genizah's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This is very well-written in that it is incredibly comprehensive without being slow. On the other hand, it seems to think James Earl Ray was much more interesting than he turns out to be. I get that those are the underreported bits, but the Ray minutiae ends up being the least interesting part of a fascinating snapshot of this moment in history. The audio version is read by the author, and is serviceable but not great.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Violence
chrisjp's review
5.0
In writing Hellhound on his Trail Hampton Sides has told a story of radicalisation, assassination, and police investigation. And he has done so in a readable, thriller-esque style that does not cheapen the history or the stories of those involved.
He does not tell the story of Martin Luther King's life, but of his last days and of his death. Yet it does not feel voyeuristic or grotesque as it easily could. King was in many ways more than a man yet still human, and Sides captures this, lets us meet man, shows us why he was more than this, gives us enough to know (if you didn't already) why it is not just personally heartbreaking but a loss for all when he is murdered.
And we also meet his killer. A fascinating character who, were it not non-fiction, you might think stretches credulity. His motives are simple yet defy a simple explanation. You can understand, perhaps, but you can't empathise. His actions, from the assassination itself to his attempts to elude capture, are laid bare and you can see, as with King, the man within the myth.
Fascinating and exhilarating I whole heartedly recommend Hellhound on His Trail, it is fine narrative history and of course, as with all stories like this, it is timely in its tale of race and class and elites and what happens when those tensions clash.
He does not tell the story of Martin Luther King's life, but of his last days and of his death. Yet it does not feel voyeuristic or grotesque as it easily could. King was in many ways more than a man yet still human, and Sides captures this, lets us meet man, shows us why he was more than this, gives us enough to know (if you didn't already) why it is not just personally heartbreaking but a loss for all when he is murdered.
And we also meet his killer. A fascinating character who, were it not non-fiction, you might think stretches credulity. His motives are simple yet defy a simple explanation. You can understand, perhaps, but you can't empathise. His actions, from the assassination itself to his attempts to elude capture, are laid bare and you can see, as with King, the man within the myth.
Fascinating and exhilarating I whole heartedly recommend Hellhound on His Trail, it is fine narrative history and of course, as with all stories like this, it is timely in its tale of race and class and elites and what happens when those tensions clash.
canada_matt's review
5.0
With the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) a few days ago, I felt it appropriate to read Hampton Sides’ stellar account of the lead-up to the event and the hunt for the killer. I’d heard much about it and knew that I would be in for something that would educate me, as well as provide context for this important event in more recent American history. Sides delivers a powerful narrative of the year preceding the King assassination, from multiple perspectives. America in the late 60s was a hotbed when it came to civil rights, particularly with MLK’s marches and the push by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to bring attention to events in the Deep South. Depicting some of the SCLC’s goals, Sides provides the reader with some excellent sentiments about the danger lurking in the shadows, particularly in Alabama, Mississippi, and even into Tennessee. Meanwhile, former Alabama Governor George Wallace was in the middle of a campaign for president, seeking to solidify the southern sentiment about the need for segregation and keeping those of colour at bay. While a smaller and less impactful narrative, it does provide the reader with some insight into southern thinking from one of its most notorious political figures. Another man with his eye on MLK and hatred towards the cause was FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Sides provides the reader with an insightful perspective into how little the Director felt for the SCLC’s cause and the issues that MLK kept raising. Sides repeatedly quotes sentiments Hoover made about the movement, feeling it was nothing but a collective of troublemakers. This would prove important as the story progresses. Perhaps most important of all is the narrative surrounding Eric Galt (pseudonym used by James Earl Ray), depicting his travel from Atlanta to Mexico and even out to Los Angeles, all after his 1967 prison break, explained in detail during the opening chapter. Sides weaves quite the tale as Galt sought to stay off the radar while creating his new persona. With MLK’s arrival in Memphis for another march, Galt chose a flophouse close to where the leader stayed and made final preparations to undertake a dastardly event that would rock the civil rights movement and American history. After the shots that would lead to MLK’s death, Galt fled the city, leaving a vague trail as he sought to hide from authorities of all kinds. This secondary run on the lam left Galt to flee to Toronto, the largest city in Canada. Sides explores the ongoing bait and switch techniques Galt undertook as he sought to disappear off the North American continent, especially when American officials locked in on his identity and he became the most sought-after fugitive by the FBI. The rush by the FBI to find MLK’s killer and bring him to justice contradicts its director’s earlier dismissal of the radical, though this is not lost on Sides or the attentive reader. The final race to locate and bring Galt (now identified as James Earl Ray) to justice leaves the latter portion of the book’s narrative full of twists that will captivate the reader. Even fifty years after the event, Sides injects enough drama and detail to keep any curious reader on the edge of their seats. Highly recommended to lovers of recent US history, particularly those trying late 1960s. Sides has what it takes to breathe life into an old debate that seems to have become highly relevant again.
