Hurricane: the life of Rubin Carter, fighter

by James S. Hirsch

Here comes the story of the Hurricane: On June 17, 1966, two men entered the Lafayette Grill in Paterson, New Jersey, and shot four people, killing three. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a onetime contender for the middleweight boxing crown, and John Artis, an acquaintance of Carter's, were charged with the murders. In a highly publicized and racially loaded trial, the prosecution hinged its case upon the convoluted and contradictory testimonies of two lifelong criminals, and failed to present any definitive evidence of Carter and Artis's guilt. Nonetheless, both innocent men were sentenced to life in prison. Hurricane is a detailed, inspiring account of Carter's 22-year effort to exonerate himself and regain his freedom.

Carter's saga is rich and complicated, and James Hirsch deserves praise for his balanced treatment. He brings Carter's electrifying and complex personality alive without unnecessarily lionizing him, masterfully detailing his transformation from a defiant, intimidating man known for his dangerous temper and stubborn pride into a enlightened one who defeated despair and unimaginable injustice. Upon incarceration, Carter refused to behave like a guilty man--by defying the rules: rejecting prison garb and keeping his jewelry, shunning prison food, and failing to see a parole officer. His defiance earned him cruel punishment, but he compelled the rigid, unforgiving system to come to terms, at least in certain instances.

Though he began an earnest study of the law in order to issue his own appeals, he could not have won his freedom without the astonishing collective effort of others. After a 1974 front-page story in The New York Times revealed his plight, there followed an outpouring of public support that included celebrity endorsements from, among many others, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, and Bob Dylan, who immortalized him in the famous song "Hurricane". Though all the publicity turned Carter into an icon for a time, ultimately it was the efforts of a group of enigmatic Canadians and a team of persistent lawyers that helped Carter achieve justice.

He lost his family, his boxing career, and 22 years of his life, yet in the end, he refused to allow bitterness to consume him. When the charges against him were finally dropped in 1988, he spoke at a press conference:

If I have learned nothing else in life, I've learned that bitterness only consumes the vessel that contains it. And for me to permit bitterness to control or infect my life in any way whatsoever, would be to allow those who imprisoned me to take even more than the twenty-two years they've already taken. Now, that would make me an accomplice to their crime...

He emerged from the fight of his life with his dignity and humanity intact. --Shawn Carkonen

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, Crime, True Crime, History, Autobiography

Paperback

First published October 20, 2000

About the author

James S. Hirsch is an American journalist and author who has written about sports, race, and American culture. He was a reporter for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and his first book was the best-selling Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter.

Hirsch has also written Riot and Remembrance: The Tulsa Race War and Its Legacy, Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam, and Cheating Destiny: Living with Diabetes. His biography of Willie Mays, released in February 2010, describes how the Negro leagues phenom became an instant sensation with the New York Giants in the 1950s, was the headliner in Major League Baseball's expansion to California, and played an important but underappreciated role in the civil rights movement.[1]

Hirsch, a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, lives in the Boston area.

Bibliography

Reviews

[Crease · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy stuff, definitely not a feel good story. To be wrongly convicted and to have one's freedom revoked is one of my few nightmares...to be the most macho of men, a boxing champion and have it happen...

A must read for black men and for those who seek to understand black mistrust of "the man"

[Sophia Thisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Hurricane describes the painful, 18 year, process Rubin Carter, the champion boxer, had to endure to see justice. A shooting had happened at the Lafayette Grill bar, where two shooters had shot four people and killed three. Officers arrived at the crime scene. They asked one of the victims of the shooting what the men looked like and what car brand they were driving. The officers got in their police cars, started their cars, and sped down the nearest freeway to perchance catch the shooters. Rubin Carter and his friend, John Artis, were driving down the freeway, and heard sirens behind them. Carter pulled over, unknowing there had been a murderous shooting in town and that he was going to be convicted of it. Carter later said, "Blacks were living in a dream world if they thought equality was around the corner, that reality was trigger-happy cops and redneck judges." There was a lack of evidence taken at the crime scene, meaning; no footprints, no bloodstains, no murder weapons, and no motive. Later on in the beginning of the conviction process, Carter and his friend John Artis had passed a lie detector test. A week later, written in a newspaper was that Assistant County Prosecutor Vincent E. Hull had said Rubin Carter was never a suspect in the case. A couple of months later, Carter was called up for a trail for the shooting. The jury consisted of four white women, nine white men, and one black man. Many of the people in the jury selection were racists, one of the white men was a member of Hitler's youth movement in Germany, and another person believed that african americans that grew up in the ghetto were more prone to violence (????). In court, one of the victims said that both the men were almost the same height and "colored". Carter was noticeably shorter than John Artis. The whole trial seemed to be the judge favoring the opinion of the witnesses. Carter and Artis were convicted of the murder and sentenced a triple life sentence, two consecutive and one concurrent. The jury did not recommend the electric chair, which had actually surprised Carter. While in prison, Carter refused to eat much of the food, talk to guards, or even do the prison's activities. He also received loads of letters from his fans. One day, Carter received a letter that seemed different. The letter was sent from a 15 year old boy named Lesra Martin who lived with a group of highly intelligent Canadians. Carter later realized Lesra Martin and the Canadians, later known as "family", could help him get out of jail. Carter sent them the legal documents he had been keeping organized. The Canadians read through the documents, searching for the important legal documents, and became Rubin Carter's group of lawyers. In the last trial Carter experienced, the judge and jury were stunned with how unjust the case had been prosecuted. Carter finally got released 18 years after being put in the prison.

It was a struggle putting everything that I felt should be included in the summary. I loved the way Rubin Carter handled everything about the conviction. The process was long and tiring, but, somehow, Carter maintained his innocence (as he completely was). I liked the resolution of everything, obviously. That was my favorite part. There is no way you can finish this book and not feel proud of Rubin Carter, and not have at least a little hope.
All the information in the book was required, or else the story would have been told inaccurately.

There were times the author mentioned a person, and went into 5-page-long depth about the person, but it was related to the story.

I liked the style the book was written in. It was an informational-kind of writing style that James S. Hirsch used, but it was descriptive. The book would move anybody to activism, anybody who isn't racist. I think realizing that white americans have an unearned privilege, that would have been helpful in declaring innocence in a time like then and now is important to realize. Rubin was falsely convicted of a shooting, because of the color of his skin. White americans often don't realize this special privilege because they are not of the minority. Readers who would be drawn to this book include activists, civil rights activists, and Black Lives Matter activists. In reality, everybody should be drawn to this book because of Carter's experience.

[Fivequotebookchallenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than a biography, this books tells the tale of Rubin Carter's ('The Hurricane") battle for justice against corruption and racism which saw him falsely imprisoned for 19 years. Challenging the prison system and false charges; 'The Hurricane' learns to step outside of himself, and with the help of his supporters to uncover his own truth and reveal the truth behind his murder charges.

It sheds a harsh light on the prejudices and biases of society and provides hope that the actions of a small minority can effect meaningful change.

Recommended for boxing aficionados and aspiring members of the judicial system.

Rating: 3.9 / 5

@fivequotebookchallenge

[Dominick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about a man that basically had been locked in jail his whole life. It is a story of racism and how back then people could be blamed for anything and be put in jail. I gave this book 5 stars because it amazing how he was put in jail for a crime he had never done and with help from people was able to prove himself innocent by asking witness what car they saw and comparing it to his dodge. In conclusion this is a great book and I recommend it to everyone.

[Giorgio Palumbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

per me uno dei classici dei nostri tempi. Quello che andrebbe letto subito dopo l'autobiografia di Malcolm X

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. The characters were vividly told. Considering that this is based on a true story, the characters' lives were explained in full detail. Rubin Carter's life was told with so much life, and they went into his childhood. Before reading this book, I knew who Rubin Carter was, but I was never interested in his previous life before his incarceration. It went into his previous history with the law, and told the story so that you would be interested. It also got into how Rubin got into boxing, and his time in the army. It also talks about some of his most famous fights, and even mentions movies that mention not only Carter, but people that were involved with him during his life. I love how the author goes into detail about Carter and his previous life before prison, and how prison turned him from a womanizer to a more mellow man. You never really have a protagonist in this book in my opinion. I feel as though all of the people in this book were shown the way they really were. There were times when I loved Rubin Carter and there were times where I thought, that wasn't a smart idea on his part. I despised certain people, and there was a main antagonist in this book, the prosecution office and the state of New Jersey. It was obvious by the way that the author shows them that he wants you to realize that they framed this man time and time again, and they kept trying to make this man out to be someone he wasn't. The author describes physical appearances and they become major motifs throughout the book. One of these important appearances are Rubin's himself. This includes how he looks during his trials, bald and bearded, and after he is finally released, with hair, and shaven. Many of the characters are static in this book. This includes DeSimone, the detective on the case, who was adamant on putting Carter in jail for something, anything. He died before he got to see justice be served to Carter. Rubin is the most dynamic character in the book. Before he goes to prison, he is hot-headed, and easily angered. In prison, he cuts off everyone, and becomes sullen. He then opens back up in the presence of Lisa Peters and her commune. When he is released, he doesn't repair relationships with people of his past life, such as his ex-wife, his children, even some of his old friends. He stays distant from them. Some themes in this book include injustice, isolation, manipulation, power, progress, vulnerability, and rebirth. The injustice comes from the terrible incarceration of not one but TWO innocent man, and the extent that not just the state of New Jersey went to, but the people who were attacked and knew that these people did not commit these murders. The isolation comes from the fact that Rubin cut everyone off while he was in prison. Manipulation from everything that happened with both of the trials, and even during Rubin's final appeal on which he would finally be released. The power and progress comes from the way that Rubin grew and changed while in prison. The rebirth is the ending, not in which everyone is happy, but mostly everyone is content with how everything and everyone turned out as. The exposition of the book is the life of Rubin and those that surround him before the Layfette bar murders. It shows you what kind of man Rubin was, and why a prosecution, though entirely wrong, and a jury, though entirely mislead, would be a little suspicious of this strong, independent, successful black man in the 1960s. The complication is the bar murders themselves. The author goes into gruesome detail on how many times the people were shot, where they were shot, how long it took them to die also. It also had a eye witness account of how bloody the scene was, from the first paramedic. The climax is the story of Rubin's appeals, as well as the denials, and how he comes into contact with the Lisa Peters, the commune, as well as many of his supporters. It also tells the story of how he lost most of these supporters through multiple scandals. The resolution of this book is finally the final appeal, and everything that has to do with that. The victory, the celebration and the happiness that accompanies this. There are multiple time shifts, and sometimes the author even goes back into time to explain things, and develop characters. He uses multiple points of view, considering that this is true story, with multiple people involved. There are so many different settings in the book. From the prison, Canada, and even Africa gives us a total sense of this entire case and even more, this entire man. The tone changes often also, becoming somber in the right moments. One of these moments is both times when it discusses the ending of the trials, when he is first convicted, and re-convicted. Another example is when it talks about the Kelley incident, where Rubin was accused of beating on this woman who was one of his supporters. The tone is bitter sometimes, as when Rubin is talking about the atmosphere in the courtroom during his first trial. All in all, the tone at the end of book is defiant. It is an amazing book, the information is accurate, and the author does an amazing job of telling this story.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the movie many years ago before I read the book, of course there's a lot of Hollywood in the movie that isn't factual but hey the have to sell tickets. a blurb on the book says the book will tell shed light on whats real and and whats not. I always wondered was RHC guilty or not?

One thing I know is sports, boxing in particular, in the movie they depict RHC losing a decision to an old pro Joey Giradello, who looks beat up, but JG is given the decision due to racial bias, (same reason RHC in convicted of murder) but Joey Giradello sued over the depiction because he it was a fair decision and won a monetary settlement. Ok what does the book say it was a controversial decision, it wasn't, so the movie lied and to a lesser degree so does the book, the author has a relationship with Carter who he wouldn't have been granted the interview so obviously if he were totally honest Carter wouldn't have let him write the book. so he's schilling.

now lets take Carter as a juvenile he used a piece of glass to cut a white man and take his wallet, that doesn't mean he's a murderer but it shows he's violent, and his victim was white. Rueben was married but went out all night drinking, looking for women, doesn't make him a murder but shows he doesn't honor his wife, in the least. RHC carries guns, doesnt' mean he was the one who shot the people in the bar but it goes to character.

Fast forward to the OJ case, its fairly obvious he committed the murders we have DNA evidence, hair and fiber, motive, a confession, but like Rueben he became a cause celeb, with all kinds of people coming to his defense, political pressure, charges of racism, if you thought he was guilty you were labeled a racist. if someone like James Hisch wrote a book they'd try to convince you was innocent. you have a witness like Kato Kaelin who lied for OJ then recanted, just like bello liked for the prosection and recanted, they are rats that will say anything if it benefits them which doesn't prove or disprove anything. there's the ridiculous arguement that RHC wouldn't use a gun when he could use his fists, who would anyone know that? you have witnesses who got the taillights of a car wrong, who remembers the tail lights of a car, especially at night. People came up with all kinds of theories about OJs innonce the murder weapon this and that, but he was guilty or rather they could't prove it.

parts of the book I enjoyed was when everyone was jumping on RHCs bandwagon, but everyone had an agenda bob Dylan wanted a hit song, there was money a black faction a white faction, RHC had an affair and lived the high live while his wife was living on welfare trying to support their daughter.
I enjoyed when Ruben goes thru his transformation and starts to read, discovers Ouspenski who I've read, grow out his hair, and softens inside and out

I liked hearing about the Canadians who were percursors to woke and did everything to free RHC and Lisa who the Canadians cult leader who's intent was to dominate and make here and RHC a couple but she just as bad as the warden and had to split.

there was judge Sorokin who ultimately freed RHC but did by todays standards was he a liberator or soft on crime?

a good read but the book sheds no light on RHCs innocence or guilt

and even after RHC is freed of jail and the Canadians he had to battle alcoholism, maybe the biggest battles are one the ones we fight with ourselves.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

To those who are not familiar with the story - Rubin Carter Hurricane was a world champion boxer wrongly accused of triple murder and who spent 22 years in prison.

My impressions of the book are split into two. The first half felt a bit dry and uninspired. It was an effort to get through it.

Compared to the first half the second felt like an explosion of light and energy.

The part where Rubin meets a Canadian commune, that became instrumental in his fight for freedom (through an amazing coincidence involving a second-hand book!), and when Rubin turned to deep self-reflection and started reading books on the subject - is where the book completely captivated me and I couldn’t put it down.

The complexity of Rubin’s relationships with women and how his involvement with the Canadian Lisa changed his life long view of women left me speechless with many new ideas and realisations about relationships.

One of the most influential books for Rubin at that time was ‘Man’s search for meaning’ by Victor Frankl. It left deep impression on him a lens through which to view his situation. I found it incredible that a work of a Jewish man that survived concentration camps found its way through history to inspire a black man incarcerated for life for something he didn’t do.

It’s incredible how we are all interconnected, and how we can influence and save each other throguh space and time through books.

I also discovered a new interesting name - Ouspensky - an intriguing Russian author that was very influential in certain circles and wrote about the metaphysical and the occult. His theories about the ‘Inner circle of humanity’ inspired Rubin and I find them fascinating too so it was added to my reading list.

