The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (African American)

It is mentioned in the introduction that Frederick Douglass was a better orator than writer, well he must have been quite the speaker.

Fabulous writing, even more so given the manner of how he came to learn English. Such righteous determination of spirit. His mind was full of insight and and a keen sense of justice from an early age, and his impassioned, skillful arguments that pepper the work stand the test of time. His humble and piercing view that the system of slavery subjected both slaver and enslaved to misery takes a leap of thought that I fear I could not have made if such terrors had been inflicted on me.

He is unafraid to call out the hypocrisy inherent in both the US Constitution and of American Christianity, not easy to do so at the time. Making incendiary yet valid comparisons between his time under the tyrannical monarchy of England where he was treated as an equal, and his third class at best treatment even in the free states of his republican and fair homeland. Similarly his criticism of the Christianity professed to be practiced by those whom then inflict such injustice stands out for one who comes across as a true believer, having had to fight repeatedly to be allowed that privilege too.

He splits the book into the sections of his life, first begins with his childhood and his slow realisation and horror that he is considered different, and that he is a slave. Then with the general yet shocking brutality and injustice of the various jobs of his slave life, leading up to his escape. The entire section is riveting.

Mr Douglass in another act of self acknowledgement favourably looks upon his own hardships when compared to either full time field slaves or even worse, those enslaved in the deep south. Not that any part of his enslavement should be downplayed, true wickedness inflicted on mind and body, systematically, to all around him and millions more. He combined superhuman drive to constantly improve himself and others with what lucky breaks he found to excel in the most arduous of circumstances.

We move onto his initial life as a Freeman, interesting though not as gripping. His move into the abolition movement again ignites the interest, especially with the coming of the war.

Following Lincoln's assassination again we wind down a little, and the original work ends. There is a touching section I must mention where he meets both the children and even his old master on his deathbed, quite wonderful. The version I read was an updated some years after the initial run, adding a decade or so of political machinations and a leisure trip to Europe. It adds very little to the overall work, and could be removed. There are many thanks and names that are wasted on people of later centuries like myself.

I would like to see a modern biography to see both the import and validity of those later, quite political years. As well as wider thoughts on his overall life, work, and influence. A true American titan.