My interest in the MLK assassination has been percolating for a long time, as I enjoy reading about the civil rights movement in the US and 1968 as a year of action. I recently read a piece of fiction related to the MLK assassination, positing some interesting theories, which piqued my interest to find some factual accounts related to these events. Sides discusses in his introduction that much of the narrative is tied together by his extensive research, which allows for a strong narrative that captivates the reader’s attention. Using the opening portion of the book to lay the groundwork for many key actors prevalent to the larger narrative, this permits the reader to have a better handle on the political and social picture in 1968 America. The detail to which Sides goes to explore both MLK’s movement and Galt’s journey across the continent provides a vivid picture that permits the reader to almost feel present at each event. What might be most interesting of all is Sides’ great focus on the path Galt (Ray) took, leading to a time in Canada and Europe before being caught inadvertently as he sought to travel further. Sides provides such a fluid writing style that the storytelling almost seems fictitious in its detail. As one fellow reader commented to me, the story progresses in such a way that each night of reading can end with an intense cliffhanger, even with the final outcome firmly branded in history texts already. It is worth noting that Sides does not appear ready to plant ideas of conspiracy or point fingers as Ray’s involvement in a larger planned movement, but rather to gather vast amounts of the readily available documentation to create a stellar narrative that any interested reader can enjoy. With chapters of various lengths, all full of factual depictions, Sides shows himself to be a sensational historian that can entertain as well as educate. I can only hope to find more of his work to see how he tackles other events that shaped American history.
Kudos, Mr. Sides, for your powerful piece that touched on all those aspects about which I wondered. I hope many will take the time to explore this and other pieces surrounding those most important 20th century events in America’s long history.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
My interest in the MLK assassination has been percolating for a long time, as I enjoy reading about the civil rights movement in the US and 1968 as a year of action. I recently read a piece of fiction related to the MLK assassination, positing some interesting theories, which piqued my interest to find some factual accounts related to these events. Sides discusses in his introduction that much of the narrative is tied together by his extensive research, which allows for a strong narrative that captivates the reader’s attention. Using the opening portion of the book to lay the groundwork for many key actors prevalent to the larger narrative, this permits the reader to have a better handle on the political and social picture in 1968 America. The detail to which Sides goes to explore both MLK’s movement and Galt’s journey across the continent provides a vivid picture that permits the reader to almost feel present at each event. What might be most interesting of all is Sides’ great focus on the path Galt (Ray) took, leading to a time in Canada and Europe before being caught inadvertently as he sought to travel further. Sides provides such a fluid writing style that the storytelling almost seems fictitious in its detail. As one fellow reader commented to me, the story progresses in such a way that each night of reading can end with an intense cliffhanger, even with the final outcome firmly branded in history texts already. It is worth noting that Sides does not appear ready to plant ideas of conspiracy or point fingers as Ray’s involvement in a larger planned movement, but rather to gather vast amounts of the readily available documentation to create a stellar narrative that any interested reader can enjoy. With chapters of various lengths, all full of factual depictions, Sides shows himself to be a sensational historian that can entertain as well as educate. I can only hope to find more of his work to see how he tackles other events that shaped American history.
Kudos, Mr. Sides, for your powerful piece that touched on all those aspects about which I wondered. I hope many will take the time to explore this and other pieces surrounding those most important 20th century events in America’s long history.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
zachkuhn's review
4.0
Down-to-the-marrow narrative of the assassination of Martin Luther King. Fascinating how direct the link from 1968 to 2016 can be traced through detail and "character." The rise of Trump shuffles through the rise of George Wallace. America could have collapsed under its own weight before Nixon took office...
perri's review
4.0
My third Sides read, and I'll read any others that he writes. A NF that reads like F, Sides really digs into his characters and continues his fair/even handed approach to his subject.
ssindc's review
5.0
Thinking about this book today ... on MLK's Federal Holiday ... and appreciating the fact that I read it. (It's not new, and Hampton Sides has written plenty of other (really) good stuff, including his latest book, on the Korean War, On Desperate Ground.) There are innumerable books about King and related topics, but, well, ... I like Sides' stuff, and he was on my mind today, so....
* * *
This is a terrific book, and anyone interested in the history of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, J. Edgar Hoover, the history of the FBI or, quite simply, the Sixties, should put this one on their shelf. (Similarly - much as I hate to say this - anyone who enjoys crime fiction will probably enjoy this - it's that good, but there's no fiction to be found here.)
