Hard Revolution - Hardcover

Pelecanos, George

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0752856308 ISBN 13: 9780752856308

Publisher: Dennis McMillan Publications, 2004

Synopsis

It's the spring of 1968, the sun shines down on an America on the brink of civil war. Martin Luther King preaches in vain for non-violent protest and the ghettos of Washington DC seethe with anger. In the middle of this powder-keg is thrust a young black cop, barely out of school himself. Derek Strange believes passionately that he can make a difference, but his friends and family think he's a traitor and a patsy of the white establishment. On April 4th, 1968, Dr King is assassinated on the balcony of his motel in Memphis, Tennessee. And black America rises as one to condemn the slaying of their hero. For one week, it seems that the whole country will fall. And Derek, his brother, his father, his mother and his whole community find themselves at the heart of a battle for the heart and soul of the new world.

About this title

About the Author

George Pelecanos was born in Washington, DC in 1957. He worked as a line cook, dishwasher, bartender, shoe salesman, electronics salesman, construction worker, and retail general manager before publishing his first novel in 1992. He is the author of nine crime/noir novels set in and around Washington, DC. THE BIG BLOWDOWN was the recipient of the International Crime Novel of the Year award in both Germany and Japan; KING SUCKERMAN was shortlisted for the Golden Dagger award in the UK. His short fiction has appeared in ESQUIRE and the collections Unusual Suspects and Best American Mystery Stories of 1997. He is an award-winning journalist and pop-culture essayist who has written for THE WASHINGTON POST. Pelecanos served as producer on several feature films. As a screenwriter, he has written an adaptation of KING SUCKERMAN, and was co-writer on the recently completed feature PAID IN FULL. Most recently, he has written a script based on a team in the American Basketball Association for HBO Films.

From AudioFile

George Pelecanos's tough, disturbing novel depicts the African-American community in Washington, D.C., at the end of the 1960s. It's a time of hope for some blacks, but a time of extreme hopelessness for many others. The story has many characters, but three stand out: Derek Strange, a black DC cop; his brother, Dennis; and Frank Vaughn, a white cop whom Dennis admires but who is caught up in a terrible web of peer pressure. Lance Reddick's narration keeps the action moving; he gives each character a distinct personality and makes the reader care about what happens to him. The tragic conclusion to this gritty story centers around the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the eruption of pent-up hatred on both sides of the badge. J.L.C. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Dennis McMillan Publications
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0752856308
• ISBN 13: 9780752856308
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384