Books by Frederick Douglass

Book SynopsisFrederick Douglass's Narrative recounts his life as a slave in Maryland and escape to freedom in 1838. An important slave autobiography, it is significant both for what it tells us about slave life and about its author. It is here reprinted with contexualizing source material and other writings by Douglass, as well as an introduction discussing its literary and historical significance.Trade ReviewA huge amount is packed into a slim volume. If you'd like to know more about Frederick Douglass, this is an excellent place to start. * Vulpes Libris *

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Book SynopsisThe impassioned abolitionist and eloquent orator provides graphic descriptions of his childhood and horrifying experiences as a slave as well as a harrowing record of his dramatic escape to the North and eventual freedom. Published in 1845 to quell doubts about his origins, the Narrative is admired today for its extraordinary passion, sensitive descriptions, and storytelling power.

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Book SynopsisBorn on a Maryland plantation, Frederick Douglassborn Frederick Baileydoesn't know the year of his birth. Separated from his mother in infancy, he sees her only a few times, always at night, before she dies. At the age of seven or eight, Frederick's mistress begins teaching him to read, until her furious husband forbids it. Frederick realizes then that reading is his path to freedom, and he determines to run away to the northern United Stateswhatever the cost. In addition to the original text, this volume also includes 11 selected essays and speeches, among them the famous What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? (1852)

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Book SynopsisHenry Louis Gates, Jr. presents the only authoritative edition of all three autobiographies by the escaped slave who became a great American leader.Here in this Library of America volume are collected Frederick Douglass''s three autobiographical narratives, now recognized as classics of both American history and American literature. Writing with the eloquence and fierce intelligence that made him a brilliantly effective spokesman for the abolition of slavery and equal rights, Douglass shapes an inspiring vision of self-realization in the face of monumental odds.Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845), published seven years after his escape, was written in part as a response to skeptics who refused to believe that so articulate an orator could ever have been a slave. A powerfully compressed account of the cruelty and oppression of the Maryland plantation culture into which Douglass was born, it brought him to the forefront of the anti-slavery movement and drew thousands, black and white, to the cause.In My Bondage and My Freedom (1855), Douglass expands the account of his slave years. With astonishing psychological penetration, he probes the painful ambiguities and subtly corrosive effects of black-white relations under slavery, and recounts his determined resistance to segregation in the North. The book also incorporates extracts from Douglass’s speeches, including the searing “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”Life and Times, first published in 1881, records Douglass’s efforts to keep alive the struggle for racial equality udirng Reconstruction. John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, William Lloyd Garrison, and Harriet Beecher Stowe all feature prominently in this chronicle of a crucial epoch in American history. The revised edition of 1893, presented here, includes an account of his controversial diplomatic mission to Haiti.This volume contains a detailed chronology of Douglass’s life, notes providing further background on the events and people mentioned, and an account of the textual history of each of the autobiographies.LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

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Book SynopsisMy Bondage and My Freedom is the second of Frederick Douglass's full-length autobiographies. An important slave autobiography, it is significant both for what it tells us about slave life and about its author.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Frederick Douglass My Bondage and My Freedom Appendix: The Heroic Slave Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.

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Book SynopsisFrederick Douglass was a key figure in helping to secure the abolition of slavery in America discover his Narrative this Black History Month. A masterpiece [Douglass] was not only self-educated, with a love of language which should still be an inspiration; he was also self-created' New York Times Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818. After his escape in 1838 he became an ardent abolitionist, and his autobiography was an instant bestseller upon publication in 1845. In it he describes with harrowing honesty his life as a slave the cruelty he suffered at the hands of plantation owners; his struggles to educate himself in a world where slaves are deliberately kept ignorant; and ultimately, his fight for his right to freedom. A passionately written, inteTrade ReviewSlavery, color, racism and the struggle for equal rights all come together in the Douglass story...a declaration of freedom by a runaway slave that became a powerful antislavery tract * New York Times *Frederick Douglass has been hailed as one of history's most inspirational leaders and is a personal hero of Barack Obama who called him "the father of the civil rights movement" * Mirror *His life retains an emblematic glow transcending its biographical ingredients * Independent *