Overall I feel that I got good account of facts. I feel that the man himself didn’t come through to me in this book. I guess I will have to read the “The sixteenth round’ and the ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ for that.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The book is very aptly titled, as the life story of Rubin Carter is and was a miraculous journey. This reader completed the book with a lot of admiration and appreciation for the exhaustive research efforts of James Hirsch. Ultimately, this research was sometimes tedious to read (though not quite exhausting) and resulted in a fair amount of the prose feeling like a bit too much- particularly the intimate details of the Canadian cult (yes a cult I believe, though somewhat benign as cults go) that assisted and was essential to Carters' marathon, decades long battle to regain his freedom; the mountain of legal details over those decades also were passages where the writing sometimes left me disengaging a bit. Could the story have been told as effectively with more efficiency? I'm not sure. But nonetheless, overall its a rewarding piece of non fiction that leaves one with a lot of thoughtful and large issues and questions to ponder regarding justice, race, struggle, flawed humanity, perseverance, survival, and the human spirit. Rubin Carters' life narrative could never have been conjured or envisioned by a fiction or screenwriter. His was one incredible journey indeed.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Friday Night Fights … To Hell … To Redemption

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind Ruben “Hurricane” Carter has been hanging out for a very long time. Watching the Friday Night Fights on TV was a rare bonding moment for me and my Dad and I recall Carter, the boxer. Fifteen years later I sang along to Bob Dylan’s lyrical indictment of Carter’s horribly flawed conviction.
This book picks up the real-life story and fills in the blanks about a flawed man brutalized by an even more flawed system that saw matters only in “black and white” terms where a conviction - righteous or not - was all that mattered.
There but for God’s grace go us all. It could have been any of us, but the chances were magnitudes greater if “us” had black skin.
This is a well-written and researched assessment of how our legal system can rush to judgment, placating demands for vengeance while ignoring details that don’t fit the desired outcome.

[Almustafa Couch · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, not on the grounds of having a likeable or even bare-able hero but what it says about the civil-rights movement is valuable. As it is made clear in the book the justice isn't at fault per-Se,what is at fault is the application of the law to this case. The Hurricanes use of a quasi religious cult to set right his incarceration provides a definite point of interest, well worth a read.

[Nathan Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a fantastic book, the details that James S. Hirsch was able to capture are incredible, it goes in deep on the troubling upbringing of Carter. His young life as a rather eccentric hard-headed man, into the crippling and oppressive legal system of the US. Through this book we see a man be built up, broken down, and built up again multiple times, it's a rollercoaster for sure and I highly recommend it. An inspiring and at times difficult read that I'd be glad to check out again.

[Toni McClintock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragged on a bit, but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately it was spoiled by Goodreads blurb that I saw when I went on to check my status. I complained and Customer Support's response was that it was automatically imported from Amazon which is one of their acceptable sources to gather covers and book data, so be careful!

[is that Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. The ups and downs of Rubin Carters life will have you second guessing the hard time you have gone through when you read this one. Historical, inspiring and interesting this book was and his story is truly one of a kind. I’ll definitely recommend this one to friends and family.

[Tolkien InMySleep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important exemplar of institutional racism in the US, adopted as a cause celebre by white liberals in the 1970s. The injustice meted out to Carter and his co-defendant is almost breathtaking at times.

[Aaron Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. Rubin Carter went through hell for his freedom. A must read for anyone.

[Abdul-Raouf Mohamed-Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and goes into great detail. Helped my a full year of research/interviews from various sources.

[Larisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, true, and moving story of the journey of Rubin Carter. The BBC podcasts called Hurricane Tapes are Excellent too.

[Jarred Goodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crisp, smooth, well-researched read for the most part...some of it dragged, but a solid work for the most part, for which I recommend to anyone!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely worth the read. A very informative look into a controversial man that lived a very much an unjust life.

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read of how determination and faith enabled this famous boxer to overcome his wrong conviction and long time in jail until proven innocent.

[Cory Ledford · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Rubin Carter's false conviction is incredibly interesting, but this book is not.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a biography of the late Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a boxer who was wrongfully convicted along with his friend, John Artis, of a 1966 triple homicide. Carter and Artis were finally exonerated in 1985 in a federal court. Carter spent roughly nineteen years in prison.

What makes this book especially interesting is the evoluation of Carter himself. He is not depicted as a saint, but takes it upon himself to deal with the incarceration without accepting it.

The story is told with a journalist’s eye. Author James S. Hirsch has written for both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

For complete review, please go here.

[Alexes Hermosillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story as many of you know involved the conviction of Rubin Carter and John Artis for a triple murder that took place at a bar in Patterson, NJ. The men always maintained their innocence. Whether Rubin did this crime or not is besides the question considering but,he got released from a Federal Court not so many people where happy of that. The court did not rule on whether he was guilty or innocent even though he had been convicted twice before for the triple murders. The Supreme Court judge decide to overturn the convictions cited a "racial revenge" motive and prosecutorial. After many struggles and many years in prison Rubin Carter was released finally a free man. This book talks about his troubled life in jail, his violent temper, his prize-fighting boxing days.But while Carter was in prison he transformed these former attributes by personal study and reflection. He found some people from a Canadian commune to help go to battle for him and lucky won his freedom. It's a very powerful story the author Hircsh has many pages where he describes so well that you can even image these places in your head more likely take part in this story.When I was reading this story it felt like I was in his place.But there was also some pats in the story where you lose the interest. The other problem area is it's obviously a very opinionated book meant to portray Carter as an innocent man wronged by the system. However, after reading about Carter's past, his media provoking of local authorities, and his temper. During the story I would feel bad for Rubin Carter. Also what I thought that was very interesting about Carter was that as boy. Rubin loved the army paratroopers' snappy uniform, but he enlisted in 1954,at age seventeen, because he needed to avoid the authorities after escaping from a boy's prison. After his release this is what he said, " The question invariably arises,it has before and it will again;Rubin are you bitter?' And the answer to that I will say: After all that's been said and done- the fact that the most productive years of my life, between the ages of twenty-nine and fifty, have been stolen; the fact that I was deprived of seeing my children grow up- wouldn't think I would have a right ti be bitter? Wouldn't anyone under those circumstances have the right to be bitter?In fact, it would be very easy to be bitter.But it has never been my nature,or my lot,to do things the easy way.If I have learned nothing else in my life, i've learned that bitterness only consumes the vessel that contains it. And for me to permit bitterness to control or to infect my life in any way whatsoever the twenty-two-years they're already taken. Now, that would make me an accomplice to their crime."
-Rubin Carter

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Rubin Carter is certainly worth reading about regardless of what side of the debate you are on. Many people feel passionate about both his innocence and guilt. This book may help the reader decide for himself or herself, but it obviously has an innocent slant to it which the author makes known and makes no apologies.

The story as many of you know involved the conviction of Rubin Carter and John Artis for a triple murder that took place at a bar in Patterson, NJ. The men always maintained their innocence much to the chagrin of prosecutors. Whether Rubin did this crime or not is besides the question considering he got released from a Federal Court over a writ of habeas corpus issue. The court did not rule on whether he was guilty or innocent even though he had been convicted twice before for the triple murders. The Supreme Court judge that decided to overturn the convictions cited a "racial revenge" motive and prosecutorial withhlding of information as reasons to overturn the case. Therefore, after many intense struggles with personal demons and many years in prison Rubin Carter was released a free man. The book recounts his troubled life as a juvenile, his violent temper, his prize-fighting boxing days, and his many years spent in different prison institutions. Apparently while in prison Carter transformed these former attributes by personal study and reflection. He found some people from a Canadian commune to help go to battle for him and eventually won his freedom. It's a powerful story with a few problem areas. One problem area is that there are so many legal meanderings throughout the book that you begin to feel as if you are undertaking a tedious chore sorting through all of it. You lose the zest and earnest interest you first had when you started the book. The other problem area is it's obviously a very opinionated book meant to portray Carter as an innocent man wronged by the system. However, after reading about Carter's past, his media provoking of local authorities, and his temper, I came away feeling very ambivalent. Whereas, I expected to become totally convinced of his innocence I began to feel I wasn't for sure. Nevertheless, it's a compelling story if you can get past the legal "John Grisham" feel of the book.

Rubin Carter continues to fight to this day to overcome the hardness and emotional devastation he had thrust upon him while in prison. We learn that while he is thankful to be out he still has a long way to go to live the life he yearns for. To put to rest the demons bothering him (such as alcohol) and to be able to trust people is one of the great challenges he faces. One can only hope that justice was served in this instance and that he picks up what he has left of his life and makes the most of it.

