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Nine Days Lib/E: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life and Win the 1960 Election
The authors of Douglass and Lincoln present fully for the first time the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s imprisonment in the days leading up to the 1960 presidential election and the efforts of three of John F. Kennedy’s civil rights staffers who went rogue to free him—a move that changed the face of the Democratic Party and propelled Kennedy to the White House.
Less than three weeks before the 1960 presidential election, thirty-one-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested at a sit-in at Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta. That day would lead to the first night King had ever spent in jail—and the time that King’s family most feared for his life.
An earlier, minor traffic ticket served as a pretext for keeping King locked up, and later for a harrowing nighttime transfer to Reidsville, the notorious Georgia state prison where Black inmates worked on chain gangs overseen by violent white guards. While King’s imprisonment was decried as a moral scandal in some quarters and celebrated in others, for the two presidential candidates—John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon—it was the ultimate October surprise: an emerging and controversial civil rights leader was languishing behind bars, and the two campaigns raced to decide whether, and how, to respond.
Stephen and Paul Kendrick’s Nine Days tells the incredible story of what happened next. In 1960, the Civil Rights Movement was growing increasingly inventive and energized while white politicians favored the corrosive tactics of silence and stalling—but an audacious team in the Kennedy campaign’s Civil Rights Section decided to act. In an election when Black voters seemed poised to split their votes between the candidates, the CRS convinced Kennedy to agitate for King’s release, sometimes even going behind his back in their quest to secure his freedom. Over the course of nine extraordinary October days, the leaders of the CRS—pioneering Black journalist Louis Martin, future Pennsylvania senator Harris Wofford, and Sargent Shriver, the founder of the Peace Corps—worked to tilt a tight election in Kennedy’s favor and bring about a revolution in party affiliation whose consequences are still integral to the practice of politics today.
Based on fresh interviews, newspaper accounts, and extensive archival research, Nine Days is the first full recounting of an event that changed the course of one of the closest elections in American history. Much more than a political thriller, it is also the story of the first time King refused bail and came to terms with the dangerous course of his mission to change a nation. At once a story of electoral machinations, moral courage, and, ultimately, the triumph of a future president’s better angels, Nine Days is a gripping tale with important lessons for our own time.
Less than three weeks before the 1960 presidential election, thirty-one-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested at a sit-in at Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta. That day would lead to the first night King had ever spent in jail—and the time that King’s family most feared for his life.
An earlier, minor traffic ticket served as a pretext for keeping King locked up, and later for a harrowing nighttime transfer to Reidsville, the notorious Georgia state prison where Black inmates worked on chain gangs overseen by violent white guards. While King’s imprisonment was decried as a moral scandal in some quarters and celebrated in others, for the two presidential candidates—John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon—it was the ultimate October surprise: an emerging and controversial civil rights leader was languishing behind bars, and the two campaigns raced to decide whether, and how, to respond.
Stephen and Paul Kendrick’s Nine Days tells the incredible story of what happened next. In 1960, the Civil Rights Movement was growing increasingly inventive and energized while white politicians favored the corrosive tactics of silence and stalling—but an audacious team in the Kennedy campaign’s Civil Rights Section decided to act. In an election when Black voters seemed poised to split their votes between the candidates, the CRS convinced Kennedy to agitate for King’s release, sometimes even going behind his back in their quest to secure his freedom. Over the course of nine extraordinary October days, the leaders of the CRS—pioneering Black journalist Louis Martin, future Pennsylvania senator Harris Wofford, and Sargent Shriver, the founder of the Peace Corps—worked to tilt a tight election in Kennedy’s favor and bring about a revolution in party affiliation whose consequences are still integral to the practice of politics today.
Based on fresh interviews, newspaper accounts, and extensive archival research, Nine Days is the first full recounting of an event that changed the course of one of the closest elections in American history. Much more than a political thriller, it is also the story of the first time King refused bail and came to terms with the dangerous course of his mission to change a nation. At once a story of electoral machinations, moral courage, and, ultimately, the triumph of a future president’s better angels, Nine Days is a gripping tale with important lessons for our own time.
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First published January 12, 2021
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October 19, 2021
A skilled historical account of major events involving MLK leading up to the 1960 election. I admire the authors' ability to formulate facts into an engaging narrative without characterizing any one figure as villain or hero. In this case, facts speak plainly enough that there's no need for embellishment.
Parallels to our current political climate are spooky. It's a shame how much I didn't know about this election, and I'm someone who frequently and intentionally researches the 1960's and '70s for academic projects. The average person who didn't live through that era probably has no idea what sh*t MLK went through before he was assassinated. I suspect many don't even know he was assassinated.
Sometimes the '60s reads like distant history—schools were segregated? Interracial marriage was illegal? They sure did crazy stuff back in the olden days!—except this wasn't that long ago. My dad was 17 years old when the 1960 election happened. That means I'm one degree away from growing up in a universe where they had separate drinking fountains. F'in scary, and it's not like our current universe is anywhere near a post-racism society.