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Book SynopsisEx-slave Frederick Douglass's second autobiography-written after ten years of reflection following his legal emancipation in 1846 and his break with his mentor William Lloyd Garrison-catapulted Douglass into the international spotlight as the foremost spokesman for American blacks, both freed and slave. Written during his celebrated career as a speaker and newspaper editor, My Bondage and My Freedom reveals the author of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) grown more mature, forceful, analytical, and complex with a deepened commitment to the fight for equal rights and liberties. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by John David SmithTrade Review“My Bondage and My Freedom, besides giving a fresh impulse to antislavery literature, [shows] upon its pages the untiring industry of the ripe scholar.”—William Wells Brown

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Book SynopsisThe life of Frederick Douglass is nothing less than the history of America in the 19th century from slavery to reconstruction. His influence was felt in the political sphere, major social movements, literary culture, and even international affairs. This is a collection of the seminal writings and speeches of a writer, and civil rights leader.Trade Review“indispensable (…) a timelessly rewarding read in its totality”—Maria Popova

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Book SynopsisA new edition of the classic African American autobiography, now with with the inclusion of Douglass''s other works.The pre-eminent American slave narrative published in 1845, the Narrative powerfully details the life of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass from his birth into slavery in 1818 to his escape to the North in 1838: how he endured the daily physical and spiritual brutalities of his owners and drivers, how he learned to read and write, and how he grew into a man who could only live free or die.Also included in this edition are Douglass''s famous oration The Meaning of the Fourth of July to the Negro and his only known work of fiction, the novella The Heroic Slave.Frederick Augustus W

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Book SynopsisAn updated edition of a classic African American autobiography, with new supplementary materialsA Penguin Vitae EditionThe preeminent American slave narrative first published in 1845, Frederick Douglass’s Narrative powerfully details the life of the abolitionist from his birth into slavery in 1818 to his escape to the North in 1838, how he endured the daily physical and spiritual brutalities of his owners and driver, how he learned to read and write, and how he grew into a man who could only live free or die. In addition to Douglass’s classic autobiography, this new edition also includes his most famous speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” and his only known work of fiction, The Heroic Slave, which was written, in part, as a response to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.Penguin Classics presents Penguin Vitae, loosely translated as “Penguin of one&rsquo

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Book Synopsis''It will be seen in these pages that I have lived several lives in one: first, the life of slavery; secondly, the life of a fugitive from slavery; thirdly, the life of comparative freedom; fourthly, the life of conflict and battle; and, fifthly, the life of victory, if not complete, at least assured.''First published in 1892, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass Written By Himself is the final autobiography written by Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), a man who was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. Securing his self-liberation at twenty years of age in 1838, he went on to become the most renowned antislavery activist, social justice campaigner, author, orator, philosopher, essayist, historian, intellectual, statesman, and liberator in U.S. history. A powerful literary work, Douglass'' final autobiography shares the stories of his ''several lives in one.'' Beginning with his war against ''the hell-black system of human bondage,'' Douglass bears witness to his personal experieTable of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Frederick Douglass LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS Appendix: Lessons of the Hour Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisThis is the first annotated edition of a work Eric J. Sundquist has called 'a classic text of the American Renaissance.' As Henry Louis Gates, Jr., has pointed out, My Bondage and My Freedom has been largely ignored by critics, in part because it is longer and less accessible than Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass but also because it has not up to now been 'read' by a sensitive critic. 'The latter reason is paramount and urgently needed to be addressed, and William Andrews is just the person to introduce Douglass''s second autobiography to our generation of readers. He has few peers in nineteenth-century black criticism.' Trade Review"A classic text of the American Renaissance." -- Eric J. Sundquist. "Andrews's splendid introduction is the best essay on My Bondage and My Freedom and, indeed, on Douglass that I have read." -- William S. McFeely, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Douglass.

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Book SynopsisFrederick Douglass's only work of fictionan imaginative retelling of the most successful slave revolt in American historyaccompanied by an interpretive introduction, notes, and a selection of related writings by Douglass and others First published nearly a decade prior to the Civil War, The Heroic Slave is the only fictional work by abolitionist, orator, author, and social reformer Frederick Douglass, himself a former slave. It is inspired by the true story of Madison Washington, who, along with eighteen others, took control of the slave ship Creole in November 1841 and sailed it to Nassau in the British colony of the Bahamas, where they could live free. This new critical edition, ideal for classroom use, includes the full text of Douglass's fictional recounting of the most successful slave revolt in American history, as well as an interpretive introduction; excerpts from Douglass's correspondence, speeches, and editorials; short selections by other writers on the Creole rebellion; and recent criticism on the novella.Trade Review"The Heroic Slave: A Cultural and Critical Edition is simply excellent. This well-conceived, well-executed edition reveals aspects of Douglass that are often forgotten. Some of the historical documents included will be new even to specialists."—Maurice Lee, Boston University"Robert Levine, John Stauffer, and John McKivigen are careful and accomplished scholars and this book is the edition one would expect from their combined efforts. This is a tremendous resource."—John Ernest, University of Deleware

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Book SynopsisBorn into slavery in 1818, the author escaped to freedom and became a passionate advocate for abolition and social change and the foremost spokesperson for the nation's enslaved African American population in the years preceding the Civil War. This book recounts his remarkable life.Trade Review"David Blight has produced a fine edition of Douglass' second autobiography. This is an essential work in African-American and American history, and displays Douglass' developing strength as a writer and political leader."—Richard Slotkin, Wesleyan University"With scorching rhetoric, my heroic ancestor rails against the inhumanity of slavery while upholding the tenets of liberty with poetic elegance. In this new edition, David Blight offers a fresh perspective on my great-great-great grandfather's life from his enslavement on the eastern shore of Maryland to his emergence as a revolutionary leader at the center of a national crisis over the future of slavery."—Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives"David Blight's graceful introduction provides the essential historical context, public as well as private, and helps us appreciate how Douglass's great book managed to be at once a piercing polemic, an extraordinary act of memory, and a masterpiece of American prose."—James Oakes, City University of New York

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Book SynopsisA critical edition of one of the most influential literary documents in American and African American historyTrade Review“This is the most thoughtful collection of materials to accompany a major primary text that I have seen. The editors deserve particular commendation for including a section on teaching Douglass’ narrative.”—Craig Kaplowitz, Judson University“The primary document sections are especially valuable as teaching aids. They supplement the narrative and allow readers the opportunity to explore for themselves Douglass’s influences and challenges.”—Jennifer Helgren, University of the Pacific“Carefully selected to provide diverse perspectives on distinct aspects of Douglass’ life and story, the primary sources offer a fascinating window into the early nineteenth century worlds in which he lived. This edition is the most valuable teaching tool on slavery and abolition available today. It is exceptional.”—Nancy Hewitt, Distinguished Professor Emerita, Rutgers University

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Book SynopsisThe selected correspondence of the great American abolitionist and reformer dating from the immediate post–Civil War years

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Book SynopsisThis Modern Library Paperback Classics edition combines the two most important African American slave narratives into one volume.Frederick Douglass's Narrative, first published in 1845, is an enlightening and incendiary text. Born into slavery, Douglass became the preeminent spokesman for his people during his life; his narrative is an unparalleled account of the dehumanizing effects of slavery and Douglass's own triumph over it. Like Douglass, Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery, and in 1861 she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now recognized as the most comprehensive antebellum slave narrative written by a woman. Jacobs's account broke the silence on the exploitation of African American female slaves, and it remains crucial reading. These narratives illuminate and inform each other. This edition includes an incisive Introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah and extensive annotations.

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Book SynopsisThis revision of the acclaimed and widely-assigned Norton Critical Edition of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography includes key examples of literary and cultural analyses that have engaged scholars over the last three decades.

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Book Synopsis“Nick Bromell and R. Blakeslee Gilpin have edited Frederick Douglass’s iconic autobiography with great verve and insight. Coupled with some known as well as unknown documents, this edition of My Bondage and My Freedom will be of tremendo

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Book SynopsisBorn a slave in Maryland circa 1817, Frederick Douglass went on to become the most influential and distinguished African American of the nineteenth century. As an abolitionist, newspaper publisher, orator and statesman, Douglass dedicated his life to the triumph of freedom over oppression for all black Americans.Published shortly after his escape from slavery, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave became an immediate bestseller in 1845 and is still the most widely read slave narrative in American history. A piercing denounciation of slavery, the Narrative mobilized masses of people for the abolitionist cause. But the Narrative is also a deeply personal memoir in which Douglass chronicles his childhood years of deprivation and brutality, his efforts to teach himself to read (teaching a slave to read was illegal in the South), and his dangerous flight to freedom in 1838.In his insightful introduction, Professor Henry Louis

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Book SynopsisRecognized as one of the first great African American speakers in the United States, Frederick Douglass was a self-emancipated slave, renowned abolitionist, orator, and influential writer championing civil rights in the nineteenth century. This exceptional hardcover edition from the Dover Bookshelf not only serves as a testament to Douglass?s profound impact on history but is also a work of art. Beautifully crafted, it incorporates stunning design elements that resonate with the poignant themes of Douglass?s autobiography. The handsome typography, selected for its readability, allows for a comfortable and engaging reading experience. Affordably priced, this volume enables every history lover to appreciate the strength and resilience embodied in Douglass?s words. Whether as a treasured keepsake or a thoughtful gift for a history enthusiast, this captivating edition ofNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglassis an ideal choice. Printed in the USA.