[Zach G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Athletes all over the world can truly connect to Rubin Carter’s story. All of us athletes have a certain sport(s) that we excel and love. We all know how hard it is to bust our butts and give 100% so that we can become the best we can possibly be. Imagine that you trained for years to be the best, and then something happens that ends your chances of possibly playing the sport for the rest of your life. That is exactly what happens to Rubin Carter in this book, even though he was innocent. Just because of his reputation on the streets and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This book really touched me because whenever I would lose or thought there was no hope, I would give up, sometimes without a fight. Now after reading this book, I will try never to do that again. Rubin goes through many different hardships in which I believe only the strongest of the strong would survive, both mentally and physically. Carter is even one of the most humble people I’ve ever heard about, for example, after he is released from prison, someone asks him is he was bitter and mad from losing the last 20 years of his life behind bars. Rubin humbly and inspiringly replies “There is no bitterness. If I was bitter, that would mean they won.” Rubin’s life story is inspiring, and although some parts may be uneven at times, it is still a definite page-turner. After reading this book, you will understand the true meaning of perseverance, dedication, and heart.

[Mohamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting glance into the role of race in the judicial system in the pre civil rights era.

The memoir begins with a boy named Rubin carter who was very mischievous. For the majority of his boyhood, he was always having run ins with the law. Soon after, he was sent to juvenile prison, but he escaped soon after. After he escaped, he joined the air force. In my opinion, he was partially to blame. Many factors such as poverty, discrimination and a loss of hope resulted in his trip down the wrong road.
While stationed in Germany, he discovered his passion- boxing. He defeated some of the most experienced boxers in the air force. When his skills became evident, the air force removed him from active duty to box full time. When he returned to the US he entered in professional competitions.

Upon returning, one night he was out on the town and he was pulled over. He,along with two other people were arrested and accused of robbing and slaying five white people in a bar/social club.

As a result of this fabricated evidence, he spent the next 20 years of his life behind bars. His imprisonment sparked a great outpour of support from many celebrities and politicians.

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well resarched and well written book about Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was sadly put in prison for over 20 years for a crime he didn't do in Patterson, NJ in 1967. Yes, that Hurricane, who Bob Dylan wrote a song about and that Hurricane that sadly recently passed away. This is the story of the crime that happened in 1967 that led to Carter and his friend Artis, being imprissioned. Don't want to give anything away with what happens, but it is a very sad story. To think of being in prison for something you didn't do is mind-blowing to me. If you liked the Shawshank Redemption you'll probably like this book. James Hirsch, the author, does a great job of getting information, just like in his great book about Willie Mays. Still, tough to read at times and some parts are a little too technical with lawyer stuff I didn't understand. Even so, a good book that I enjoyed. Haven't seen the movie, so maybe that helped. My favorite line and parts of the book had to do with Carter meeting Dylan. A friend introduced them and for a little while Dylan wasn't doing anything about it but the friend assured someone else that Dylan was going to write a song about it. When asked why the friend replied, "Because he's Bob Dylan and that's what he does."

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the recent passing of Rubin Carter I decided to read this book. I started on 04/20 and I finished today 04/25. What a book. It is very alarming how easy it was for this man to be prosecuted for a crime he did not commit and then have to sit in jail for 20 years until he finally was vindicated. The shame of it is he lost his boxing career, lost an eye while in prison and lost his family. Very interesting reading how he changed his way of thinking and how he changed the man he was, losing the anger he had when he first entered prison. This was a very well written book and it read fast. I really enjoyed the book.

[Holly Foley (Procida) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never known the story ... another example of my current event ignorance during my childhood until I started reading newspapers in the 1990s.. I felt like this book was very comprehensive and well written. To be unbiased I guess I should read an account from the prosecution side as well. I think some of the most interesting characters in this story are the Canadian Commune livers that support and work tirelessly to help free Rubin Carter. I may have to also see this movie..