Other times, the 1960's reads very modern. The political climate was different, sure, but not by much. The African American vote played a huge role in the election, just like it did in 2020. The debates between Kennedy and Nixon harped on the same old topics we're all familiar with. Both Kennedy and Nixon believed teacher salaries were too low and suggested something would be done about that. Classic rhetorical phrasing, such as this election being the 'most consequential' ever, show up just like they do today in every cycle.
The aftermath of the election was also eerily similar to today. Kendrick doesn't get into this in the book, but my own digging revealed there were big 'ELECTION FRAUD' claims by Republicans. A favorite conspiracy pointed out that more votes were cast in certain districts than there were registered voters. Suspicious, yes? Would be, except registered voter figures only counted people who had paid the poll tax, and certain groups were exempt from that tax. You can guess which groups.
The Republican National Chairman spearheaded massive recount efforts in 11 states, keeping litigation going well through 1961. Hilariously, this lost Nixon the state of Hawaii. Before the recount, Nixon had won by 141 votes. After the recount, Kennedy took the lead by 115 votes.
Though it is a cliché, the 1960 election was hugely consequential. At the very least with the way politicians prioritized Black voters. At the time, Republicans held strength with this demographic, but Nixon's decision to ignore MLK's wrongful imprisonment days before the election hurt him enough to lose one of the closest elections in US history. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave democrats a further boost with minority voters, but at the cost of white southerners. Sadly, much of today's ideological divide is easily traced to the 1960 election—once again, as it was a hundred years before, over race.
OVERALL: A quick, easy read that illuminates far beyond its scope because of the many similarities in today's political world. Check it out!
Parallels to our current political climate are spooky. It's a shame how much I didn't know about this election, and I'm someone who frequently and intentionally researches the 1960's and '70s for academic projects. The average person who didn't live through that era probably has no idea what sh*t MLK went through before he was assassinated. I suspect many don't even know he was assassinated.
Sometimes the '60s reads like distant history—schools were segregated? Interracial marriage was illegal? They sure did crazy stuff back in the olden days!—except this wasn't that long ago. My dad was 17 years old when the 1960 election happened. That means I'm one degree away from growing up in a universe where they had separate drinking fountains. F'in scary, and it's not like our current universe is anywhere near a post-racism society.
Other times, the 1960's reads very modern. The political climate was different, sure, but not by much. The African American vote played a huge role in the election, just like it did in 2020. The debates between Kennedy and Nixon harped on the same old topics we're all familiar with. Both Kennedy and Nixon believed teacher salaries were too low and suggested something would be done about that. Classic rhetorical phrasing, such as this election being the 'most consequential' ever, show up just like they do today in every cycle.
The aftermath of the election was also eerily similar to today. Kendrick doesn't get into this in the book, but my own digging revealed there were big 'ELECTION FRAUD' claims by Republicans. A favorite conspiracy pointed out that more votes were cast in certain districts than there were registered voters. Suspicious, yes? Would be, except registered voter figures only counted people who had paid the poll tax, and certain groups were exempt from that tax. You can guess which groups.
The Republican National Chairman spearheaded massive recount efforts in 11 states, keeping litigation going well through 1961. Hilariously, this lost Nixon the state of Hawaii. Before the recount, Nixon had won by 141 votes. After the recount, Kennedy took the lead by 115 votes.
Though it is a cliché, the 1960 election was hugely consequential. At the very least with the way politicians prioritized Black voters. At the time, Republicans held strength with this demographic, but Nixon's decision to ignore MLK's wrongful imprisonment days before the election hurt him enough to lose one of the closest elections in US history. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave democrats a further boost with minority voters, but at the cost of white southerners. Sadly, much of today's ideological divide is easily traced to the 1960 election—once again, as it was a hundred years before, over race.
OVERALL: A quick, easy read that illuminates far beyond its scope because of the many similarities in today's political world. Check it out!
March 7, 2021
In mid-October 1960, Martin Luther King Jr was arrested for participating in a student-led sit-in at Rich’s Department store in Atlanta and for driving with an Alabama license after moving to Georgia. No big deal—right? Hah, this is Georgia, and King was convicted to serve jail time—but not in just any jail. He was moved first to Klan-infested DeKalb County and then to a notorious maximum-security prison in Reidsville. He was destined to work on a chain-gang that often resulted in inmates being brutalized, and even killed.
Coretta Scott King and the rest of MLK’s family were in a panic to get MLK released. Could they get President Eisenhower to help? Despite Republicans traditionally receiving roughly half of the Black vote, the Administration wanted nothing to do with MLK. Vice-President Richard M. Nixon had promised to nominate a Black person to his cabinet earlier in his campaign, but the temptation to steal Southern white voters from the Democrats was too great for him to help MLK in any way. Best to avoid the issue for as long as possible.
A desperate Coretta King contacted her friend and longtime civil rights advocate, Harris Wofford, to see if he could help. Wofford was part of an effort to boost Black supporters for Kennedy. He worked with Sargent Shriver (Kennedy’s brother-in-law), and the Black journalist Louis Martin. Shriver persuaded Kennedy to call Coretta, offering his empathy. Soon afterwards, Bobby Kennedy (Kennedy’s campaign manager) called the Judge to plead for King’s release on bail. Judge Mitchell acted on a technicality that allowed him to do so.