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Book SynopsisNo book more vividly explains the horror of American slavery and the emotional impetus behind the antislavery movement than Douglass's Narrative. In his Introduction, Robert B. Stepto reexamines the extraordinary life and achievement of a man who escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist and one of America's most important writers.Table of Contents* Introduction Robert B. Stepto * Note on the Text * Chronology of Frederick Douglass's Life Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass * Selected Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIntroduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah Commentary by Jean Fagan Yellin and Margaret Fuller  This Modern Library edition combines two of the most important African American slave narratives—crucial works that each illuminate and inform the other.   Frederick Douglass’s Narrative, first published in 1845, is an enlightening and incendiary text. Born into slavery, Douglass became the preeminent spokesman for his people during his life; his narrative is an unparalleled account of the dehumanizing effects of slavery and Douglass’s own triumph over it.   Like Douglass, Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery, and in 1861 she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now recognized as the most comprehensive antebellum slave narrative written by a woman. Jacobs’s account broke the silence on the exploitation of African American female slaves, and it remains essential reading.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface by William Lloyd Garrison xxxiii Letter from Wendell Phillips xliii Chapter I 1 Chapter II 13 Chapter III 25 Chapter IV 35 Chapter V 45 Chapter VI 55 Chapter VII 63 Chapter VIII 77 Chapter IX 89 Chapter X 101 Chapter XI 157 Appendix 183 A Parody 191

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Book SynopsisEach book in Barnes & Noble's Flexibound Pocket Editions features authoritative text by one of the world's greatest authors in an elegantly designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging.

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Book SynopsisBorn on a Maryland plantation, Frederick Douglass-born Frederick Baily-doesn't know the year of his birth. Separated from his mother in infancy, he sees her only a few times, always at night, before she dies.

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Book SynopsisDiscover Frederick Douglass's memoir and treatise on slavery with this exquisite edition from Union Square & Co.'s Signature Gilded Editions series! The stunning Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave special edition features sprayed edges, color end pages, a built-in ribbon bookmark, and embossed foil cover. The beautiful design and attention to detail set this special edition book apart, whether you're reading for the first time or building a library of your favorite classic literature books. Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Bailey) doesn't know the year of his birth. Separated from his mother in infancy, he sees her only a few times, always at night, before her death. His fellow slaves agree that his father is a white man. At the age of seven or eight, Frederick is sent from the Maryland plantation of his birth to Baltimore. His kindly new mistress starts teaching him to read, until her furious husband forbids it. Frederick realizes then that reading is

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Book SynopsisThe most famous memoir of its kind and a key text in the anti-slavery movement, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass tells the striking and emotionally charged story of one man’s journey from slavery to freedom. Complete & Unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by Dr Lydia Plath.Born into a life of slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass spent his youth passed from master to master, from city to field, and subjected to unimaginable cruelty. Along this journey he sought knowledge, he learned to read and write, and he discovered that education was his key to salvation. Using everything he learned and fuelled by all he was forced to endure, Douglass managed to escape and then, eventually, to free himself from slavery. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, a startlingly honest account of his struggle, played a fundamental role in the abolition of slavery, a movement that Douglass dedicated his life to.Trade ReviewThroughout his long career, Douglass cut an imposing figure, renowned as an impassioned abolitionist, a fiery writer and newspaper editor. He was a great public speaker, who became a one-man crusade for black liberation. -- Robert McCrum * Guardian ‘The 100 best nonfiction books’ *One of the most celebrated orators and political theorists in the world -- Brent Staples * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFrederick Douglass, a former slave, became the leader of the abolitionist movement. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave is a first-hand account of his life from indentured slave to a free man. This important and factual work is one of the most persuasive books for the anti-slavery movement.

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