Lunch at the 5 & 10

by Miles Wolff

Lunch at the 5 & 10 is the story of the Greensboro sit-ins―how four African-American college students sat down at a Woolworth's lunch counter in North Carolina and ignited the civil rights movement in America. The year was 1960, but the racial sensibilities of Americans were light years removed from what they are today. Mr. Wolff's even-handed account of this pivotal event in our race relations has been widely praised since it was first published in 1970. In this new edition, the author adds a new conclusion, written after the 30th anniversary commemoration of the event where the Greensboro Four met once again. August Meier's introduction places the Greensboro sit-in in historical context and explains its importance in the course of the civil rights movement. "A remarkable account...reads like a novel. Wolff has recaptured these days with a sense of their drama, with deft characterizations of the principals, and with a sure feeling for the mood....An extraordinary accomplishment."― Book World .

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 1990

Reviews

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched account of the Greensboro sit-ins of 1960. I feel like I know much more about it now than I did before. One or two repetitive instances aside, the writing is pretty good. I particularly appreciated the dry, sarcastic wit the author employs on more than one occasion while recounting racist chants and signs yielded by white supremacist counterpickets. (He mentions a picket sign bearing only the N-word "in a bow to subtlety.")

#TheReadingRush2020

[Kellie Finley-Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read. I’m a NC native and an alumna of UNC Greensboro (previously the Woman’s College), and I’m researching the student protest movement as a part of my seminary coursework. This book was informative and the tone was witty. I do wish the sources were footnoted or endnotes instead of listed only bibliographically at the end.