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Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson Paperback – September 1, 1994

by George Jackson (Author), Jean Genet (Introduction), Jonathan Jackson Jr. (Foreword)

49 customer reviews

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A collection of Jackson's letters from prison, Soledad Brother is an outspoken condemnation of the racism of white America and a powerful appraisal of the prison system that failed to break his spirit but eventually took his life. Jackson's letters make palpable the intense feelings of anger and rebellion that filled black men in America's prisons in the 1960s. But even removed from the social and political firestorms of the 1960s, Jackson's story still resonates for its portrait of a man taking a stand even while locked down.

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Editorial Reviews

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Jackson gained notoriety shortly before his death in 1970 when his younger brother unsuccessfully tried to free him at gunpoint when Jackson and two others were on trial for killing a guard. Written between 1964 and 1970 while serving time in Soledad Prison for robbery, the letters reveal the brutality and racism faced by prisoners and call for unity among African Americans. This edition contains a new foreword by Jackson's nephew Jonathan. Soledad Brother remains "recommended for most libraries" (LJ 12/15/70) and is a solid title for Black History Month in February.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The most important single volume from a black since The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” —Julius Lester, The New York Times Book Review

"The power of George Jackson's personal story remains painfully relevant to our nation today, with its persisten racism, its hellish prisons, its unjust judicial system, and the poles of wealth and poverty that are at the root of all that. I hope the younger generation, black and white, will read Soledad Brother." —Howard Zinn, author, A People's History of the United States

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Chicago Review Press; New edition edition (September 1, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1556522304
ISBN-13: 978-1556522307
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 49 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Regional U.S. > West
- #52 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Essays & Correspondence > Letters
- #415 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > African-American & Black

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Nick Nicholas, MSW

Insight into the Mind of a Revolutionary

February 23, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

At age 18, George Jackson, the author of the letters collected in this book, pleaded guilty to a charge of armed robbery on the advice of his court-appointed lawyer. Although Jackson was told he would receive a lighter sentence if he pleaded guilty, his actual sentence was one year to life. Jackson served his remaining eleven years being shuttled from one California prison to another. By happenstance he actually did serve a life sentence for stealing $70 because he was shot and killed by a prison guard during a purported escape attempt.

The collection of letters begin in 1967 and conclude in 1970 (letters prior to 1967 were destroyed for some unexplained reason). Jackson wrote his letters without any intention of publishing them. The early letters are primarily to his parents and are of minor interest. These letters assured his family that he was doing well, and often requested books, or other items such as a typewriter. The letters become somewhat repetitive, but they reveal a man sensitive to how his incarceration impacted his family.

Missing from this volume, for the most part, are Jackson’s politically-oriented letters; these letters are collected in another book entitled Blood in My Eye. Underlying all of his letters is a political sensibility reflecting black nationalism and Maoist thought. The political aspect of his writings become more overt in the last hundred pages of the book when letters to his lawyer and to other activists such as Angela Davis are presented. These pages are the most interesting ones in the book.

Jackson wrote in a simple, unadorned style that makes his letters engaging and easy to read. He resolved to make his imprisonment a period of self-education. He read voraciously, determined to increase his vocabulary. He stated: "I met Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Engels, and Mao when I entered prison and they redeemed me." The influence of these authors becomes increasingly apparent and his working vocabulary shows consistent improvement.

Although he became a Black Panther while in prison, no mention of that fact appears in these letters; there is only a single reference to a recorded letter from Huey P. Newton brought to him by one of his visitors. In another letter he praises the efforts of the Black Panthers. Nothing more. Apparently all of these letters were relegated to Blood in My Eye. Both books became best-sellers, but Jackson did not survive to enjoy this success.

Very highly recommended. Five stars for its insight into the mind of a revolutionary. The vigor of the final hundred pages make up for the banality of the preceding two hundred pages.

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FMConnect

A Must Read for young men 14 and older!

September 22, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I enjoyed reading this letters George Jackson wrote to various family members, friends and the people who tried to help him get out of prison. He couldn't give "detailed accounts" of what was going on, but you can imagine from some of the things he was able to write about, what he and others were going through. It's unfortunate that they never proved him guilty of the money theft, and so very unfortunate that he was given one year to "life" for stealing! As he clearly states, so many brothers were in jail during that time who, initially were "not guilty", but by the time a parole came up, he was guilty of "something" that was brought on by mere survival in prison. All the disappointments he went through with every parole hearing denials, lies and manipulations! Had I not read the book on the life of Angela Davis first, I would have been hopeful he was going to get out of prison while reading, "they said If I don't get in any trouble in six months (3 months, a year), I can have a parole hearing", only to be disappointed to read there was a new panel and they made no such promises were made or they did something to provoke him so he WOULD get in trouble and his hearing was denied. I recommend this reading to as many young men should starting at the age of 14 - give them a BETTER perspective on what it's like to be in prison and hopefully deter them from going down that path!

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Celyndia

It shows how one criminal mistake can land you in the abyss of imprisonment and when you're a young and poor black man the challenge to get released becomes that ...

September 10, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This was an interesting book. It shows how one criminal mistake can land you in the abyss of imprisonment and when you're a young and poor black man the challenge to get released becomes that much harder.

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Robin Robinson

A Must Read For Truthseekers

September 3, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

"Soledad Brother" is a powerful testament to the struggle of George Jackson to bring truth and find justice in a totally un-just system. The letters of George Jackson put you in that cruel jail cell right next to him. His words and his totally uncompromising spirit will stir your soul with emotions. From pain and anger, to sorrow, but he will also make you laugh ultimately though, he will educate you. Because George Jackson is a teacher...a most compelling teacher. He teaches with love but he mixes it with a strong dose of rebuke; particularly against those who have the nature of a quisling.

He rips apart the falsehoods that create conflicts of Race and class. Then he relates the purposes for such divisions. He gives graphic insights concerning the "Civil Rights" struggles that marked the tumultuous, game changing, decade of the Sixties. Apparently, his warnings were not heeded and his letters could have been written today.

"Soledad Brother" is a must read not just for Black people, but for all people who are lovers of truth, justice and freedom!

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February 25, 2018

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Rasheed

Some Insight Lots of Antagonism

There are some people who have a legend surrounding their name. Of those people you find out that they are as good if not better than the circulated legend.Read more

Published 14 days ago

cash

An interesting story. Not a useful or convincing one however.

Had to read for class. Not a good book. Basically just one sided letters written to friends, Family, and legal representation.Read more

Published 3 months ago

Amazon Customer

One Star

Was returned. Product not read.

Published 4 months ago

Radical Bookworm

I LOVE this book

It’s so rare when I give a book 5 stars. Man, what a wasted life. How sad that this wonderful mind was taken down.Read more

Published 6 months ago

Queen

ALL GOOD!

Must read.. So movingly poetic. This book is too many things.. ALL GOOD!

Published on August 12, 2016

Gabriel Ingram

Five Stars

Good Book Enjoyed reading about my African
American History.

Published on June 16, 2016

Terry F.

Four Stars

A book of detailing a life ended too soon.

Published on January 31, 2016

jarkeeys

Five Stars

My brother is in prison and he enjoyed reading this book!

Published on September 25, 2015

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