Hellhound on His Trail is the story of two very different men whose lives catastrophically interweaved over the course of some nine months in the late 1960s: one was a thief and con man called James Earl Ray, the other one of the greatest American figures of the 20th century, Martin Luther King Jr.
Drawing on a remarkable range of new material, Hampton Sides's brilliant new book recreates the story of Martin Luther King's assassination, following in Ray's footsteps as he makes his successful escape from the ferocious Missouri State Penitentiary, creates a new identity for himself and becomes convinced of his mission to kill King. Hellhound on His Trail is equally the story of King himself in his last, exhausted, months.
Sides follows Galt and King as they crisscross the country, one stalking the other, until the fateful moment, on 4 April 1968, when the drifter finally caught up with his prey. Hellhound on His Trail vividly portrays the largest manhunt in American history following Ray's flight, ending in his final capture in London.
The definitive account of one of the darkest moments in post-War America's history, Hellhound on His Trail is a triumph of gripping narrative.
