The Undiscovered Paul Robeson - (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The eagerly awaited second volume of Paul Robeson Jr.'s acclaimed biography of his father, the legendary singer, actor, and social activist.

The greatest scholar-athlete-performing artist in U.S. history, Paul Robeson was one of the most compelling figures of the twentieth century. In this final volume of his groundbreaking biography, Paul Robeson Jr. tells the untold, inside story of his father's life from World War II until his death, including his fight against racism and injustice and his courageous defiance of persecution by government agencies.

• Breaks new ground, using unpublished photographs and source materials from private diaries, letters, and government documents
• Offers unprecedented insight into how Robeson bridged the contradictions of his personal and public life
• Praised as "an accomplished and moving memoir" (Boston Globe, on Vol. 1) and "an important, well-wrought addition to African-American, Cold War and theater scholarship" (Publishers Weekly)

Revealing a multifaceted figure who moved among major roles as a performer, political activist, husband, and father, The Undiscovered Paul Robeson traces the dramatic arc of one of the world's most distinguished performing artists and passionate leaders in the fight for universal human rights.

From the Back Cover

Praise for

The Undiscovered Paul Robeson

An Artist's Journey, 1898-1939

"An accomplished and moving memoir . . . restores [Paul Robeson] to his rightful place as one of the most acclaimed people of the first half of the twentieth century."
--The Boston Globe

"This version of [Paul Robeson Jr.'s] father's life is an important, well-wrought addition to African-American, Cold War, and theater scholarship."
--Publishers Weekly

"Heartfelt."
--Kirkus Reviews

"A unique account of a brilliant but troubled man."
--Library Journal

Review Quotes

* In this second volume (after The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: An Artist's Journey, 1898-1939) of the biography of scholar, athlete, performing artist, and human rights activist Paul Robeson, his son examines what are perhaps the most controversial and turbulent decades of his father's life. Robeson, an important figure of the 20th century, is only dimly remembered and has been marginalized to the point of tragedy. Drawing on family archives and his close relationship with his father, Robeson Jr. does not apologize or negate the contradictions and deep complexities of his father's personality-rather he acknowledges that these intricacies are part of what made Robeson such a powerful figure.
Verdict Using previously unpublished materials, Robeson Jr. has created a fascinating portrait of an outspoken man who never backed down from his beliefs, even when they threatened his life and work. Highly recommended for those interested in African American history, the early civil rights movement, and politics during the cold war.--Teri Shiel, Westfield State Coll. Lib., MA (LibraryJournal.com, January 29, 2010)

About the Author

Paul Robeson Jr. is a freelance journalist, translator, and highly regarded lecturer on American and Russian history. He served as a personal aide to his father for more than twenty years and has been a civil rights activist since the 1940s. He is the owner and archivist of the Paul Robeson and Eslanda Robeson Collections, which consist of over 50,000 items, including thousands of photographs and hundreds of audio recordings. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.