Plenty of critics may whine that (1) most of what's here is well known and has been in the public domain for some time; and (2) Sides' account of the time, the events, and the players is so detail oriented a reader with limited attention span could drown in the minutiae. There's a kernel of truth there. But I couldn't put it down, and I recommend it without hesitation (although, if you only give an author one chance before you read more of his or her books, I'd suggest you start with Ghost Soldiers, which is a more remarkable story and - frankly - encompasses a tale far less familiar to most contemporary readers).
In retrospect, I wish Hampton Sides was older (OK, significantly older than me), and I wish he'd been writing and publishing so that I could have read his books in high school (and even college) instead of the far-too-often disappointing and unnecessarily dry material assigned in history courses. Sides has become one of my favorite authors, quite simply because (1) he makes historical events come alive and (2) his books, quite simply, are a pleasure to read. Yes, yes, he's a creative and tireless researcher - and he deserves significant credit for that. But it's his ability to repackage historical events into compelling, captivating, entertaining, and - let's be frank here - enjoyable and eminently readable stories that has won me (and so many other readers) over.
I've read reviewers refer to Sides as part a unique community creating the modern era of historians - craftsmen (and craftswomen) plying a trade referred to as the New Journalism, (or, for the post Tom Wolfe era, the New New Journalism) - readers find that the unofficial group includes Erik Larson, Laura Hillenbrand, Nathaniel Philbrick, and even Jon Krakauer (who has been less consistent, but merits inclusion when he's at his best) and there's something to that.... Let's throw in Daniel James Brown (for his glorious Boys in the Boat,) and Mitchell Zukoff (who is very good, but - to my mind - not quite as sublime as the rest). I've been impressed with all of these authors' works, and I'd love to see high schools and history teachers embrace their excellent work to open the minds and fire the imaginations of the next generation of readers.
* * *
This is a terrific book, and anyone interested in the history of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, J. Edgar Hoover, the history of the FBI or, quite simply, the Sixties, should put this one on their shelf. (Similarly - much as I hate to say this - anyone who enjoys crime fiction will probably enjoy this - it's that good, but there's no fiction to be found here.)
Plenty of critics may whine that (1) most of what's here is well known and has been in the public domain for some time; and (2) Sides' account of the time, the events, and the players is so detail oriented a reader with limited attention span could drown in the minutiae. There's a kernel of truth there. But I couldn't put it down, and I recommend it without hesitation (although, if you only give an author one chance before you read more of his or her books, I'd suggest you start with Ghost Soldiers, which is a more remarkable story and - frankly - encompasses a tale far less familiar to most contemporary readers).
In retrospect, I wish Hampton Sides was older (OK, significantly older than me), and I wish he'd been writing and publishing so that I could have read his books in high school (and even college) instead of the far-too-often disappointing and unnecessarily dry material assigned in history courses. Sides has become one of my favorite authors, quite simply because (1) he makes historical events come alive and (2) his books, quite simply, are a pleasure to read. Yes, yes, he's a creative and tireless researcher - and he deserves significant credit for that. But it's his ability to repackage historical events into compelling, captivating, entertaining, and - let's be frank here - enjoyable and eminently readable stories that has won me (and so many other readers) over.
I've read reviewers refer to Sides as part a unique community creating the modern era of historians - craftsmen (and craftswomen) plying a trade referred to as the New Journalism, (or, for the post Tom Wolfe era, the New New Journalism) - readers find that the unofficial group includes Erik Larson, Laura Hillenbrand, Nathaniel Philbrick, and even Jon Krakauer (who has been less consistent, but merits inclusion when he's at his best) and there's something to that.... Let's throw in Daniel James Brown (for his glorious Boys in the Boat,) and Mitchell Zukoff (who is very good, but - to my mind - not quite as sublime as the rest). I've been impressed with all of these authors' works, and I'd love to see high schools and history teachers embrace their excellent work to open the minds and fire the imaginations of the next generation of readers.
sgtbigg's review
4.0
Sides reconstructed the lives of King and James Earl Ray in the months prior to King's assassination and continues to follow Ray until his arrest and return to the U.S. Sides does an admirable job of following Ray's movements both before and after the shooting. The only thing I felt was lacking from the book was an explanation of Ray's motivation, Sides touches on several possibilities however I don't think anyone other then Ray knew his real motive. Highly recommended.[return][return]I received this as an ARC from th publisher.
cody240fc's review
4.0
Sides is one of the finest historians working today. While his research is always thorough, it’s his ability to construct an entertaining narrative that separates him from many of his peers. In “Hellhound on His Trail,” Sides patiently expands the backstory of MLK’s assassin. This allows him to slowly build the manhunt to a crescendo and expertly peal back the many layers of the killer’s complicated personality one at a time. And he manages to do this without bogging down the pace of the book. Not quite as fantastic as “Blood and Thunder” but an excellent read.