Burial for a King

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Funeral and the Week that Transformed Atlanta and Rocked the Nation

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Burial for a King by Rebecca Burns, Scribner
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Rebecca Burns ISBN: 9781439143094
Publisher: Scribner Publication: January 4, 2011
Imprint: Scribner Language: English
Author: Rebecca Burns
ISBN: 9781439143094
Publisher: Scribner
Publication: January 4, 2011
Imprint: Scribner
Language: English

In the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, riots broke out in 110 cities across the country. For five days, Atlanta braced for chaos while preparing to host King’s funeral. An unlikely alliance of former student radicals, the middle-aged patrician mayor, the no-nonsense police chief, black ministers, white churchgoers, Atlanta’s business leaders, King’s grieving family members, and his stunned SCLC colleagues worked to keep Atlanta safe, honor a murdered hero, and host the tens of thousands who came to pay tribute.

On April 9, 1968, 150,000 mourners took part in a daylong series of rituals honoring King—the largest funeral staged for a private U.S. citizen. King’s funeral was a dramatic event that took place against a national backdrop of war protests and presidential politics in a still-segregationist South, where Georgia’s governor surrounded the state capitol with troops and refused to lower the flag in acknowledgment of King’s death. Award-winning journalist Rebecca Burns delivers a riveting account of this landmark week and chronicles the convergence of politicians, celebrities, militants, and ordinary people who mourned in a peaceful Atlanta while other cities burned. Drawing upon copious research and dozens of interviews— from staffers at the White House who dealt with the threat of violence to members of King’s family and inner circle—Burns brings this dramatic story to life in vivid scenes that sweep readers from the mayor’s office to the White House to Coretta Scott King’s bedroom. Compelling and original, Burial for a King captures a defining moment in America’s history. It encapsulates King’s legacy, America’s shifting attitude toward race, and the emergence of Atlanta as a new kind of Southern city.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, riots broke out in 110 cities across the country. For five days, Atlanta braced for chaos while preparing to host King’s funeral. An unlikely alliance of former student radicals, the middle-aged patrician mayor, the no-nonsense police chief, black ministers, white churchgoers, Atlanta’s business leaders, King’s grieving family members, and his stunned SCLC colleagues worked to keep Atlanta safe, honor a murdered hero, and host the tens of thousands who came to pay tribute.

On April 9, 1968, 150,000 mourners took part in a daylong series of rituals honoring King—the largest funeral staged for a private U.S. citizen. King’s funeral was a dramatic event that took place against a national backdrop of war protests and presidential politics in a still-segregationist South, where Georgia’s governor surrounded the state capitol with troops and refused to lower the flag in acknowledgment of King’s death. Award-winning journalist Rebecca Burns delivers a riveting account of this landmark week and chronicles the convergence of politicians, celebrities, militants, and ordinary people who mourned in a peaceful Atlanta while other cities burned. Drawing upon copious research and dozens of interviews— from staffers at the White House who dealt with the threat of violence to members of King’s family and inner circle—Burns brings this dramatic story to life in vivid scenes that sweep readers from the mayor’s office to the White House to Coretta Scott King’s bedroom. Compelling and original, Burial for a King captures a defining moment in America’s history. It encapsulates King’s legacy, America’s shifting attitude toward race, and the emergence of Atlanta as a new kind of Southern city.

More books from Scribner

Cover of the book Zero Waste Home by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book The Dragon Behind the Glass by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Animal Investigators by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book White Bucks and Black-Eyed Peas by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Inside of a Dog by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Alentejo Blue by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book A Backward Glance by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book The Remarkable Courtship of General Tom Thumb by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Tarantula by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Death of a Salesperson by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Playing Against the House by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Thanks for the Memories, Mr. President by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Three Minutes to Doomsday by Rebecca Burns
Cover of the book Stand Facing the Stove by Rebecca Burns
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy