Synopses & Reviews
Former Black Panther information minister Eldridge Cleaver was a complex man who inspired profound adulation, love, rage, and, among many, fear.
Target Zero brings Cleavers controversial story into focus through his own words. This books charts Cleaver's life through his writings: his quiet childhood, his youth spent in prison, his startling emergence as a Black Panther leader who became a "fugitive from justice" by the end of 1968, his seven-year exile, and his religious and political conversion following his return to the U.S.
Target Zero, which brings together previously unpublished essays, short stories, letters, interviews, and poems, is the most significant collection of Eldridge Cleavers writing since his bestselling book
Soul on Ice (1968).Review
"A fascinating look at the transformation of a major figure in black-power politics and a tumultuous era in the US."--
Booklist
"Reveal[s] the tempestuous and complex workings of a man as he evolved from a child."--Publishers Weekly "An essential resource for those interested in revolutionary politics...An indispensable collection penned by one of the twentieth century's great essayists."--The Source, February 2006
"This excellent anthology is bound to add to our knowledge of one of the most fascinating personalities in American history."--Ishmael Reed, prize-winning novelist and literary critic, author of Flight to Canada and Airing Dirty Laundry
"Eldridge was an imposing man: he was very tall, handsome, and had a sharp wit that was delightfully challenging. His humor comes across in the writings Kathleen has ably collected here, just as his depth of knowledge, his passion and eloquence in expressing his beliefs come across in every line. This book is an enlightening testimony of a turbulent and controversial time, an essential historical record of the origins and development of Black Panther ideology, an exploration of the meaning of prison and exile, and ultimately the compelling saga of an unforgettable life.
These collected writings chart Eldridge's lifetime in his own words and thus, for the first time, the full arc of the intellectual transformation of this exceptional mind comes to light. In Target Zero, Eldridge Cleaverwrites himself firmly and squarely and into the history of American letters."-- From the Foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., W.E. B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University.
Praise for Eldridge Cleaver:
"Eldridge Cleaver makes you twist and flinch...he throws light on the dark areas that we wish he would leave alone."
--The Nation
"An intelligent and turbulent and passionate and eloquent man."
--Robert Coles, The Atlantic Monthly
Synopsis
Traces the controversial life story of the Black Panther information minister through a series of essays, short stories, letters, interviews, and poems, charting his quiet childhood, prison-marked youth, emergence as a Black Panther leader, seven-year exile, and religious and political conversion following his return to the U.S. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.
Synopsis
Former Black Panther information minister Eldridge Cleaver was a complex man who inspired profound adulation, love, rage, and, among many, fear. This book charts Cleaver's life through his writings, bringing together previously unpublished essays, short stories, letters, interviews, and poems.
About the Author
Eldridge Cleaver is the celebrated author of
Soul on Ice and was the information minister of the Black Panther Party.
Kathleen Cleaver is a senior lecturer at Yale University and at Emory Law School. She joined Eldridge Cleaver in the Black Panther Party in 1967, when they married. She is an attorney and author, and is currently at work on her memoir,
Memories of Love and War.
Table of Contents
Foreword--Henry Louis Gates, Jr. * Introduction--Kathleen Cleaver * Early Years * Revolution * Exile * Transition * Afterword--Cecil Brown