| Title | : | James Baldwin: The FBI File |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1628727373 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781628727371 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 440 |
| Publication | : | Published June 6, 2017 |
Decades before Black Lives Matter returned James Baldwin to prominence, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI considered the Harlem-born author the most powerful broker between black art and black power. Baldwin’s 1,884-page FBI file, covering the period from 1958 to 1974, was the largest compiled on any African American artist of the Civil Rights era. This collection of once-secret documents, never before published in book form, captures the FBI’s anxious tracking of Baldwin’s writings, phone conversations, and sexual habits—and Baldwin’s defiant efforts to spy back at Hoover and his G-men.
James The FBI File reproduces over one hundred original FBI records, selected by the noted literary historian whose award-winning book, F.B. How J. Edgar Hoover’s Ghostreaders Framed African American Literature , brought renewed attention to bureau surveillance. William J. Maxwell also provides an introduction exploring Baldwin's enduring relevance in the time of Black Lives Matter along with running commentaries that orient the reader and offer historical context, making this book a revealing look at a crucial slice of the American past—and present.
James Baldwin: The FBI File Reviews
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Comprised mostly copies of FBI reports, James Baldwin: The FBI File is an interesting examination of the way FBI worked and surveilled James Baldwin. I think this book would be very interesting for people who have a good background in the civil rights fight. I am missing that knowledge and found myself lost at times. Additionally, the book is mostly copied FBI reports and some of them, because of background splotches, was difficult to read. Overall I thought the book was interesting and gave me more insight into what was happening during the civil rights movement.
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Didn't read the whole thing - the FBI file on Baldwin is absurdly extensive. Worth reading just how in depth this goes & the editor's contextualizing notes on each section. Scan scan scan! Hoover was such a psycho. To the point of stalking any black person with any remotely forward demand for civil rights, nvm 'radicalists' calling for dismantling of white supremacist state. Instantly linked to communists. Kept on file addresses, dates of moving from location to location, meetings w/ other organizations, even sexual histories... Can bet FBI is working just as hard to sabotage & delegitimize BLM today. Imagine # of media agencies they have in their orbit to cast BLM in a way that protects "national security" or "gov't interests" .............. Narrativized linkages that prob don't even exist.
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I won this book from a giveaway. While I slowly made my way through it, it speaks nothing to the quality of the work. As someone who enjoys digging through documents as historical sources, this work was right up my alley. Baldwin is not only an important historical figure but also a fascinating one. But this work is not so much about him as it is how he was seen through the eyes of the state. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone with an interest in history or even just curiosity about Baldwin and or FBI surveillance.
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A deep dive into about a decade's worth of James Baldwin's FBI file and this isn't even the whole thing! Many docs have huge chunks of info redacted still even though they are declassified. It is eerie to see just how far the government went to surveil him.
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What a joke (Hoover, not the book). Absolute insanity.
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It is amazing to see the lengths the FBI went to keep tabs on James. Some great correlations between James ideas and the Black Lives Matter Movement.
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For anyone who is familiar with Baldwin's writings this book is a good supplement. In my opinion, this book is not to be read start to finish like a typical non-fiction. If you enjoy Baldwin, enjoy knowing things about our country's history and want to get a better understanding of how our government handles dissidents, I would recommend this book.
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818.5409 B1815 2017