On the last Sunday before the election, the Kennedy campaign flooded the Black churches with a light blue flier stating: “’No Comment’ Nixon Versus a Candidate With a Heart, Senator Kennedy.” That helped Kennedy to garner 68 percent of the Black vote, an increase of 7 points over the previous Presidential election. Most importantly, it helped Kennedy to win five swing states, including Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey.
The incident also raised the consciousness of the nation to the issue of civil rights and elevated the stature of Martin Luther King Jr. Recommend this fascinating story.
Coretta Scott King and the rest of MLK’s family were in a panic to get MLK released. Could they get President Eisenhower to help? Despite Republicans traditionally receiving roughly half of the Black vote, the Administration wanted nothing to do with MLK. Vice-President Richard M. Nixon had promised to nominate a Black person to his cabinet earlier in his campaign, but the temptation to steal Southern white voters from the Democrats was too great for him to help MLK in any way. Best to avoid the issue for as long as possible.
A desperate Coretta King contacted her friend and longtime civil rights advocate, Harris Wofford, to see if he could help. Wofford was part of an effort to boost Black supporters for Kennedy. He worked with Sargent Shriver (Kennedy’s brother-in-law), and the Black journalist Louis Martin. Shriver persuaded Kennedy to call Coretta, offering his empathy. Soon afterwards, Bobby Kennedy (Kennedy’s campaign manager) called the Judge to plead for King’s release on bail. Judge Mitchell acted on a technicality that allowed him to do so.
On the last Sunday before the election, the Kennedy campaign flooded the Black churches with a light blue flier stating: “’No Comment’ Nixon Versus a Candidate With a Heart, Senator Kennedy.” That helped Kennedy to garner 68 percent of the Black vote, an increase of 7 points over the previous Presidential election. Most importantly, it helped Kennedy to win five swing states, including Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey.
The incident also raised the consciousness of the nation to the issue of civil rights and elevated the stature of Martin Luther King Jr. Recommend this fascinating story.
December 8, 2020
I am fairly certain that I was taught the story of Martin Luther King’s arrest in the weeks prior to the 1960 presidential election at some point in my educational past, but, as much of history gets portrayed in textbooks, the moment was cast through broad brush strokes mostly aimed at highlighting the moral compass of candidate John F Kennedy than anything else.
Paul and Stephen Kendrick have written a compelling and utterly readable account of the nine days that encompassed MLK’s arrest at a lunch counter sit-in in Atlanta Georgia and subsequent threat of prolonged detention in Reidsville prison (known for its particularly violent treatment of black inmates), as well as, the political machinations going on in the background to determine which candidate, Nixon or JFK, would grab and run with the moment to support MLK on the record. The authors posit that the nine days led to a turning point in political identity for black Americans who, prior to the election, majority supported Republican candidates due to the support for segregation found amongst white, southern Democrats. Indeed, JFK’s appearance of support (mostly due to a less than two-minute phone conversation with Coretta Scott King during MLK’s detention) seemingly galvanized a sea change in black voters despite the fact that Nixon had previously been considered the civil rights candidate (and actually had a history/relationship with MLK, unlike JKF who hardly knew him at all). The sea change would only grow deeper as the years progressed and has played an equal, if not more important, role in the latest election (how little things have changed).
The book is also an ode to the three men who made it all happen – journalist Louis Martin (often overlooked in history’s retelling of events), Sargent Shriver (JFK’s brother-in-law and eventual founder of the Peace Corps), and civil rights attorney Harris Wofford (who eventually worked as senator of PA before being unseated by the human equivalent of a gnat, Rick Santorum). The three men were all true believers in MLK and civil rights – walking the walk while others in the campaign (namely, John and Bobby Kennedy) were not too keen to do much more than talk. The authors delve deep into the various twists and turns and machinations the men took to get their candidate to take the stand they all believed in so wholeheartedly. The work of these men is worthy to be engrained in the historical record.
It’s all a pretty riveting read, to say the least.
Thank you to netgalley, the authors, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Paul and Stephen Kendrick have written a compelling and utterly readable account of the nine days that encompassed MLK’s arrest at a lunch counter sit-in in Atlanta Georgia and subsequent threat of prolonged detention in Reidsville prison (known for its particularly violent treatment of black inmates), as well as, the political machinations going on in the background to determine which candidate, Nixon or JFK, would grab and run with the moment to support MLK on the record. The authors posit that the nine days led to a turning point in political identity for black Americans who, prior to the election, majority supported Republican candidates due to the support for segregation found amongst white, southern Democrats. Indeed, JFK’s appearance of support (mostly due to a less than two-minute phone conversation with Coretta Scott King during MLK’s detention) seemingly galvanized a sea change in black voters despite the fact that Nixon had previously been considered the civil rights candidate (and actually had a history/relationship with MLK, unlike JKF who hardly knew him at all). The sea change would only grow deeper as the years progressed and has played an equal, if not more important, role in the latest election (how little things have changed).
The book is also an ode to the three men who made it all happen – journalist Louis Martin (often overlooked in history’s retelling of events), Sargent Shriver (JFK’s brother-in-law and eventual founder of the Peace Corps), and civil rights attorney Harris Wofford (who eventually worked as senator of PA before being unseated by the human equivalent of a gnat, Rick Santorum). The three men were all true believers in MLK and civil rights – walking the walk while others in the campaign (namely, John and Bobby Kennedy) were not too keen to do much more than talk. The authors delve deep into the various twists and turns and machinations the men took to get their candidate to take the stand they all believed in so wholeheartedly. The work of these men is worthy to be engrained in the historical record.
It’s all a pretty riveting read, to say the least.
Thank you to netgalley, the authors, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2021
Elections can turn due to issues you'd never expect. When Martin Luther King, Jr., was arrested on October 19, 1960, in Atlanta, along with a few dozen other protesters, who knew that this event would sway the election in John F. Kennedy's favor. Up until that time, Richard Nixon was the favored candidate, and he was the candidate seen as more favorable to civil rights. Leading African-Americans, such as Jackie Robinson, threw their support behind Nixon.
This is a detailed account of how the nine days that King was jailed, and then released, swung African-Americans in Kennedy's direction. This is because Robert Kennedy called the judge and made the case that King should be released. And JFK made a short phone call to Coretta Scott King to let her know he was thinking of her and hoped for King's quick release. Nixon did not reach out in such ways.
This book gives insight into how courting African-American votes was a political move. If you think the Kennedys reached out on humanitarian and empathetic grounds, you'd be wrong. They knew they needed African-American votes to win, and they saw getting involved in King's case as a gamble, but one that could pay off. I think the Kennedys are often put on a pedestal, but they had their flaws just like all of us. In this book I learned that prior to 1960, Kennedy was actually quite dismissive of the civil rights cause.
I learned so much in this book. King was actually sentenced to four months hard labor for a traffic violation and taken in the middle of the night to the state prison in Reidsville. I felt his fear; he had good reason to believe that he wouldn't make it to the prison. This was an incredible book to read right now, in the midst of the Chauvin trial and other unrest going on across America.
This is a detailed account of how the nine days that King was jailed, and then released, swung African-Americans in Kennedy's direction. This is because Robert Kennedy called the judge and made the case that King should be released. And JFK made a short phone call to Coretta Scott King to let her know he was thinking of her and hoped for King's quick release. Nixon did not reach out in such ways.
This book gives insight into how courting African-American votes was a political move. If you think the Kennedys reached out on humanitarian and empathetic grounds, you'd be wrong. They knew they needed African-American votes to win, and they saw getting involved in King's case as a gamble, but one that could pay off. I think the Kennedys are often put on a pedestal, but they had their flaws just like all of us. In this book I learned that prior to 1960, Kennedy was actually quite dismissive of the civil rights cause.
I learned so much in this book. King was actually sentenced to four months hard labor for a traffic violation and taken in the middle of the night to the state prison in Reidsville. I felt his fear; he had good reason to believe that he wouldn't make it to the prison. This was an incredible book to read right now, in the midst of the Chauvin trial and other unrest going on across America.
March 31, 2021
Really impressive. Not just the inside story of the time but linking it to today's dysfunction and racism.
September 18, 2021
Gripping. Perhaps the best book I've ever read about a chapter of American political history!
October 19, 2021
Nine Days tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s arrest in Georgia during an October 1960 sit-in and how Georgia authorities used an old trumped up traffic violation to sentence him to four months hard labor at a state prison. The pretense was that he had violated his parole on an earlier incident in which he was arrested and fined for driving in Georgia with an Alabama license. That's not typically a crime, of course, unless the driver is Black.
The authors persuasively argue that the subsequent nine days — and John Kennedy's reluctant phone call to Coretta King — turn the election in JFK's favor as Vice President Richard Nixon stayed silent and the Black vote swings just enough to the Democrats in key states to give Kennedy the victory.
The racing in the book title is done by Kennedy staffers Louis Martin, a black Chicago journalist, Harris Wofford, who would later be elected to the U.S. Senate, and Sargent Shriver, JFK's brother-in-law and future founder of the Peace Corps. JFK and RFK are definitely reluctant participants.
Martin and Wofford don't give up, though, in the face of the Kennedy opposition, and therein lies the tale. Nine Days also provides wonderful insight into MLK's earlier years, and his relationships with other Black civil rights leaders, including his father, Daddy King.
The 1960 election is the tipping point when the Party of Lincoln really decides to go all-in on white voters. Up to this point, the Republicans were the party of choice for the vast majority of Black voters; the Democratic Party was the home of racist Southern officials at local, state, and federal levels.
That massive political switch would continue with Richard Nixon's successful election later in the decade and then Ronald Reagan would permanently turn the Deep South from blue to red.
I listened to this book and can vouch for the audiobook version.
The authors persuasively argue that the subsequent nine days — and John Kennedy's reluctant phone call to Coretta King — turn the election in JFK's favor as Vice President Richard Nixon stayed silent and the Black vote swings just enough to the Democrats in key states to give Kennedy the victory.
The racing in the book title is done by Kennedy staffers Louis Martin, a black Chicago journalist, Harris Wofford, who would later be elected to the U.S. Senate, and Sargent Shriver, JFK's brother-in-law and future founder of the Peace Corps. JFK and RFK are definitely reluctant participants.
