Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot [Hardcover]

Charles Cerami (Author), Robert M. Silverstein (Author), Charles A. Cerami (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2002

The first biography of a major figure in early US and African American history

A household name and unparalleled hero revered in every African American household, Benjamin Banneker was a completely self-taught mathematical genius who achieved professional status in astronomy, navigation, and engineering. His acknowledged expertise and superior surveying skills led to his role as coworker with the Founding Fathers in planning our nation’s capitol, Washington, DC. His annual Banneker’s Almanac was the first written by a black and outsold the major competition. In addition, he was a vocal force in the fight for the abolition of slavery. Yet, despite his accomplishments, there has been no biography of this important man—until now. Written by an author with strong ties across the Washington-Maryland-Virginia area where abolitionist societies revered Banneker, this long overdue biography at last gives the hard-earned attention this prominent hero and his accomplishments deserve.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...written with a clarity and simplicity..." (Times Literary Supplement, 31 May 2002)

Review

"Herein breathes the universal genius Benjamin Banneker--mathematician, astronomer, diarist, and sage.... We are grateful to Charles Cerami, who has resurrected the spirit of a neglected giant and gifted us with a biography nearly two centuries overdue."
—Kwesi Mfume, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471387525
• ISBN-13: 978-0471387527
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #626,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best Biography on Benjamin Banneker, August 2, 2006

By 

ZANZIBAR "Hotep" (Diaspora) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot (Hardcover)

This biopic of Bejamin Banneker (Ben Bey) is very revealing and gives the reader a look inside of Banneker's personal life (even though some of it might be merely educated guess work regarding his intimate relationships). Some conjecture and innuendo is tossed around a bit irresponsibly but overall one of the best if not the best work on Ben Bey. This has to be one of the first books about Ben Bey that mentions his hereditary extraction (Malian & Fulani). I didn't know upon Banneker's expiration his house and most of all his works were burned to ashes by his racist enemies. Depriving the world of a first hand look into his accomplishments. Cerami also explains the close friendship of Ben Bey and Benjamin Franklin in detail. I believe Charles Cerami portrays Ben Bey and his scientific genius better than all the biographies before it.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot, January 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot (Hardcover)

I can't believe the genius of Benjamin Banneker, the man. I always knew his name through his famous letter to Thomas Jefferson. In the pages of this fascinating biography, I discovered his excellence in so many professions, especially astronomy. His speculations on light and stars were revolutionary and opened the door to modern astronomy. He is a true American hero.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astronomical, December 8, 2002

By 

Ronald T. Jones (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Benjamin Banneker: Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot (Hardcover)

Benjamin Banneker:Surveyor, Astronomer, Publisher, Patriot, by Charles A. Cerami has expanded our knowledge of this renowned 18th century African American. To those familiar with the contributions of blacks to American society, Benjamin Banneker's accomplishments are well known. He was a free black man, son of an African, his grandmother, an indentured servant from England. He built a wooden clock using a pocket watch as a guide. Later on in life, he parlayed his scientific and mathematical skills into the creation of an almanac. He then went on to become an integral part of the team that surveyed the area that was to become the nation's capitol. He wrote letters to Thomas Jefferson critical of the latter's racist views, and even received a response. The author covers this ground well. We are aware of how stunning Banneker's achievements are, given that he was a black man living in a nation where the vast majority of black people toiled in slavery. Even a free black was a degraded, stigmatized creature in white eyes. The author, however, lifts Banneker out of this limiting context to elevate him into the company of truly original thinkers. Thus, Banneker becomes more than a brilliant black man who rose above his station to live the life of the mind, a pursuit which, if he were white, would not have garnered much attention. Banneker made an assertion that no one had made up that point (at least not with his degree of logic). He speculated on the existence of life on other worlds. The author presents an excerpt from Banneker's writings as proof that this humble black farmer was far ahead of his time. Indeed, such a revolutionary thought would not be adopted by scientists as a credible theory until well into the 20th century. Charles Cerami's work is of monumental importance because now we have a new insight into the depth of Benjamin Banneker's intellect. Hopefully, this book will be so widely read that Banneker's role as the man who memorized the plans to Washington, D.C. will not be his ultimate achievement in the popular imagination. Hopefully, scientists, historians and lay enthusiasts will recognize the significance of Banneker's thinking in regard to the possibility of life beyond our precious, little world.