The Dream : Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech That Inspired a Nation

“Unleashes the power of King's historic words in'63... offers a new perspective on what King said that day, how he said it and what it has come to mean.” —USA TodayOn August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., electrified the nation when he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In The Dream, Drew D. Hansen explores the fascinating and little-known history of King's legendary address. The Dream insightfully considers how King's speech “has slowly remade the American imagination,” and led us closer to King's visionary goal of a redeemed America.“[A] great contribution to the literature of the movement. Dr. King would be very, very proud.” —Rep. John Lewis, NPR“Essential reading for anyone trying to understand one of the great speeches in American history.” —The Denver Post“The best book in more than a decade on the movement's best-known leader.” —Chicago Tribune“In closely analyzing the text of the speech, the author compares supporting drafts of two associates and King's own final written version with the actual spoken words. There's no doubt that King's extensive departures from prepared text formed the most eloquent and inspiring moments... Studied anatomy of one bold moment of extemporaneous triumph.” —Kirkus Reviews“Serious, scholarly and engaged, a fitting contribution to the 40th anniversary of the speech and the march.” —Publishers Weekly“Readers interested in the moral issues tied to the civil rights struggle will enjoy Hansen's analysis.” —Booklist A riveting account of the origins and legacy of "I Have a Dream" Forty years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. electrified the nation when he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King's prophetic utterances started the long overdue process of changing America's idea of itself. His words would enter the American lexicon, galvanizing the civil rights movement, becoming a touchstone for all that the country might someday achieve. The Dream is the first book about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legendary "I Have a Dream" speech. Opening with an enthralling account of the August day in 1963 that saw 250,000 Americans converge at the March on Washington, The Dream delves into the fascinating and little-known history of King's speech. Hansen explores King's compositional strategies and techniques, and proceeds to a brilliant analysis of the "I Have a Dream" speech itself, examining it on various levels: as a political treatise, a work of poetry, and as a masterfully delivered and improvised sermon bursting with biblical language and imagery. In tracing the legacy of "I Have a Dream" since 1963, The Dream insightfully considers how King's incomparable speech "has slowly remade the American imagination," and led us closer to King's visionary goal of a redeemed America

on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., Electrified The Nation When He Delivered His I Have A Dream Speech From The Steps Of The Lincoln Memorial. In the Dream, Drew D. Hansen Explores The Fascinating And Little-known History Of King's Legendary Address. the Dream Insightfully Considers How King's Speech Has Slowly Remade The American Imagination, And Led Us Closer To King's Visionary Goal Of A Redeemed America.

the Washington Post

drew D. Hansen Traces The Speech's Path To Immortality In the Dream, A Swift-moving And Plainly Written Examination Of King's Speech, The Events Leading To Its Composition, And Ways In Which Americans' Assessment Of It Changed In The Decades That Have Followed. — jabari Asim

Describes the 1963 March on Washington and provides an analysis of King's history-making speech, examining it as a political treatise, a work of poetry, and an effectively delivered sermon filled with biblical imagery Some of the marchers left a few days early so that they would be sure to reach Washington by August 28, 1963. Title from eBook information screen.Includes bibliographical references and index.