "Wilmington 10" and an 1898 coup d'etat(if you don't know about these events please ask somebody)--she got a first hand view of segregation. It is my opinion that her experiences as a child down South made her aware of the struggle of Black people.

She went through various rebellious phases as a young adult and eventually found her way to the Black Panther Party. From this point forward you begin to see through the eyes of a comrade in th! is movement.

The book deals with her expereinces with COINTELPRO (the U.S. counterintelligence program created to destablize certain civil rights organizations, particularly the BPP) to an incident on a New Jersey turnpike that leaves two highway patrolmen dead.

Although she was sentenced to life in prison, she now resides in Cuba. To find out how she wound up there, I guess you will have to read the book.

Among other reasons, this book continues to be timely and relevant because Assata continues to be a war cry for supporters of tightened sanctions against "Castro's Cuba".

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous Assata, September 28, 2000

By	Tierra Mauhammad (chicago illinois) - See all my reviews

The book is truly amazing. After reading it you should feel very enlightened (if not already) about the truths of the United States. Assata Shakur went through alot of things as to so many other black leader just for us. I'm a young black girl and I love Assata honestly with my whole heart. The book is tuly excellent I never wanted to put it down. I encourage everyone of every race to read it and to be open minded to the fact that its real. Just read it in the fact that if you have ever been in pain, Assata understands.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So You Think Your a Revolutionary? , May 3, 2005

By	E.H. (st.louis by way of chicago) - See all my reviews

let start by saying; i hate autobiographies! yet two that have set my spirit on fire we Malcolm X's and Assata Shakur's. each opened my eyes to the struggles of the people during the 60's and 70's. showed the lengths the goverment went to to thwart the civil rights movement, the fight for equality and anyone involved.

So You Think Your a Revolutionary? well read this book and find out what a true Revolutionary is. Assata's book was deep because it's rare that we are able to read of the hardships faced by the SISTA's involved in the struggle. of how the goverment treated her like an animal, keeping her caged up for years while framing her for various crimes to which Assata wasnt involved. i loved how the sister remained strong during this time....had it been, i would have folded! what was REALLY GREAT is how Assata was honest about her time with the Black Panthers. for as great as the Panthers were, Assata lets you know....it wasnt all lovely on the inside. just reading this book made my blood boil and my mind fill with rage. funny thing is, the things that happened to Assata during the 70's are still happening today. funny how things change but remain the same.

Assata Shakur...Peace and Blessings to you sister. i am your humble student for life. thank you for opening my eyes to your struggle.