Paul Robeson

Swindall's concise biography is a great introduction to this iconic African American artist, athlete, and activist. Swindall (Sam Houston State Univ.) contextualizes Robeson's life within larger global, political, and racial spheres, stressing that "the African diaspora, its culture, people and politics, was at the heart of his artistic career and political activism." The author draws heavily on existing secondary sources, including biographies by Martin Duberman (Paul Robeson, 1989) and Paul Robeson Jr. (The Undiscovered Paul Robeson, CH, Sep'01, 39-0207), as well as from earlier works and primary sources, but does not footnote in a traditional academic way. This is problematic at times. Swindall relies heavily on the Daily Worker and other communist or communist-influenced publications, yet fails to identify this political affiliation. While Robeson was certainly the target of rabid political attacks and the mainstream media contributed to this pillorying, a more balanced primary and secondary form of documentation would have added to the work. However, Swindall aptly demonstrates Robeson's remarkable multifaceted career, including politics and his stage and field successes. The author does not shy away from Robeson's psychological problems in the final quarter of his life. Overall, a fine introduction to Robeson that stresses his life as a public figure. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. * CHOICE *
Paul Robeson truly was a Renaissance man: actor, singer, activist, athlete, scholar. Wildly popular, he was also controversial, but, above all, he was a world citizen, even as he nurtured a deep kinship with Africa and its people. During the Cold War, his outspoken political views and socialist tendencies led the U.S. government to label him a subversive. He even had to wrestle with the State Department over his right to travel overseas. 'He opted for values over comfort; struggle instead of ease,' writes Swindall. In this short but cogent assessment of Robeson’s remarkable career, Swindall seeks to demonstrate, which she does with great skill, how 'the African diaspora, its culture, people, and politics, was at the heart of his artistic career and political activism.' She considers his roles in such plays as The Emperor Jones, All God’s Chillun Got Wings, Othello, and Show Boat; the invaluable time he spent in Harlem when it was known as 'the Negro capital of the world;' and his fruitful years overseas. A thoughtful discussion of a most complicated and fascinating man. * Booklist *
[This book] follows Robeson’s remarkable career as an actor and activist, attempting to rescue his contributions to the stage and the political scene from the pall cast over them by a McCarthy Era blacklist. Robeson is most famous for his career as an actor and singer—he starred as the first African-American Othello on Broadway, and as Joe in Show Boat—but he also took a deep interest in politics and social justice. Swindall’s accounting is thorough and straightforward. . . .The result is a surprisingly tidy. . . account of a somewhat untidy and certainly exceptional man. * Publishers Weekly *
In Paul Robeson, Lindsey R. Swindall. . . . 'aims to demonstrate how the African diaspora, its culture, people, and politics, was at the heart of his artistic career and political activism'. . . .Throughout the book we are also confronted with portraits of the man, who struggled to balance a career, his marriage, and his health. The most compelling elements of Swindall’s narrative are in the details — the moments that provide little-known pieces of Robeson’s character or struggle, such as his attendance at concerts by Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, or the requests made by Fidel Castro, Kwame Nkrumah, and Malcolm X to meet with him after his retirement in 1963. * Journal of American History *
Swindall does not shy away from dealing with Robeson’s extramarital affairs, the tensions in his marriage with Eslanda Goode Robeson, and the disagreements that Eslanda and her son Paul Robeson Jr. had over Paul Senior’s psychological treatment. She counters any portrayal of Robeson as a dupe of communist leaders by insisting that he strategically withheld criticism of the USSR, because he did not want to aid the agenda of right wing conservatives. . . .Swindall has given those who are unfamiliar with Paul Robeson a very readable introduction to the life of a man who, because of his politics, is too often silenced from the American mainstream. * The NEP Era: Soviet Russia, 1921-1928 *
Paul Robeson was America’s greatest Renaissance person, but he has yet to receive the full acclaim and recognition he deserves. Since his death in 1976, a major resurgence in scholarly attention has increased public attention to his accomplishments as an athlete, artist, and political and civil rights activist. A key figure in restoring Paul Robeson to his rightful historical place is Lindsey Swindall. Her earlier book, The Politics of Paul Robeson’s Othello, explored Robeson’s groundbreaking performances of Shakespeare’s magnificent tragedy in a powerful historical and political context. Now, in Paul Robeson: A Life of Activism and Art, she has broadened public understanding of Robeson’s entire life as an artist committed to fundamental social change. This book locates his extraordinary accomplishments in the tumultuous events of 20th century history, offering both academic and general readers a powerful vision of the man, his passionate social vision and commitments, and the times. It is a stellar achievement. -- Paul Von Blum, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, UCLA