Four stars primarily because of the topic. I am too young to remember/have lived through busing in Boston so I was interested to read something about it. by Louis P. Masur . The Soiling of Old Glory reconstructs some of that narrative – drawing for the most part on published sources, especially the account of the Boston busing crisis given by the great American journalist Anthony Lukas in his book Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families (1985). Click here and be the first to review this book! Start by marking “The Soiling of Old Glory: The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America” as Want to Read: Error rating book. The photograph depicts a white teenager, Joseph Rakes, about to assault black lawyer and civil-rights activist Ted Landsmark with a flagpole bearing the American flag. Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. April 1st 2008 (It's certainly amusing, uh, in a sense.) Boston, April 5, 1976: As the city simmered with racial tension over forced school busing, newsman Stanley Forman hurried to City Hall to photograph that day’s protest, arriving just in time to snap the image that his editor would title “The Soiling of Old Glory.” The photo made headlines across the U.S. and won Forman his second Pulitzer Prize. On the one hand, this books goes into WAY too much detail in parts, over-explaining things that don't need quite so much explanation and in other places, leaving quite a few gaps. Was it going to somehow convince me that a black guy getting impaled by an American flag is somehow a good thing? The Soiling of Old Glory, like the photograph after which it is named, offers a dramatic window onto the turbulence of the 1970s and race relations in America. Fascinating and very well written, this ranks with Paul Cowan's fine piece on the same topic, included in Cowan's collection THE TRIBES OF AMERICA. Masur shows that the photo that rocked America and won Forman a Pulitzer is not quite what it appears to be: The teenager was swinging the flag, not charging with it, and the man holding Landsmark was helping him to his feet. Although a photograph freezes time, the event is not in a vacuum. i'm halfway through this book and i just began it today...it is a fascinating and very interesting look at a photo that is taken in boston in 1975 which shows a black man being beaten by white protesters...one of the protesters is holding an american flag...the book talks about the taking of the photo, boston's history of racial unrest, and the history of the flag, old glory... Louis Masur balances the effect of capturing a moment in time with the surrounding events to give the reader a more comprehensive understanding of that incident. It was a Monday and I reported to work for my 9- 5 shift early, as usual, and when I arrived in the City Room I asked city editor Al Salie what was doing. But no, racism still is as horrible as ever. A white man, rage written on his face, lunges to spear a black man who is being held by another white. Reading famous American photos: Migrant Mother, Flag-Raising at Iwo Jima, and The Soiling of Old Glory. With artistry, verve and impeccable research, he has written another jewel of a book, and opened up an entire world through a single image.” — Ted Widmer, author of Ark of the Liberties: America and the World The Soiling of Old Glory: The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America - Kindle edition by Masur, Louis P.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Forman won a Pulitzer Prize for the image, which he submitted under his editor’s suggested title, “The Soiling of Old Glory.” Rakes was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to two years imprisonment and two years probation, but his sentence was later suspended. Was it going to somehow convince me that a black guy getting impaled by an American flag is somehow a good thing? Understanding all of that is essential to comprehending the extensive impact this picture had and has on Boston and the country. Like the best of NPR, it left me feeling slightly "enriched.". But over all a interesting book with details of how the main participants were affected by the. In his recent speech on race, Barack Obamaspoke about the legacy of racial hatred andresentment in America. The soiling of Old Glory : the story of a photograph that shocked America. Why would I want to read an entire book about a photograph? I asked my upcoming U.S. history students to read this as a summer read. - Library Journal. The book is a very in-depth treatment of the event, th. Turns out I was wrong. Masur’s study of the picture and the incident where it was taken — by no means as simple as it appears at first glance — illuminates the history of that time as well or better than some far longer books do. The Soiling of Old Glory. At once an analysis of the uses to which an image can be put, an examination of the meaning of the American flag in popular culture, and a meditation on how far we’ve com. (It's certainly amusing, uh, in a sense.) Welcome back. Why would I want to read an entire book about a photograph? Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info, and giveaways by email. Overall, I think I'd have preferred it if each chapter had been an interview with someone who had been a part of or affected by the photo to get their take on why it is such an important piece of American history. As Boston simmered with tension over forced school busing, one photo made headlines. About The Soiling of Old Glory Boston, April 5, 1976. Overall, I think I'd have preferred it if each chapter had been an interview with someone who had been a part of or affected. Title Some of the history of desegregation and racial tensions in Boston was interesting, but it just felt like the author read WAY too much into the photo. The second part of the book was less interesting because it was more of a history of the symbolism of the flag etc. I've lost count how many times I've read this book. The Story of a Photograph that Shocked America. Well-done microhistory, centered on a striking moment in 1970s school integration in Boston, with Masur explaining what led up to the confrontation so ugly that it involved an enraged white working class man hurling an American flag like a javelin at a white collar African-American working in the downtown municipal offices during a rabid protest. - Kirkus Reviews. It depicts a white teenager, Joseph Rakes, assaulting a black man—lawyer and civil rights activist Ted Landsmark—with a flagpole bearing the American flag (also known as Old Glory). Full access is for members only. Boston, April 5, 1976. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. The story about the photograph, a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph, entitled “The Soiling of Old Glory” is compelling and evident that racism and the interpretation of the Civil Rights Movement in the North played out in as violent methods than it did in the more familiar Jim Crow South. Louis Masur has written a very readable account of "The Soiling of Old Glory," a photograph from 1976 that almost everyone has seen but most know little about. Boston, MA April 5, 1976, was during the second year of forced busing in Boston. In a new book by Louis P. Masur entitled “The Soiling of Old Glory: The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America” published by Bloomsbury, the African-American man in the photo recalls how he happened to be at City Hall Plaza that fateful day. The players have changed, but my sorry remains the same. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. The first half of the book was very interesting as the actual events are described leading up to the assault. "A moving reminder of a painful episode in American history." He hopes for the best, but knows that he won't always find it. The Soiling of Old Glory is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken by Stanley Forman during the Boston busing crisis in 1976. Reviews | Landsmark escaped the situation with only minor injuries after Kelly positioned himself between Landsmark and other protesters. Masur first analyzes the composition of the photograph and the technology used. More Information | The Stars and Stripes was born of both slavery and liberty, and African Americans, more than any group in America, understood its doubleness. It's the story of an iconic photograph and tells the story of how it was interpreted and misinterpreted as well as setting it in context of other famous images of the American flag. What could it possibly tell me that I couldn't already figure out just from looking at it? Well-done microhistory, centered on a striking moment in 1970s school integration in Boston, with Masur explaining what led up to the confrontation so ugly that it involved an enraged white working class man hurling an American flag like a javelin at a white collar African-American working in the downtown municipal offices during a rabid protest. Posted on January 22, 2015.Filed under: Civil Rights, What History is For | Tags: Boston 1974, Court-ordered busing, Flag-Raising at Iwo Jima, Jim Kelly, Migrant Mother, Soiling of Old Glory, South Boston High School, Ted Landsmark, Valerie Banks | I was very disappointed in this book. "A compelling story; highly recommended." Old Glory Old Glory Theme SOS The science fiction short story Old Glory by Bruce Coville is about freedom and reveals freedom demands sacrifice The short story "Old Glory" is about freedom. But over all a interesting book with details of how the main participants were affected by the events and what they had done since then. ©2008 Louis P. … We’d love your help. More Books, The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America, Published in USA  Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Genre: History, Science & Current Affairs A white man, rage written on his face, lunges to spear a black man who is being held by another white. Masur does a great job of telling the stories of three Bostonians involved in that city's school-busing crisis of the 70s: Forman, anti-busing protester Joseph Rakes, and attorney-activist Ted Landsmark. I love art, as you all know, but I thought the whole middle section was a bit overblown. The story of the events leading up to the famous photograph, the people involved, and its aftermath, is madd interesting. Historian Masur ...has written a gem of a book based on an iconic, Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph by Stanley Forman." I really appreciated the photographs included so I could see what was being discussed. I had to read it for a college course, but I would want anybody in journalism classes or A/V club, or in high school doing research papers with different sources to read it. News photographer Stanley Forman captured the ruckus on ... Read full review On April 5, 1976, a white man attacked a black man with an American flag on a pole. The incident -- Boston and busing -- The photograph -- Old Glory -- The impact -- Reverberations April 5, 1976. I finished this book as background readings for US History conference in Boston in 2015 titled, "The Rise and fall of the Postwar American City." The Soiling of Old Glory takes you behind the famous photograph (literally behind it) to explain to you, among other things, why the white kid is so upset (aside from him being a racist sack of shit), what they were doing there in the first place, why the black guy is wearing such a fancy suit (no, he's not there to bail his bitches out of jail), the significance of the flag as a symbol, so on and so forth. Masur does an excellent job at explaining the visual imagery of the U.S. flag and the similarities of the picture with Christian iconography. Just $12 for 3 months or by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, The Soiling of Old Glory: The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America. Examine the power of photography and the iconic value of the flag, as it opens a dramatic window onto the turbulent issue of race in America About The Soiling of Old Glory The photograph strikes us with visceral force, even years after the instant it captured. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Masur recounts the event during which the photo was taken, the parties involved, and the political and social reverberations of the photograph. The assailant's weapon is the American flag. I picked up this book because a grad school (teaching) professor had recommended it. All rights reserved. Read "The Soiling of Old Glory The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America" by Louis P. Masur available from Rakuten Kobo. The assailant’s weapon is the American flag. The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans out of the South to urban areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and West between... To see what your friends thought of this book. Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes! He thoroughly discusses how the icon of the flag has evolved and how its meaning has changed over years and decades. interesting history of the event, good for photo buffs, Morgan Jerkins Journeys Across the USA to Retrace Black History. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This turned out to be a fascinating book, focusing on a variety of topics such as photography as art, the history of the American flag in terms of the power it evokes, the school busing controversy in Boston, and an analysis of "The Soiling of Old Glory" photograph which won a Pulitzer prize. Stanley Forman was early for his shift at the Herald American on April 5th, 1976 and he decided to head out to an anti-busing demonstration at Boston City Hall that another journalist was already covering. I thought it started out well, then veered into a very very long discussion about "relevant" works of art. "In The Soiling of Old Glory, Louis Masur is at his best, dissecting a single photographic frame to reveal its essential gravitas, humanity and inhumanity, and explaining how we see, interpret -- and misinterpret — imagery in the modern age." Old Glory is not a feel-good National Geographic travelogue, but it's not a negative book either. Not being a photographer I appreciated the sections dealing with the quality of the photo itself and its comparison to other iconic photos featuring Old Glory. delves into every aspect of the event in addition to exploring the lives of the photo’s three participants: attacker, victim and photographer. The assailant’s weapon is the American flag. The soiling of Old Glory: the story of a photograph that shocked America User Review - Not Available - Book Verdict. I had hoped my city would have changed since the soiling of old glory. The resulting photograph was reprinted around the world and won the Pulitzer Prize, and pretty much stopped busing in Boston dead in its tracks. Search: And there's a lot to say. This photograph, taken at the height of Boston’s busing crisis, still retains its power to shock more than 30 years later. I finished this book as background readings for US History conference in Boston in 2015 titled, "The Rise and fall of the Postwar American City." The Soiling of Old Glory, like the photograph itself, offers a dramatic window onto the turbulence of the 1970s and race relations in America. ; Autumn Glory: Baseball’s First World Series, 2003, etc.) In the microsecond it took him to capture the soiling of Old Glory, Forman held a lens up to America’s dualism, and above all to the unresolved tensions of race that are at the core of American identity. © BookBrowse LLC 1997-2021. A brilliant joyride in the company of three sister-wives with nothing in common except their dead husband. Get this from a library! The story of the events leading up to the famous photograph, the people involved, and its aftermath, i, Got this for free a while back and I was kinda dreading reading it. As Boston simmered with tension over forced school busing, one photo made headlines. Soiling Old Glory- Purchase Images - CLICK HERE -article . Refresh and try again. From Wikipedia – “The Soiling of Old Glory is a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken for the Boston Herald American in 1976 by Stanley Forman.. Be the first to ask a question about The Soiling of Old Glory. The Story of a Photograph That Shocked America. Ignore the pompous title--which was the name given by photographer Stan Forman to the photo this book is about--and read this piece of living history. ©2008 Louis P. … "Masur's skill at teasing the symbolic resonance from the photo's structure and composition is impressive, as is his treatment of the flag as national icon. Ignore the pompous title--which was the name given by photographer Stan Forman to the photo this book is about--and read this piece of living history. Got this for free a while back and I was kinda dreading reading it. The story about the photograph, a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph, entitled “The Soiling of Old Glory” is compelling and evident that racism and the interpretation of the Civil Rights Movement in the North played out in as violent methods than it did in the more familiar Jim Crow South. Masur’s study of the picture and the incident where it was taken — by no means as simple as it appears at first glance — illuminates the history of that time as well or better than some far longer books do. Slate Magazine’s slideshow on“The Soiling of Old Glory” 2. The Soiling of Old Glory, like the photograph itself, offers a dramatic window onto the turbulence of the 1970s and race relations in America. This is not just a picture, nor the photographer just lucky, it has real people with unique stories that make up the landscape of a city and a society during a volatile time in history. Louis P. Masur, Author.Bloomsbury Press $24.95 (224p) ISBN 978-1-59691-364-6 Who would have guessed you could write 240 pages about one photograph? Publication Information. It shocked Boston, and America: Racial strife had not only not ended with the 1960s, it was alive and well in the cradle of liberty. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published And then he tackles the multifaceted issue of racism. Become a Member and discover books that entertain, engage & enlighten. If you're familiar with the busing struggle in the 60s and 70s, much of the book is old ground. Author I was only 5 when this photo was taken so I do not have any personal memories of this event.