A Knock at Midnight

April 15, 1998
The King family and Time Warner have collaborated on this selection of memorable sermons by King, from "Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool" to "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution." Each sermon has its own introduction, with the Rev. Billy Graham and Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu among the contributors. (An audio version is also available.)

April 1, 1998
King's papers are being amassed in 14 volumes whose heft and exhaustive coverage don't encourage casual reading. Two editors of that project offer a more manageable book, a set of 11 of King's most frequently preached sermons. They are separately introduced by fellow preachers, all but one of whom (Archbishop Desmond Tutu) knew him, and each appears in a version that was particularly well received (most are transcriptions of recordings, with spoken congregational interjections--" Yes, sir," "That's right," "Preach" --parenthetically inserted in the text). King was a gifted preacher, his staple themes of God's love and social justice are perennially pertinent, and this is thrilling reading, especially if one can conjure his voice in the mind's ear. The sermons have been sound-bitten nearly to death, of course, and in such a manner as to downplay King's staunch evangelical Christianity. Here it blazes forth; indeed, one sermon ends with a clear altar call. Perhaps there is no better way to become acquainted with this great American than this book affords. ((Reviewed April 1, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)