Dr. John A. Kirk is senior lecturer in American history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is author of Redefining the Color Line: Black Activism in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1940-1970 (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002), which won the J. G. Ragsdale book award. He has also published numerous articles and essays on the civil rights movement in the United States.

• Introduction: King in Context 1. Becoming a Leader, 1929-1956 2. Catching Up, 1956-1961 3. Forming a Strategy, 1961-3 4. Glory Bound, 1963-4 5. A Movement in Transition, 1965-6 6. New Directions, 1966-1968

"the finest brief biography of King currently on the market"Patterns of Prejudice "… a very fine introduction to the major themes of the civil rights movement"Institute of Historical Research "John A. Kirk's study achieves its aim of contextualizing  King's contribution to the civil rights movement and evaluating his career."Journal of American Studies, Volume 39 - 2005“The book would work as a supplemental text in survey courses or other classes that emphasize political history, leadership, government or the civil rights movement. Gives readers a glimpse of the political leadership of Martin Luther King Jr”. S. Jonathan Bass, Samford University

Dr. John A. Kirk is senior lecturer in American history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is author of Redefining the Color Line: Black Activism in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1940-1970 (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002), which won the J. G. Ragsdale book award. He has also published numerous articles and essays on the civil rights movement in the United States.

• Introduction: King in Context 1. Becoming a Leader, 1929-1956 2. Catching Up, 1956-1961 3. Forming a Strategy, 1961-3 4. Glory Bound, 1963-4 5. A Movement in Transition, 1965-6 6. New Directions, 1966-1968

"the finest brief biography of King currently on the market"Patterns of Prejudice "… a very fine introduction to the major themes of the civil rights movement"Institute of Historical Research "John A. Kirk's study achieves its aim of contextualizing  King's contribution to the civil rights movement and evaluating his career."Journal of American Studies, Volume 39 - 2005“The book would work as a supplemental text in survey courses or other classes that emphasize political history, leadership, government or the civil rights movement. Gives readers a glimpse of the political leadership of Martin Luther King Jr”. S. Jonathan Bass, Samford University

Dr. John A. Kirk is senior lecturer in American history at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is author of Redefining the Color Line: Black Activism in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1940-1970 (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002), which won the J. G. Ragsdale book award. He has also published numerous articles and essays on the civil rights movement in the United States.

• Introduction: King in Context 1. Becoming a Leader, 1929-1956 2. Catching Up, 1956-1961 3. Forming a Strategy, 1961-3 4. Glory Bound, 1963-4 5. A Movement in Transition, 1965-6 6. New Directions, 1966-1968

"the finest brief biography of King currently on the market"Patterns of Prejudice "… a very fine introduction to the major themes of the civil rights movement"Institute of Historical Research "John A. Kirk's study achieves its aim of contextualizing  King's contribution to the civil rights movement and evaluating his career."Journal of American Studies, Volume 39 - 2005“The book would work as a supplemental text in survey courses or other classes that emphasize political history, leadership, government or the civil rights movement. Gives readers a glimpse of the political leadership of Martin Luther King Jr”. S. Jonathan Bass, Samford University