The The Thunder of Angels: The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the People Who Broke the Back of Jim Crow

The heroism of those involved in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott is presented here in poignant and thorough detail. The untold stories of those, both black and white, whose lives were forever changed by the boycott are shared, along with a chilling glimpse into the world of the white council members who tried to stop them. In the end, the boycott brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to prominence and improved the lives of all black Americans. Based on extensive interviews conducted over decades and culled from thousands of exclusive documents, this behind-the-scenes examination details the history of violence and abuse on the city buses. A look at Martin Luther King Jr.'s trial, an examination of how black and white lawyers worked together to overturn segregation in the courtroom, and even firsthand accounts from the segregationists who bombed the homes of some of Montgomery's most progressive ministers are included. This fast-moving story reads like a legal thriller but is based solely on documented facts and firsthand accounts, presenting the compelling and never-before-told stories of the beginning of the end of segregation. Contents......Page 8 Author’s Note......Page 10 Preface: America’s Bus, by Donnie Williams......Page 12 Preface: A Personal History, by Wayne Greenhaw......Page 16 1 Before the Beginning......Page 28 2 His Own Man......Page 48 3 A Reporter’s Scoop......Page 94 4 Hanging from the Stars......Page 116 5 Rough Days and Dangerous Nights......Page 142 6 The White Preacher......Page 164 7 The White Establishment Uses the Law......Page 174 8 King on Trial......Page 204 9 In Federal Court......Page 234 10 A Long, Hot Summer......Page 250 11 “A Glorious Daybreak”......Page 262 Epilogue......Page 284 Acknowledgments......Page 302 Notes and Sources......Page 304 Bibliography......Page 310 Index......Page 314 Presents A Collection Of Stories And Documents About The 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, And Describes The History Of Violence And Abuse, Other Civil Rights Leaders Involved, And Firsthand Accounts From Segregationists. Before The Beginning -- His Own Man -- A Reporter's Scoop -- Hanging From The Stars -- Rough Days And Dangerous Nights -- The White Preacher -- The White Establishment Uses The Law -- King On Trial -- In Federal Court -- A Long, Hot Summer -- A Glorious Daybreak. Donnie Williams ; With Wayne Greenhaw. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 277-286) And Index. BY AUGUST 1950, nothing of any great significance had happened in Montgomery, Alabama, for more than eighty years. Uncorrected Proof hand-signed and inscribed by author Wayne Greenhaw.