12 Years a Slave

from greeniezona

I was way ahead on reading Battle Cry of Freedom for my Civil War reading group, so I decided to take a break and read something related. I'd been meaning to read this since seeing the heart-breaking movie, and as I'd found a nice copy at my favorite used bookstore last year, this seemed an obvio...

from PhilJackson

I'd never heard of this book until promotion for the film, which I've not seen, began and inspired me to seek it out. I got it on my Kindle. I don't think I'd read anything on American slavery before but I'd imagined I knew pretty much what went on. However two things came very strongly out of th...

from DavidO1103

Wrenching, important book by Simon Northrup, an African American free man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Written in 1853 (?), apparently helped move public opinion against slavery. Well read performance by Louis Gossett, Jr. (listened to this several months before the movie was released)

from tuckerresearch

I've read around this book for years, and read bits of pieces of it here and there. I knew of it's importance as a slave narrative. After finally getting around to watch the film 12 Years a Slave a few weeks ago, I decided to take the plunge and read the whole text. It was, quite simply: great. ...

from Beamis12

Written in 1853 this is a true story of a free black man, basically kidnapped and sold into slavery. My first impression of this book was how wonderfully well it is written. My second was to note how dispassionately this story was told, as if the author had to emotionally distance himself in orde...