The perfect book, at the right time.”—Michael Henry Adams, The Guardian

“Deeply researched and accessible. . . . A substantial entry in Yale’s Black Lives series.”—Matthew F. Delmont, New York Times Book Review

“If you liked King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, read John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community, by Raymond Arsenault.”—Washington Post

“This sweeping biography represents the first effort at a comprehensive account of the life of the civil-rights icon John Lewis.”—New Yorker

“John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community examines a rare journey from protest leader to career politician, buffeted by the winds of Black nationalism, debates over the acceptability of violence and perennial tensions between purity and pragmatism.”—David Smith, The Guardian

“Now, less than four years after his death, we have the first full-length biography of this remarkable citizen. John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community . . . tells the story of Lewis’s tireless work as a Freedom Rider, as an ally to oppressed people in every corner of America, as a defender of voting rights, and as the conscience of Congress.”—Ron Charles, CBS Sunday Morning

Named a New Yorker “Best Book We Read This Week”

“Deeply researched and profoundly insightful.”—Steve Nathans-Kelly, Chicago Review of Books

“The first comprehensive biography of the icon, an inspiring portrait of a man whose vision and moral courage propelled him to share his belief in the Beloved Community and inspire generations.”—Henry L. Carrigan, Jr., BookPage (starred review)

“Well-researched. . . . An illuminating account of the differences among civil rights activists over goals, tactics, and strategy.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, Florida Courier

“To its last page, John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community presents not only the definitive history of an admirable American, but a gripping account of an American struggle for freedom that continues today.”—Michael Ray Taylor, Chapter 16 and Nashville Scene

“How to capture the full humanity of such a legendary figure [as John Lewis], whose life was intertwined with some of America’s lowest lows and highest highs? Civil rights historian Raymond Arsenault does just that in his new biography.”—Bookstack (podcast)

Recommended by San Francisco Bay Times in “Top of Your Stack”

“Beautifully written and deeply researched, Arsenault’s biography of John Lewis captures his indomitable courage and steadfast moral clarity.”— Mia Bay, author of Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance

“Arsenault’s highly readable book presents us not just with an indispensable chronicle of a transformative era, but with the portrait of a remarkable human being whose character and vision challenge us all to live up to both his ideals and his sacrifices.”—Drew Gilpin Faust, Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor and President Emerita, Harvard University

“This is a lovely, honest, and thorough book about an American hero who should be better known.”—Thomas E. Ricks, author of Waging a Good War: How the Civil Rights Movement Won Its Battles, 1954–1968

“An inspiring and movingly drawn portrait of a true American hero who, armed only with raw moral courage, managed to leave his beloved nation better than he found it.”—Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., author of Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith

Through this audiobook, listeners will come to see Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis as a living bridge from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to President Barack Obama. The force behind the concept of "good trouble," Lewis was inspired to become a minister and to join the Civil Rights movement after hearing King preach over the radio. Lewis was just a boy at the time. His life, work, and accomplishments are chronicled in this biography. Jaime Lincoln Smith delivers a first-rate narration. His voice has character, but he's careful not to overshadow the text. His acting skills clearly help. When the author uses extended direct quotes, Smith alters his cadence as a kind of oral quotation marks. While the work is detailed, Smith keeps the narrative flowing smoothly and engagingly. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

★ 2023-11-28
A comprehensive biography of the Civil Rights leader and legislator.

A telling anecdote comes early in Arsenault’s life of John Lewis (1940-2020), when he traveled to the Capitol to fundraise for a Freedom Rides Museum. Lewis kept the delegation waiting for an hour because he had promised to discuss Civil Rights history with a high school student from Ohio: “The day’s schedule had gotten backed up, but Lewis was not about to short-change the boy.” Though Lewis became a luminary late in life, his early years were marked by struggle: He was hounded as both a radical and an idealist, and he bore the scars to prove it. One perhaps surprising revelation is the significant divisions within the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. may be remembered as the iconic leader, but his leadership was heavily contested, and Lewis himself became alienated from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee over the phrase “Black Power.” Said Lewis, “As an organization we don’t believe in slogans. We believe in programs.” After the police riot at the Edmund Pettus Bridge—now meaningfully renamed the John Lewis Bridge—in Selma, Alabama, the movement turned away from Lewis’ message of peaceful resistance, but he kept pushing. As Arsenault writes, one reward for his ceaseless efforts was the election of Barack Obama, whom he supported after turning away from old ally Hillary Clinton because of her support of the Iraq War. At the end of his life, Lewis, always inclined to try to find the good in even his fiercest opponents, saw Civil Rights take a giant step backward with the election of Donald Trump: upon Lewis’ death, the “only major Republican officeholder to withhold praise for the man others mourned as an American hero.”

An exemplary biography of an exemplary person, essential to the history of the Civil Rights Movement.