Reviews for Paul Robeson : The Years of Promise and Achievement

The average rating for Paul Robeson : The Years of Promise and Achievement based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2021-01-29 00:00:00 Christopher Beresford I didn't realize when I put this book on hold at the library that it was going to be 400+ pages. Yikes. Well, it did take me a while to read it but holy geez there was so much detailed information. I had no idea all the things Paul Robeson did from being a Rutgers football player to a singer to traveling the world. It was shameful for me not to know who he was since we had an entire building at school named for him but I never bothered to find out why or who he was. His story is pretty amazing & so unique but also encapsulating in all that he experienced. I was surprised to read about the part of his life that brought him all the way to the Soviet Union. It was amazing how he stated there wasn't any racism that he experienced there compared to the US where it was more than prevalent & made him stay away for many years. The turmoil that he went through was awful in the States no matter what part he was in. The way folks in the UK really admired him & did what they could to see him in a play/musical was essentially groupies which I thought was unusual but he was very popular. Paul trying to maintain a relationship w/ his wife Essie & later his son was not an easy journey for him & also didn't seem like a priority at times either. I really didn't care for how this author went into the nitty gritty details of certain aspects of life that were kind of boring & unnecessary. Maybe that's why i ended up being so long of a book. Either way this book has so much insight to his life.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-10-22 00:00:00 Ronald Samson A fabulous book. The writing is first-rate, well-researched, and incisive. Doesn't jump to conclusions about any aspect of Robeson's life or career, but builds on (and sometimes refutes) earlier research. Can't wait for the second volume!