Martin and Wofford don't give up, though, in the face of the Kennedy opposition, and therein lies the tale. Nine Days also provides wonderful insight into MLK's earlier years, and his relationships with other Black civil rights leaders, including his father, Daddy King.
The 1960 election is the tipping point when the Party of Lincoln really decides to go all-in on white voters. Up to this point, the Republicans were the party of choice for the vast majority of Black voters; the Democratic Party was the home of racist Southern officials at local, state, and federal levels.
That massive political switch would continue with Richard Nixon's successful election later in the decade and then Ronald Reagan would permanently turn the Deep South from blue to red.
I listened to this book and can vouch for the audiobook version.
May 27, 2021
Interesting read about the politics of the imprisonment and eventual release of Martin Luther King, Jr. a mere two weeks before the 1960 election. The author does a good job of portraying the varying positions and actions of the prominent politicians, civil rights leaders, and the various backroom players -- everybody from Martin Luther King, his wife Corretta Scott King, his father, and leaders of the civil rights movement in Georgia; to the mayor of Atlanta, the Governor of Georgia, and various law enforcement officials; to President John Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and their respective campaign staffs. The author tries to convey the role this event played not only in the outcome of the 1960 election, but to the subsequent role that it played in aligning the black vote more closely with the Democratic Party and entrenching race as part of the Republican electoral strategy.
July 17, 2023
I was familiar with MLK's arrest and the 1960 election but I did not know how much of an impact the arrest had on Kennedy winning.... I liked how even though I knew what was going to happen next, I still wanted to keep reading. The epilogue was really good. I will probably read this book again, I hope my grandpa read this
April 11, 2025
I really enjoyed it. Like a back stage pass at some very important events in US history. Lots of detail but the authors did a great job keeping the story moving. I learned quite a bit. That was a confusing time. Some fascinating characters. Hard to believe this was only 65 years ago. We have come a long way.
March 16, 2022
Excellent, thorough non fiction account of the days leading up to the Kennedy election. Fully compelling and jaw dropping in spots. I also really enjoyed the epilogue where they talk about Nixon's later 180 and the playbook he used to get elected (it will sound eerily familiar). With most of it set in the Atlanta area, that was fun as I could picture myself in many of the places. I learned/was reminded of things about our prominent civil rights figures I really enjoyed.
March 2, 2021
Very well done and comprehensive account of what may have been the turning point of not only the 1960 election, but the drive for desegregation and civil rights in the deep South. Richard Nixon’s ignorance and inaction with regard to the Martin Luther King incident also likely played a part in his defeat.
Kennedy gets credit for saving King here, but it’s really the work of Sargent Shriver, Louis Martin, and Harris Wofford who were the brains behind this. And although I knew the Kennedys were opportunistic politicians, I did not, until now, realize their comfort with segregationists at that time. Nixon, in my opinion the most vile person to inhabit the White House (until 2017), showed his true colors during those 9 days. The epilogue confirms my suspicions.
It was also both amazing and disturbing to read the level of hate directed towards Black people in the Deep South, but after what we saw in 2020, sad to see that it still exists somewhat.
This book made me admire more Martin Luther King, dropped the Kennedys down a few notches, and boosted my opinion of Shriver and Wofford. I did not know of Louis Martin until this book.
A very good read, in all.
Kennedy gets credit for saving King here, but it’s really the work of Sargent Shriver, Louis Martin, and Harris Wofford who were the brains behind this. And although I knew the Kennedys were opportunistic politicians, I did not, until now, realize their comfort with segregationists at that time. Nixon, in my opinion the most vile person to inhabit the White House (until 2017), showed his true colors during those 9 days. The epilogue confirms my suspicions.
It was also both amazing and disturbing to read the level of hate directed towards Black people in the Deep South, but after what we saw in 2020, sad to see that it still exists somewhat.
This book made me admire more Martin Luther King, dropped the Kennedys down a few notches, and boosted my opinion of Shriver and Wofford. I did not know of Louis Martin until this book.
A very good read, in all.
February 4, 2021
It is an interesting book about the earlier, possibly forgotten, years of Dr. King's crusade ... Still, while King's life was most certainly imperiled by being unjustly imprisoned in racist Georgia, it appears to be an unprovable leap to say that the events of these nine days somehow changed the results of the 1960 election ... What's more, though a group of committed, smart allies (both black and white) rallied to King's side to prevent disaster, the truth is that both political parties - Kennedy and Nixon - put politics and self-interested way ahead of what was in King's best interest ... The book gives the impression that something heroic happened here - not true, King was used as a pawn, could have been killed as a result and the book is just more proof that politics always trumps what's right
June 13, 2021
An excellent book that looks at a key (is sometimes overlooked) point in the 1960 Presidential election.
In late October, 1960, Martin Luther King JR is arrested with a group of college students at a Sit-In at a department store in Atlanta.
While the students are released a few days later, King is not. A previous 25 dollar traffic ticket is used against him. 4 months of hard labour at the Georgia State prison is a real possibility.
Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon have to decide how to handle this situation.
How they each react helps determine the outcome of the 1960 election.
A great look at the time, and behind the scenes.
I learned more than a few things.
Highly recommended.
In late October, 1960, Martin Luther King JR is arrested with a group of college students at a Sit-In at a department store in Atlanta.
While the students are released a few days later, King is not. A previous 25 dollar traffic ticket is used against him. 4 months of hard labour at the Georgia State prison is a real possibility.
Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon have to decide how to handle this situation.
How they each react helps determine the outcome of the 1960 election.
A great look at the time, and behind the scenes.
I learned more than a few things.
Highly recommended.
May 11, 2021
This is a very good historical book to read.
January 5, 2026
The triumph of better angels.
January 26, 2023
It’s 1960 and the crossroads between a $25 traffic ticket, a Civil Rights sit in, and a presidential election. One arrest will bring the famed Kennedy’s of Camelot together with one of the most well-known ministers in the South in a dramatic way. Set in the city of Atlanta, we are introduced to a list of infamous people who came together to free Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from a South Georgia work camp after a misunderstanding over a probation condition from a previous arrest. Nine Days follows Dr. King and the Kennedy campaign from the events leading to the election and the sit in arrests to the nine days Dr. King spent behind bars.
Stephen and Paul Kendrick weave the politics of the 1960 election effortlessly into the storyline of King’s arrest and transfer. This book is about the courage of those in both worlds to stand up to an unjust legal system. The Kendrick father/son team make the fear palpable in each scene – fear for King’s life, fear for the loss of the election, and fear of negative public perception. This book also details a scary moment in King’s life, being whisked away in the middle of the night from the metro Atlanta county jail to a country work camp in the back of a police cruiser next to a German Shepherd – a move ultimately made to intimidate and belittle King.
I give Nine Days 4 out of 5 stars. This book recounts the historical events in a way that brings them to life and presents them for the first time to most readers – this is not material typically covered in history textbooks. Having spent my entire life in the metro area, many of the locations mentioned in the book are familiar – as an outside sales rep, downtown Atlanta and Dekalb County were in my everyday travels. Listening to this audio book, I can picture King and the students at the sit in counter, and the legal hearings at the courthouse. There were several moments that felt slow paced and bogged down with details, but that is to be expected with books where so much history must be communicated to properly build the back story.
I recommend this novel to any reader and feel this should be required reading in American History courses. I knew of King’s arrest, and of the election’s efforts to focus on Civil Rights, but did not understand how the two connected, or the details of King’s detainment in jail. The language and topics covered in this book are appropriate for any history story. This book is very well written and researched.
I chose Nine Days as my read in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. The older Kendrick is well-known for his work in Christian pop culture as the writer and producer of several Christian movies and books along with his brother Alex. The younger Kendrick is well known for his work documenting and promoting Civil Rights as the President of George Washington University’s NAACP chapter and as the writer behind historic non-fiction books like Sarah’s Long Walk and Douglass and Lincoln.
Stephen and Paul Kendrick weave the politics of the 1960 election effortlessly into the storyline of King’s arrest and transfer. This book is about the courage of those in both worlds to stand up to an unjust legal system. The Kendrick father/son team make the fear palpable in each scene – fear for King’s life, fear for the loss of the election, and fear of negative public perception. This book also details a scary moment in King’s life, being whisked away in the middle of the night from the metro Atlanta county jail to a country work camp in the back of a police cruiser next to a German Shepherd – a move ultimately made to intimidate and belittle King.
I give Nine Days 4 out of 5 stars. This book recounts the historical events in a way that brings them to life and presents them for the first time to most readers – this is not material typically covered in history textbooks. Having spent my entire life in the metro area, many of the locations mentioned in the book are familiar – as an outside sales rep, downtown Atlanta and Dekalb County were in my everyday travels. Listening to this audio book, I can picture King and the students at the sit in counter, and the legal hearings at the courthouse. There were several moments that felt slow paced and bogged down with details, but that is to be expected with books where so much history must be communicated to properly build the back story.
I recommend this novel to any reader and feel this should be required reading in American History courses. I knew of King’s arrest, and of the election’s efforts to focus on Civil Rights, but did not understand how the two connected, or the details of King’s detainment in jail. The language and topics covered in this book are appropriate for any history story. This book is very well written and researched.
I chose Nine Days as my read in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. The older Kendrick is well-known for his work in Christian pop culture as the writer and producer of several Christian movies and books along with his brother Alex. The younger Kendrick is well known for his work documenting and promoting Civil Rights as the President of George Washington University’s NAACP chapter and as the writer behind historic non-fiction books like Sarah’s Long Walk and Douglass and Lincoln.
October 2, 2021
The nine days under discussion encompass October 19 - 27, 1960: from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s participation with Atlanta University Center's students in a sit-in at the Magnolia Room restaurant at Rich's department store in Atlanta until his release from Reidsville State Prison after revocation of his probation for a traffic offense. (Reidville was a notoriously dangerous prisons for Blacks.) The tie-in to the 1960 presidential election relates to two phone calls: one by Robert Kennedy to a DeKalb County judge who sent King to Reidsville , and one by JFK to Coretta Scott King expressing sympathy for her husband's plight. The Kendricks argue that these calls impacted the 1960 presidential election by swinging a significant number of Black votes to Kennedy.
