Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin

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Scholastic Press, 2018 - Juvenile Nonfiction - 373 pages

An astonishing account of the assassination of America's most beloved and celebrated civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, by New York Times bestselling author, James L. Swanson with an introduction by John Lewis.

NAACP Image Award Nominee

Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year

* "[James L. Swanson's] masterful work... reveals, in gripping style, how one individual can impact history." --Booklist, starred review

In his meteoric, thirteen-year rise to fame, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a mass movement for Civil Rights -- with his relentless peaceful, non-violent protests, public demonstrations, and eloquent speeches. But as violent threats cast a dark shadow over Dr. King's life, Swanson hones in on James Earl Ray, a bizarre, racist, prison escapee who tragically ends King's life.

As he did in his bestselling Scholastic MG/YA books Chasing LIncoln's Killer and "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!", Swanson transports readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history.

With an introduction by Congressman John Lewis, and over 80 photographs, captions, bibliography, various source notes, and index included.

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About the author (2018)

James L. Swanson is the award-winning author of the bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. His other books include Chasing Lincoln's Killer, an adaptation of Manhunt for young adults, and his follow-up, "The President Has Been Shot!: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy", which was a finalist for the YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction award. He has held a number of government and think-tank posts in Washington, D.C.