Excerpt:
Reviews:
***** 5 stars
By Craig McGuire on June 24, 2017
Powerful Profile of Polarizing Assata Shakur!
In
selecting
Assata
Shakur
for
this
engaging
biographical
treatment,
Barbara
Casey
faced
a
formidable
challenge
profiling
one
of
the
more
incendiary
figures
of
20th
century
racial
politics.
Under
the
pen
of
a
lesser
author,
this
work
would
have
been
undermined
by
the
injection
of
judgmental prose.
Still
ensconced
in
Cuba
where
she
fled
seeking
political
asylum,
Shakur
remains
an
intensely
polarizing
figure.
To
her
credit,
Casey
keeps
her
opinions
to
herself,
delivering
a
balanced
account
of
the
life
and
legacy
of
the
legendary
Shakur.
By
not
force-feeding
readers
an
agenda
(there
sure
is
enough
inflammatory
commentary
written
on
both
sides
of
the
Shakur
debate)
Casey
allows
the
reader
to
form
their
own
bias
(or reinforce exiting viewpoints).
This
is
also
just
solid
storytelling.
Meticulously
researched,
Casey
provides
a
robust
road-map
for
Shakur
from
her
rise
as
a
black
activist
and
member
of
the
left-wing
Black
Liberation
Army,
to
her
involvement
in
a
series
of
high-profile
crimes,
including
the
a
multi-state
manhunt
and
the
May
1973
shootout
on
the
New
Jersey
Turnpike,
resulting
in
the
death
of
a
NJ
State
Trooper.
Convicted
of
the
murder
in
1977,
Shakur’s
time
in
prison
is
chronicled
by
Casey,
as
was
Shakur’s
escape
in
1979,
and
subsequent
flight
to
Cuba
in
1984
where
she
gained
political
asylum.
Casey
effectively
paces
this
harrowing
account,
while
also
enriching
this
work
with
critical
contextual
narrative.
Ultimately,
regardless
what you think of the first woman named to the Most Wanted Terrorist List, this is a highly recommended read that adds to the discussion.
***** 5 stars
By Gaucho on March 18, 2017
A comprehensive look into the life Assata Shakur - Thoroughly researched and well written...
This
is
a
comprehensive
look
into
the
life
of
JoAnne
Chesimard
aka
Assata
Shakur.
Thoroughly
researched
and
well
written,
Casey
reveals
little-known
facts
and
information
about
her
subject
as
well
as
the
documented
evidence
making
Shakur
the
first
woman
to
be
included
on
the
FBIs
“Most
Wanted
Terrorist”
list.
Like
Casey’s
previous
book,
KATHRYN
KELLY:
THE
MOLL
BEHIND
MACHINE
GUN
KELLY,
this
book
is
well worth reading for the historical information leading up to Shakur’s situation today as well as for entertainment and enjoyment.
***** 5 stars
By Daniel Neumann on July 5, 2017
A great and informative work.
As with the other books penned by this talented author, "Assata Shakur" was a great read from cover to cover.
***** 5 stars
By ACC8 on May 5, 2017
A fascinating look into the life and times of the first woman to be placed on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorist List.
PUBLISHER: Strategic Media Books
ASSATA SHAKUR - A 20th Century Escaped Slave
In
May
1973,
Assata
Olugbala
Shakur
was
involved
in
a
shootout
on
the
New
Jersey
Turnpike
in
which
she
was
accused
of
killing
New
Jersey
State
Trooper
Werner
Foerster
and
assaulting
Trooper
James
Harper.
This
resulted
in
her
indictment
of
first-degree
murder
of
Foerster
and
seven
other
felonies
related
to
the
shootout.
A
member
of
the
Black
Panther
Party,
she
became
a
prime
target
of
the
Federal
Bureau
of
Investigations
Counterintelligence
Program.
When
she
joined
the
Black
Liberation
Army
and
went
into
hiding,
between
1973
and
1977,
she
was
placed
on
the
FBI’s
Most
Wanted
List
for
three
bank
robberies,
the
kidnapping and murder of two drug dealers, and the attempted murder of two New Jersey police officers.
In
March
1977
Assata
Shakur
was
convicted
of
murdering
state
trooper
Werner
Forrester
and
was
imprisoned.
Two
years
later
she
broke
out
of
the
maximum-security
wing
of
Clinton
Correctional
Facility
in
New
Jersey,
pistol
in
hand,
as
she
and
three
cohorts
sped
out
of
the
prison
grounds.
In
1984
she
was
granted
political
asylum
in
Cuba
where
she
has
lived
ever
since.
On
May
2,
2013,
the
FBI
added
her
to
the
Most
Wanted
Terrorist
List,
the
first
woman
to
be
listed.
"Assata
Shakur:
A
20th
Century
Escaped
Slave"
is
the story of Assata Shakur, before she became a fugitive and since.
ISBN-13: 978-1939521606
True Crime
Biography
Book Excellence Award - FINALIST 2017