The book presents a detailed history of the nine days, moving from the sit=ins and arrest of King and a number of students to Judge Oscar Mitchell's insistence that, when released from the Atlanta jail, King be brought to DeKalb County for a probation revocation hearing. (The charge leading to the probation was driving without a Georgia driver's license. King had recently moved to Georgia from Alabama and had an Alabama license.) Mitchell revoked the probation at sentenced King to 4 months in Reidsville. The remainder of the 9 days were devoted to getting him released. Then there's a discussion of how the incident affected the presidential campaign. The Kendricks' presentation is well-researched and highly readable. I found the Oscar Mitchell courtroom scenes and the contrasting responses of JFK and Nixon to King's situation particularly interesting.
The book presents a detailed history of the nine days, moving from the sit=ins and arrest of King and a number of students to Judge Oscar Mitchell's insistence that, when released from the Atlanta jail, King be brought to DeKalb County for a probation revocation hearing. (The charge leading to the probation was driving without a Georgia driver's license. King had recently moved to Georgia from Alabama and had an Alabama license.) Mitchell revoked the probation at sentenced King to 4 months in Reidsville. The remainder of the 9 days were devoted to getting him released. Then there's a discussion of how the incident affected the presidential campaign. The Kendricks' presentation is well-researched and highly readable. I found the Oscar Mitchell courtroom scenes and the contrasting responses of JFK and Nixon to King's situation particularly interesting.
January 25, 2021
It is hard to review a book when it covers so many topics. Admittedly, they are all intertwined into systemic racism, but I was incredibly disappointed to see how much plain ol' politics played in people decisions throughout the book. Drilled down, the premise is that MLK was in prison for driving with an out of state drivers license. (Is that even an actual crime?) The book follows how he gets there, how he gets out, and how these events all play into the 1960 presidential election. The authors use this as the basis for a detailed view of the two political party's stand on racism and racial equality and how this lightening rod moment helped transform the parties into what we see today. Several times throughout the book I saw glimpses of current politics. How Black voters had a major impact on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and the balance of power in the Senate. How Whites court the Black vote but carefully so as to not alienate White voters and then to ignore the needs of those Black voters. And several times I wonder how the events of 1960 would have been different in today's world of cellphones and Twitter. The level of background was perfect. It didn't assume the reader was fully aware of events at the time but also was overly detailed and repetitive. I did feel that the foreshadowing throughout the book was a bit unnecessary. Any reader would be sufficiently engaged and not need a teaser to turn the page!
Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
December 30, 2021
Certainly an interesting episode in history. This is a comprehensive look at the nine days MLK Jr. was trapped in legal limbo following a sit-in and an old traffic infraction. Even his life may have been at risk. King Sr. mentioned hearing of a plan among prison guards to stage a fight that would kill his son. The drama was regarding the actions taken (or not) by the 1960 presidential candidates to rescue King. I was entirely unfamiliar with these nine days (and frankly, the entire 1960 election), and I greatly enjoyed learning about them.
I felt the narrative could be more engaging at parts. Many of the most interesting details, which may have provided useful context, were saved for the post-nine-days chapters. The impacts of various actions on undecided black voters were frequently said to have an implied tradeoff with southern white Democrat voters--the crux of the election dilemma--but I felt this tradeoff was never fully explored. It was mentioned a bit in the later chapters. Additionally, the writing could be difficult to follow for those not previously familiar with this historical moment.
Still, these points do not detract from the intrigue of these events. This will be a good read for most history buffs.
I felt the narrative could be more engaging at parts. Many of the most interesting details, which may have provided useful context, were saved for the post-nine-days chapters. The impacts of various actions on undecided black voters were frequently said to have an implied tradeoff with southern white Democrat voters--the crux of the election dilemma--but I felt this tradeoff was never fully explored. It was mentioned a bit in the later chapters. Additionally, the writing could be difficult to follow for those not previously familiar with this historical moment.
Still, these points do not detract from the intrigue of these events. This will be a good read for most history buffs.
July 13, 2024
A very interesting, but perhaps overly detailed, history of how the 1960 Presidential election was likely determined by blacks turning out to support John F. Kennedy, and not Richard Nixon, who had historically been a stronger advocate for civil rights during the Eisenhower presidency. Kennedy's team of mavericks bucked protocol, and got him to call Coretta King to offer sympathy and efforts to get Martin Luther King, Jr. released from prison. MLK was arrested at an Atlanta restaurant sit-in, organized by local HBCU students, but not released when a neighboring county enforced his one-year probation for ... driving with an out of state license and sentenced him to four months of hard labor in a prison for serious criminals and dangerous guards. Bobby Kennedy, JFK's campaign manager went berserk when heard the flimsy nature of the charge, eventually trading a future favor for bail to be granted. What the book lacked was any sensible explanation as to Nixon's decision to ignore the entire issue, perhaps because one does not exist.
