The new essays were so good that I felt compelled to reread the old essays. If I were younger, I might say his prose, when it flows, sounds like hip hop, but since I am older than the author, I’d have to say it sounds like jazz to me. The powerful and subversive We Were Eight Years in Power feels like best book of the year material by about page two. If you only read one chapter of this book (and yes you are missing out, but you really must read this one chapter) read the chapter on reparations. Click to read the full review of We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy in New York Journal of Books. Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2017. He has a thing or two to say about the historical continuity of racism in the USA, and in this series of eight outstanding essays, he says it well. descent, ie, anybody else of less than totally white background and appearance. A must-read. Review forthcoming. We Were Eight Years in Power features Coates’s iconic essays first published in The Atlantic, including “Fear of a Black President,” “The Case for Reparations,” and “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” along with eight fresh essays that revisit each year of the Obama administration through Coates’s own experiences, observations, and intellectual development, capped by a bracingly original … Coates has a way of subtly putting you in the shoes of those that are torn down in our history and present day, but still are unflappably optimistic. Start by marking “We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy” as Want to Read: Error rating book. I, however, did not share the same enthusiasm. Happily, this is a role he doesn't shirk from, in fact he eagerly embraces his status. This book of essays is worth a read and made me think in new ways. Those words are good and it was nice to read the essays again in order, but it’s not a new work. Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2021. eight articles written and published over as many years for The Atlantic magazine on subjects about racial injustice perpetuated against u.s. black citizens and solutions discussed during the years of the presidency of barack obama, assessments of obama as the first black president of the united states by the author and viewed through the lenses of black and white constituencies of our nation, reparations, and monologues of bill cosby and michelle obama. A collection of eight essays first published in. He talks alot about where he was as a writer and what he was thinking about race relations. Off and on throughout the years, I've gone through major stints into the world of political thought, diving in head-first to swim through the sometimes murky and oftentimes polemical and myopic drive for change. ", Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2018. It is a dense read, so prepare for that. "I had become The Atlantic’s “Black Writer”—a phrase that described both my identity and my interests. He tries to explain to us what he was trying to c. Ta-Nehisi Coates was unemployed and struggling before Obama's presidency was announced. One World, 367 pages, $28. Random House Publishing Group, Oct 3, 2017 - Biography & Autobiography - 416 pages. I of course read Ta-Nehisi Coates bestseller Between The World And Me and loved it(I may reread just to give it a proper review). ', This was a very good collection some of Ta-Nehisi's essays from the past eight years. This week he published “We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy,” a collection of essays bridging the Obama and Trump eras, and here Mr. Coates deepens his vision of American sonderweg. We Were Eight Years in Power. I had read five of them before and my intention was just to read the three that I had not read and the new essays but I changed my mind. I read it free and early thanks to Net Galley and Random House, and I apologize for reviewing it so late; the length wasn’t a problem, but the heat was hard to take. I don’t want to spoil anything, but at the end of this book, Donald Trump becomes president of the United States. This is a brilliant, essential book that should be read by everyone who cares about the future of our now beleaguered country. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. And write. Ta-Nehisi Coates puts together eight essays he wrote through out the years of Obama's presidency and reflects on them in terms of his own head space at the time he wrote them and his growth as a writer. Ta-Nehisi Coates did it again! We Were Eight Years in Power, An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This book is a collection of eight essays by Ta-Nehisi Coates previously published in The Atlantic, one from each year of the Obama administration. But every Trump voter felt it was acceptable to hand the fate of the country over to one.”, Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Current Interest (2017), Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction (2018), NAIBA Book of the Year for Nonfiction (2018), Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (2018), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2017), NAACP Image Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2018), PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Nominee for Shortlist (2018). He paints a rich and heart-wrenching picture of the state of racial relations in the USA, culminating in the Trump election. We Were Eight Years in Power Review. written by Charles Trapunski October 3, 2017. Ta-Nehisi Coates: We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy One World, 367 pp., $28 Charles R. Larson is Emeritus Professor of Literature at American University, in … I strongly recommend this book. *Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “We were eight years in power” was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. He has become one of my favorite authors of all time and Eight Years of Power did not disappoint. Review: We Were Eight Years in