He was a husband, a father, a preacher-and the preeminent leader of a movement that continues to transform America and the world. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the twentieth century's most influential men and lived one of its most extraordinary lives. Now, in a special volume commissioned and authorized by his family, here is the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr., drawn from a comprehensive collection of writings, recordings, and documentary materials, many of which have never before been made public.

Written in his own words, this history-making autobiography is Martin Luther King: the mild-mannered, inquisitive child and student who chafed under and eventually rebelled against segregation; the dedicated young minister who continually questioned the depths of his faith and the limits of his wisdom; the loving husband and father who sought to balance his family's needs with those of a growing, nationwide movement; and the reflective, world-famous leader who was fired by a vision of equality for people everywhere.

Relevant and insightful, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. offers King's seldom disclosed views on some of the world's greatest and most controversial figures: John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, Mahatma Gandhi, and Richard Nixon. It also paints a rich and moving portrait of a people, a time, and a nation in the face of powerful change. Finally, it shows how everyday Americans from all walks of life confronted themselves, each other, and the burden of the past-and how their fears and courage helped shape our future.

With knowledge, spirit, good humor, and passion, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. brings to life a remarkable man whose thoughts and actions speak to our most burning contemporary issues and still inspire the desires, hopes, and dreams of us all.

In his own vivid, compassionate voice, here at last is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s unforgettable chronicle of his life and times. Years in the making, and woven together from thousands of recordings and documents, including letters to his family and diary entries, this book is an unprecedented literary event...one that gives us a poignant new picture of the student and son, husband and father, minister and world leader, who was Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I am elated that The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. has received the Grammy's highest award for spoken word recordings. It is encouraging to me that my father's life and legacy is inspiring a new generation in a new century, and that people are recognizing that his teachings speak to our times with a special relevance and urgency."  --- Dexter Scott King