Based on the groundbreaking interviews by the author and damning documents just released by the government, Shakedown reveals how Jesse Jackson has manipulated the public and painted a false portrait of himself from the moment he burst onto the national scene in 1968. Back then he lied about cradling the dying Martin Luther King Jr. in his arms, and his dishonesty hasn't let up since.<BR>Over the years, Jackson has graduated from street hustling, to prematurely adopting the religious title "Reverend," to abusing his privileges as "special presidential envoy." Today he leads his racism witch-hunt through corporate America, bilking frightened CEOs of big money. Through it all Jackson has used the same basic techniques of intimidation, coercion, and protection - refined by his association with Chicago's most brutal street gang.<BR>Exclusive to this paperback edition are a new introduction by the author and a new chapter discussing Jackson's role in the Liberian crisis. Appendix documents just declassified by the U.S. State Department reveal how Jackson acted against the wishes of the U.S. government in his dealings with Liberian strongman Charles Taylor and rebel leader Foday Sankoh.