PAUL ROBESON: A WATCHED MAN

by Jordan Goodman

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AVAILABLE NOW

http://www.versobooks.com/books/1493-paul-robeson

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“Goodman's meticulous research provides the underpinnings for a compelling story.”- Kirkus Reviews

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Timely and brilliant new portrait of the singer, campaigner and leading radical

In his heyday, Paul Robeson was one of the most famous people in the world; to his enemies he was also one of the most dangerous. From the 1930s to the 1960s, the African-American singer was the voice of the people, both as a performer and as a political activist who refused to be silenced.

Having won fame with hits such as “Ol’ Man River” and thrilling London and New York theatregoers with his legendary performance in Othello, Robeson established himself as a vocal supporter of Civil Rights and an opponent of oppression in all its forms. He traveled the world, performing in front of thousands to deliver a message of peace, equality and justice that was as readily understood on the streets of Manchester, Moscow, Johannesburg and Bombay as it was in Harlem and Washington, DC.

The first new work on the leading African-American singer for over a decade, PAUL ROBESON: A WATCHED MAN is a story of passionate political struggle and conviction. Using archival material from the FBI, the State Department, MI5 and other secret agencies, Jordan Goodman reveals the true extent of the US government’s fear of this heroic individual. Robeson eventually appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he spiritedly defended his long-held convictions and refused to apologise, despite the potential damage to his career.

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Jordan Goodman's books include THE DEVIL AND MR CASEMENT: ONE MAN’S STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN RIGHT’S IN SOUTH AMERICA’S HEART OF DARKNESS and THE RATTLESNAKE: A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY TO THE CORAL SEA. He has published extensively on the history of medicine and science, and in cultural and economic history. He is an Honorary Research Associate at The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London.

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Hardback / ISBN: 9781781681312 / $29.95 / £20.00 / $34.95CAN / 320 pages

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LONDON EVENT

November 28, 2013

7.00pm – 8.00pm

Pages of Hackney Bookshop

70 Lower Clapton Road, Hackney
E5 0RN

Join Jordan Goodman at Pages of Hackney as he discusses Robeson's importance in the world of politics and protest.

RSVP

http://www.versobooks.com/events/769-paul-robeson-a-watched-man

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