February 25, 2021
A very well-written and informative read about the 1960 presidential election, the Kennedy and Nixon campaigns, and the role Martin Luther King and his incarceration played in that election. I honestly had no idea that the call from JFK to Coretta Scott King acted to sway the election to JFK via the Black vote. Prior to that, as the author illustrates, Nixon had been popular in the Black community with emissaries such as Jackie Robinson and those such as Martin Luther King Sr who didn't feel comfortable voting for a Catholic. This book offers a unique look at King, his civil-rights activities in Atlanta, and his racist opponents in Georgia. The Black vote would permanently swing hard to the Democratic Party after the 1960 election.
April 14, 2021
This in-depth history / biography recounts the nine days MLK Jr. spend in jail in Fulton (Atlanta) and DeKalb counties in Georgia in 1960. The author takes you through the harrowing days of protest and imprisonment while explaining the history of the civil rights movement in the 1940s through 1960 and the politics of civil rights in general. You’ll get a birds-eye view of Senators John F Kennedy and Nixon as they vie for the presidency along with Robert Kennedy, Sargent Shriver and many other political personalities of the year, like John Lewis.
While the biography may run a little long, it’s an interesting view of how JFK and Nixon viewed MLK and how important the peaceful activist was by 1960.
For a description of the narration, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com
While the biography may run a little long, it’s an interesting view of how JFK and Nixon viewed MLK and how important the peaceful activist was by 1960.
For a description of the narration, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com
January 23, 2021
This is a brilliant book about Martin Luther King and the days after his arrest in Georgia after a sit in protest. JFK and Nixon is also a part of these nine day’s. There are other characters that are presented and their role during this time. This book presents so much that may not be known and should be part of a curriculum. I am not sure if it should be high school or college, but one if not both. In the meantime, I thank the authors for this quality read. We can read it now and we all should. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.
April 1, 2021
To understand the profound impact of this book on my psyche you need to know I never ever say to someone “you must read this book”... to me that is an anathema to the capricious freedom and pleasure of reading.
But this book brought me very near the edge of insisting in that I-know-what-is-best-for-you-way of insisting that you must read this...
I will stop myself short...sufficing it to say this book set at the cusp of the Kennedy win over Nixon & focusing on Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement was fascinating, meticulous and I could not pace myself. I wanted it all in one gulp of intoxicating historical tonic!
Many thanks to Stephen & Paul Kendrick for a brilliant reading experience.
But this book brought me very near the edge of insisting in that I-know-what-is-best-for-you-way of insisting that you must read this...
I will stop myself short...sufficing it to say this book set at the cusp of the Kennedy win over Nixon & focusing on Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement was fascinating, meticulous and I could not pace myself. I wanted it all in one gulp of intoxicating historical tonic!
Many thanks to Stephen & Paul Kendrick for a brilliant reading experience.
May 30, 2022
I listened to the audiobook and I feel I missed some by not having a hardcopy in my hands--such as trying to remember the acronyms for the different committees. I was three when Kennedy was elected, so the majority of what I know of that time frame is what I have learned. I didn't know know that the black vote was the reason Kennedy was able to beat Nixon, I'd always heard it was his charisma that came through on the televised debates. I now know both had a major role. I knew Kennedy developed more of an interest in race relations due to Bobby Kennedy.
I would like to get the hardcopy of this book and reread--this type of nonfiction does not translate well into audiobook.
I would like to get the hardcopy of this book and reread--this type of nonfiction does not translate well into audiobook.
February 23, 2021
People today may find it hard to believe a man could go to jail for a licence violation. Or a man could fear being killed in jail. You really have to understand the times to know this could happen. I will have to do more reading about the 1960 election. I know the Kennedy victory was razor thin. But to think the black vote could turn from one
Party to another within 9 days warrants further study.
Intriguing part was the back room
Political machinations that were happening always concious of losing
Votes
Or gaining votes! Still a good read
Party to another within 9 days warrants further study.
Intriguing part was the back room
Political machinations that were happening always concious of losing
Votes
Or gaining votes! Still a good read
September 9, 2022
This was a fascinating historical account of the nine days surrounding MLK’s arrest just before the 1960 election, and how that event played a crucial role in the outcome of the election. I learned about several significant figures in the civil rights movement who worked almost anonymously behind the political scenes, but changed our country forever.
The history itself was a great read but the writing here was all over the place and sometimes difficult to keep organized. Regardless, this was an interesting account of some little known history.
The history itself was a great read but the writing here was all over the place and sometimes difficult to keep organized. Regardless, this was an interesting account of some little known history.
June 29, 2025
The October surprise of the 1960 election, MLK Jr.'s arrest less than three weeks before the presidential vote (for participating in sit-ins at Rich’s department store in Atlanta) became a rallying cry for Kennedy, his civil rights advocates, and Blacks, and may have tipped the election away from Nixon (who stayed quiet). This masterful work is marked by vivid storytelling and a deep understanding of the stakes and the moves that the various players made. History at its most gripping. Don't miss this one.
March 31, 2021
What I appreciate most about books like this is the sense of immediacy they provide. I know how everything turned out, of course, but Nine Days did an excellent job of putting me as close to the heads of the people living through this moment as was possible, allowing me to understand the pressures they were under, what they hoped to gain, and what they feared losing, and how those forces shaped the decisions (and the history) they made. Highly recommended.
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