Power. Some exceptional moments, some repetitive ideas, a glaring absence of reckoning with the intersection of race and gender. Ta-Nehisi Coates delivers “We Were Eight Years in Power” with a striking and powerful tone, critically deconstructing the Obama era and its events, followed by the next election, through intimate perspective. All my American friends were very excited and stood in long lines to watch him speak. In "We Were Eight Years in Power," Ta-Nehisi Coates has once again elegantly reified the way that the legacy of slavery continues to inform America's cultural, economic, and … Happy reading! There have always been black presidents of the United States. Ta-Nehisi Coates puts together eight essays he wrote through out the years of Obama's presidency and reflects on them in terms of his own head space at the time he wrote them and his growth as a writer. His new essays preface the ones that he wrote for The Atlantic. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, See all details for We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy. It is an eye opening discussion of where we have come from as a nation and where we are today from a black perspective. Ta-Nehisi Coates’s newest book We Were Eight Years in Power is a collection of essays written over the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency. It’s good because Coates is an excellent writer and thinker so 5 stars for that, but it’s a collection of essays that he’s already published so there’s really nothing new here except the prologue to each essay. In this collection of texts, Coates reminisces about his personal experiences during every year of the Obama administration, and each of these personal vignettes is followed by one of his influential essays that have first appeared in. We’d love your help. I had previously read Coates' Between the world and me, a very well-written and very personal work. Coates intersperses notes of his experience each of the eight years of Obama’s presidency along with some of his carefully-researched larger essays previously published in. We Were Eight Years in Power is a vital account of modern America, from one of the definitive voices of this historic moment. The symbolism in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book, We Were Eight Years in Power, runs cover to cover, starting with the binding materials.The book’s endpapers, that wallpaper glued to the inside cover, are both adhesive and cohesive, serving as a … ... impose in the 1890s to undermine Reconstruction, sets up a key premise in We Were Eight Years In Power… Would this book work well for a book club selection? He was highlighting the achievements made during Reconstruction, arguing against the disenfranchisement of black voters. However, Eight Years can be picked up and put down between chapters. Reading these essays together was definitely an experience seeing the lines connecting as well as Coates' evolution as a writer and thinker. Reviewed by Norah Piehl on October 13, 2017. It’s a bummer. Other times he seems to get in his own way. Ta-Nehisi Coates has become the go-to guy on writing about race from the perspective of African-Americans. Verified Purchase. I recommend this book for anyone exploring the current state of affairs in the U.S. regarding race and racism, white supremacy, and all the ways in which these systems suppress people of color in sometimes the most violent of ways. He tries to explain to us what he was trying to capture with each piece. By Roberta Silman. Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2018. I find myself wanting to read it aloud. Each essay is accompanied with an opening commentary that describes the circumstances, political environment and state of mind in which the essay was written including the author’s personal and professional situation at the time. Ta-Nehisi Coates has turned what could have been a routine re-publication of old essays into a genuine work of art. Here, Coates' shares what he was reading, thinking, working on in terms of his writing, and how he thinks the essay held up over time. The symbolism in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book, We Were Eight Years in Power, runs cover to cover, starting with the binding materials.The book’s endpapers, that wallpaper glued to the inside cover, are both adhesive and cohesive, serving as a visual table of contents and tone-setting allegory. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. Not John Coltrane. Also because Coates speaks in depth about his friend Prince's death in Between the World and me, and makes reference to it in Eight Years. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, by Ta-Nehisi Coates ( Penguin Random House Audio 2017) First line: “This story began, as all writing must, in failure.”. For those who have read both Eight Years in Power and Between the World, which do you recommend I read first? This is a book every white person needs to read. This is a brilliant, essential book that should be read by everyone who cares about the future of our now beleaguered country. We Were Eight Years in Power is more than a 'loose memoir'; it’s Coates giving himself a deep read, and inviting us to join him in this look at his intellectual journey. T he symbolism in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book, We Were Eight Years in Power, runs cover to cover, starting with the binding materials.The book’s endpapers, that … This page works best with JavaScript. One of the best books I've ever read! But his very argument was a threat to white supremacy. I wasn't counting on this to be one of those books, but at times it very much felt like one. Now Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious … It will hurt. We Were Eight Years in Power, An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates is skeptical and thoughtful. 5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant, relevant, important. As a 70 year old white guy, I'm amazed and ashamed that this oppression continues almost unabated until this day, without ever having become a thing that our alleged 'better natures' would not have overcome. 1,794 global ratings | 510 global reviews, Love love love this book and Ta-Nehisi Coates' writing and analysis, Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2018. DuBois in his book: "If there was one thing that South Carolina feared more than bad Negro government, it was good Negro government. Welcome back. Now Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America's "first white president.". I would recommend this book strongly to anyone that wishes to have and intelligent, well thought out discussion of race in America. He is an outstanding. It may well be that I expected too much. Enjoyed the history when shared, as well as thoughts of others when presenting various views. I heard the author speak a couple of years ago, because my husband really likes his writing. In what follows those eight years. And by showcasing a range of essays—some his strongest work, others deeply flawed—he asks his readers to consider him as a writer, nothing more and nothing less. We live in an apartheid state. By Roberta Silman. To see what your friends thought of this book, I think it'd be great for book club - there's definitely a lot to discuss! 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, relevant, important. It's a staggeringly painful and revealing piece of writing. : Ta-Nehisi Coates. All of the essays were published in The Atlantic and I had read some of them. Although painful, I highly recommend this read. I especially enjoyed the epilogue about America's first White president. Ta-Nehisi Coates' We Were Eight Years In Power is urgent, outraged, and electric this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates January 12, 2021 by vel veeter Leave a Comment I thought about the rating for this book a few different ways and for a few different extended moments. Other than that, I the book is an excellent read for those interested in the issues of race in America. Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2017, "We were eight years in power" is a quote from South Carolina state congressman Thomas Miller, an African-American who was elected at the end of Reconstruction. ... "it is a history disrespectful of governments and respectful of people's movements of resistance." Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi CoatesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Racism was not a singular one-dimensional vector but a pandemic, afflicting black communities at every level, regardless of what rung they occupied. Each letter, each article throughout the book is poignant, and a necessity for all to read regardless your ethnicity. This is one of best looks at racism in America that I have ever read. It's enormously sad and shameful that a nation of such high stated principles would allow itself to become the racist place that is in evidence pretty much everywhere you look. By the end of the book, you can clearly see how hundreds of years of racism and domestic terrorism have created the American Tragedy described in the book's title. Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “We Were Eight Years in Power” has yet to come out, but it’s already generated a storm of discussion. It's not a pretty picture and it continues to this day. My only criticism is that the author is clearly well versed but writes in a style using long sentences filled with many multi-syllable words making the book a little more challenging to read. The author was most consumed with himself as a standard of what is good, right and Black, as well as what is quintessential America. $28. for its insight on revising and reframing history. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates available in Trade Paperback on Powells.com, also read synopsis and reviews. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. *Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “We were eight years in power” was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. 3,149 reviews. . ) However, I also recommend this book to people trying to figure out how to reflect on their own work because I think these pre-chapters are an excellent example of the deep dive into meta-cognitive processes and recognizes that we are all a work in progress. He was highlighting the achievements made during Reconstruction, arguing against the disenfranchisement of black voters. Racism was not a singular one-dimensional vector but a pandemic, afflicting black communities at every level, regardless of what rung they occupied. That said, this is the best nonfiction civil rights book I have seen published in at least 20 years. Happily, this is a role he doesn't shirk from, in fact he eagerly embraces his status. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Coates prefaces each essay with his thoughts about the piece now, so you can analyze his analysis :), I agree with Susan. We REALLY should be doing better for our brother and sister citizens. 1 Comment. Refresh and try again. We were eight years in power – Ta-Nehisi Coates. Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2017. An excellent collection of essays written by Coates during the eight years of Barack Obama's administration. As I read the book, I realized that throughout my scholastic career, I never was taught by an African American, more specifically, my view of history was taught from the perspective of white people using text books published by white dominated corporations. Also because Coates speaks in depth about his friend Prince's death in Between the World and me, and makes reference to it in Eigh. written by Charles Trapunski October 3, 2017. See all 7 questions about We Were Eight Years in Power…, The Millions' Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2017 Book Preview, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons and an Unlikely Road to Manhood. Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2018. Coates explains in great detail how white supremacy enabled the theft, the plunder of African Americans from slaves to paid workers to house buyers. Ta-Nehisi Coates: We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy One World, 367 pp., $28 Charles R. Larson is Emeritus Professor of Literature at … In the shattering of 'the dream of a post-racial America. But no, as you read this indictment of the non-unitedness of the United States, it becomes clear that, from the founding fathers on, we have been a nation of, by, and for white people, without any real regard for the way that people of color (you know, any of those non-white ones) are treated. That’s true whether we… WE WERE EIGHT YEARS IN POWER AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY. It is a thorough retrospective on the (all too brief) moment of Obama's presidency, how it fits into the writer's life and how it fits into America's history. Review: We Were Eight Years in Power. I grabbed this one from Libby a couple weeks ago as so many of us were scrambling to get our hands on some literature to help us reach a better understanding of what it’s like to be … Coates, a black man, provides an in depth discussion of the history of racism and white privilege from 1619 to the present. Ta-Nehisi Coates’s newest book We Were Eight Years in Power is a collection of essays written over the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency. Ta-Nahesi Coates has quickly become my favorite author. Praised by The Washington Post and Kirkus Reviews among others, this book aims to shed light on the modern struggle for equality. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, by Ta-Nehisi Coates ( Penguin Random House Audio 2017) First line: “This story began, as all writing must, in failure.”. Specifically, I saw a black conservatism I didn't know about before (from people I side-eye like Bill Cosby to people I admire like Barack Obama). He is an outstanding, eloquent and poignant writer. This book is a compilation of many of his works from the last decade (throughout the Obama Administration). This man can think. The powerful and subversive We Were Eight Years in Power feels like best book of the year material by about page two. Overall I highly recommend this book to reade. Where is the 'American tragedy' you may ask? Superb. "We were eight years in power" is a quote from South Carolina state congressman Thomas Miller, an African-American who was elected at the end of Reconstruction. They had built schools, established charities, educated the deaf and dumb, and built infrastructure. Overall it fell short of the provocative read I was expecting. What makes this book particularly remarkable besides Coates' exceptional writing, is what I call the pre-chapters to the essays. These reflections are especially poignant and help the reader get a glimpse into the inner workings of Coates' thinking and piecing it together. “I don’t ever want to forget that resistance must be its own reward, since resistance, at least within … Now Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the, "We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. His new essays preface the ones that he wrote for The Atlantic. Thoughtful, sobering essay collection with moments of memoir. Ta-Nehisi Coates has become the go-to guy on writing about race from the perspective of African-Americans. Coates quotes W.E.B. One World, 367 pages, $28. Truth is though, that we're not, and that's a huge part of what this book is about. At several points, I had to reread paragraphs to make sure I was grasping what was being said. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published His prose is often pleasingly lyrical, even when weighing heavy matters. It's An Entrenched Skeptiscm For Others, Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020. Ta-Nehisi Coates has turned what could have been a routine re-publication of old essays into a… "We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. We Were Eight Years in Power is more than a 'loose memoir'; it’s Coates giving himself a deep read, and inviting us to join him in this look at his intellectual journey. "We were eight years in power" is a quote from South Carolina state congressman Thomas Miller, an African-American who was elected at the end of Reconstruction. by One World, We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy. We Were Eight Years in Power Review. With a black person running for president, and becoming president though there was a shift in the opportunities available for a writer who was addressing race. One of the most important books I’ve ever read. I cycled through rage and anguish while reading this. But that is as it should be. So, if you wanted to totally nerd out, you could start with Eight Years, then stop and read Between the World and Me after "year 6" of eight years. One World. I became familiar with Mr. Coates when I read the 'reparations' article in "The Atlantic" while visiting my sister's house. It's hard to view America any other way after reading "The election of Donald Trump confirmed everything I knew about my country and none of what I could accept. ... Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2017. This was a very good collection some of Ta-Nehisi's essays from the past eight years. There was always a sense that African American journalists should avoid being tagged as “black” lest they be “boxed in” and unable to pursue more “universal” topics such as the economy and global, Superb. Oct. 1, 2017. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. ... Jump here for the review of the book. Mr. Coates has a rhythmic, poetic way with words that make reading this very harsh information almost pleasurable. After overdosing on them in 2017 I gave up Election 2016 retrospectives, not being able to stomach them for the hatred and regret they stirred within me.

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