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A Burning House: My Politics
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26208 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Harry Belafonte
43 books13 followersHarold George Belafonte, noted American musician, known as "Harry," gained a worldwide audience for Calypso with "The Banana Boat Song" in 1957 and also outspokenly supported civil rights and humanitarian causes.
This Jamaican singer, actor popularized with international audiences in the 1950s. Calypso , breakthrough album of this a single artist, first sold a million long-playing phonographic records.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_B...
This Jamaican singer, actor popularized with international audiences in the 1950s. Calypso , breakthrough album of this a single artist, first sold a million long-playing phonographic records.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_B...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Harry Belafonte was a vibrant entertainer; whether it was singing or acting, he was wonderful to watch, but he was also quietly in the background of the Civil Rights Movement. A Burning House; My Politics, a book co-written by Harry Belafonte and Kevin Baker, was my opportunity to find out what that looked like from his perspective.
I discovered worthwhile information that repeatedly sent me for further research, such as the astonishing education level required for Pullman porters, the people involved in activism that I was unaware of, and the connections between civil rights, apartheid, and Cold War politics. Because Mr. Belafonte personally knew so many of the twentieth century's most important figures, the potential for this memoir was tremendous, but it never quite lived up to the fascinating life it was describing.
Of his political views, activism, advocation for causes he believed in, I had no concern. In fact, his ideals were admirable and he seemed like a genuinely decent, caring man.
My criticism was the structure of the book. It was as though someone had dropped a stack of index cards and carelessly reassembled them with no logical transition. There were abrupt jumps from one topic to another and one viewpoint to another. It was choppy reading, as I kept rereading passages to try to understand whether it was the interviewer or the interviewee. Knowing Harry Belafonte passed away before this was completed, I understand assembling it must have been difficult, but that did not make the reading experience any less frustrating.
Sadly, the tone from the very beginning colored my impression. Mr. Belafonte's tone came across as aggrieved and insufficiently appreciated. Although it mellowed over the course of the text, I never completely escaped that first impression.
Who is this for? Readers looking for a warm personal memoir may come away disappointed as he focuses on broader historical and political discussions. The target must be for the reader with a strong interest in twentieth-century civil rights history and Cold War politics.
I discovered worthwhile information that repeatedly sent me for further research, such as the astonishing education level required for Pullman porters, the people involved in activism that I was unaware of, and the connections between civil rights, apartheid, and Cold War politics. Because Mr. Belafonte personally knew so many of the twentieth century's most important figures, the potential for this memoir was tremendous, but it never quite lived up to the fascinating life it was describing.
Of his political views, activism, advocation for causes he believed in, I had no concern. In fact, his ideals were admirable and he seemed like a genuinely decent, caring man.
My criticism was the structure of the book. It was as though someone had dropped a stack of index cards and carelessly reassembled them with no logical transition. There were abrupt jumps from one topic to another and one viewpoint to another. It was choppy reading, as I kept rereading passages to try to understand whether it was the interviewer or the interviewee. Knowing Harry Belafonte passed away before this was completed, I understand assembling it must have been difficult, but that did not make the reading experience any less frustrating.
Sadly, the tone from the very beginning colored my impression. Mr. Belafonte's tone came across as aggrieved and insufficiently appreciated. Although it mellowed over the course of the text, I never completely escaped that first impression.
Who is this for? Readers looking for a warm personal memoir may come away disappointed as he focuses on broader historical and political discussions. The target must be for the reader with a strong interest in twentieth-century civil rights history and Cold War politics.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was beautiful. It's everything that I look for in a book. I was so compelled that I finished it in one sitting. I didn't want it to end. I woke up the next morning still wanting more. I wish I could have had the chance to know Mr. Belafonte's opinions on so many more topics!
The format of this book is nice, because it is easily read all the way through, but is also broken down into individual chapters/topics/essays, so if there's something specific the reader is more interested in, it's easy enough to pick and choose. That being said, I definitely suggest reading it all the way through because there is a great deal of continuity and history building.
I have always been a fan of Harry Belafonte as an activist first, then as an actor and singer after that. He was around for it all. In this book, he never shied away from his real feelings about a topic, all the way up to the Trump presidency. This book is as thoughtful as it is emotional. A lot can be said posthumously about what a person's political beliefs were, so Belafonte got out ahead of this and wrote it down. From JFK, RFK, MLK, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama, and more, we get to know how he really felt. We get to see how his opinion of the work that needs to be done has changed, as well as his concerns for the future.
I would recommend this book to almost anyone. Despite reading this as an eARC, I am planning to buy a hardcover copy when it comes out, because it will be a vital part of my library.
Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press for the ARC. This is my full, honest review.
5 stars!
The format of this book is nice, because it is easily read all the way through, but is also broken down into individual chapters/topics/essays, so if there's something specific the reader is more interested in, it's easy enough to pick and choose. That being said, I definitely suggest reading it all the way through because there is a great deal of continuity and history building.
I have always been a fan of Harry Belafonte as an activist first, then as an actor and singer after that. He was around for it all. In this book, he never shied away from his real feelings about a topic, all the way up to the Trump presidency. This book is as thoughtful as it is emotional. A lot can be said posthumously about what a person's political beliefs were, so Belafonte got out ahead of this and wrote it down. From JFK, RFK, MLK, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama, and more, we get to know how he really felt. We get to see how his opinion of the work that needs to be done has changed, as well as his concerns for the future.
I would recommend this book to almost anyone. Despite reading this as an eARC, I am planning to buy a hardcover copy when it comes out, because it will be a vital part of my library.
Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press for the ARC. This is my full, honest review.
5 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A quick one-sitting read. This is a look at some of Mr. Belafonte’s thoughts and ideas about various subjects and people he interacted with in his life as an activist and financial supporter of the civil rights movement. A reminiscence, if you will. Kevin Baker the author, describes it thusly “and I was honored—more honored than I can easily express—to write down what he intended this to be: a recounting of his political views, in an America that is—all too much as it was in 1968— racked by violence and fear and hatred.” So, despite the brevity of the text, we can still gather the brilliance of Mr. Belafonte’s mind and his unwavering commitment to the Civil Rights Movement and his steadfast support of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. This is not a biography of Mr. Belafonte’s life, but a thoughtful piece of his opinions on the pace of American life from an activist perspective. He makes it clear that he was never just a Calypso singer, but a man committed to justice and equality for Black people worldwide. This is a great edition to add to your bookshelf. Thanks to Edelweiss and The New Press for an advanced DRC. Book will hit shelves 10-13-26.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews