Customer Reviews

Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story

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"AM I NOT A MAN?" the first novel by Utah's Attorney General, Mark L. Shurtleff, is generating a substantial amount of buzz, and for good reason. The author's research about Dred Scott's life, and the era in which he lived, is phenomenal, particularly as it's observed through the prism of his battle to escape slavery using the American judicial system. The storyline is educational and tender, and the topics of the Constitutional guarantees of liberty are again passion-points in America. For these reasons and many others, "AM I NOT A MAN" is an important book that should be on our shopping lists this year.

Most school children have had some introduction to the man for whom the infamous Supreme Court ruling, "The Dred Scott Decision," is named, but Mark L. Shurtleff's exhaustive research transforms a vague history lesson into a powerful example of hope, courage, and dignity under fire, reminding us why that landmark Supreme Court case was required text. The highest court's ruling, "that a black man was so inferior that he had no rights a white man was bound to respect," chills us today, highlighting the dangerous consequences that occur when men bend the Constitution to achieve an agenda.

Dred Scott was born a slave named Sam Blow, but his life was a montage of extraordinary experiences, propelled by a mind and heart that could never be enslaved. He was connected to the most important events and people of his day, and his battle to hold the legal system's "feet" to the Constitutional "fire" drew the entire nation's attention. Underlying the precedent-setting legal chronicle is the simple, tender story of a man seeking what every person seeks--love, a family, self-determination. For years, Dred fought to prevent his family from being split apart, and to spare his young daughters from the brutality and debasing abuse subjected upon most female slaves. With the help of his white benefactors, and after years of suffering, Dred won his fight and achieved his dream of freedom, but his victory was short-lived when his case was overturned on appeal. Following more years of delay and further appeals, Dred's case was heard before the United States Supreme Court, where the justices' decision was not made to uphold the law as much as it was intended to calm the gathering storm. It failed on all counts, stripping away the Scotts' freedom, denying all Negroes the standing afforded to other Americans, providing the platform upon which Abraham Lincoln rose and escalating the call to war.It is a painful saga.

Truly, "AM I NOT A MAN?" is more than a biography. It is a sweeping panorama of American history, and Dred is in the thick of it. I regret that no historical notes were included in this book. I would have loved to follow Mr. Shurtleff's leads for further study, and to draw the line where the history ends and the fictionalized portions exist.

For example, a painful exchange occurs between fellow slave owners, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, over the immoral compromise they had each accepted in order to secure passage of the documents needed to establish and maintain the United States--the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The great irony is that these "definers of American liberty," are discussing their regret over the institution of slavery as they arrive at the Blow family plantation the night Dred "Sam Blow" Scott was born a slave. Mr. Shurtleff delivers a fascinating literary moment, but I would have loved knowing where fiction and fact met during that exchange. Another curious connection exists between Dred and his boyhood friend, Nat Turner, the slave whose murderous revolt would spell agony for slaves across the map. Again, historical notes would help separate the extraordinary facts from the fascinating fiction.

Let me note, however, how extraordinarily exhaustive Mr. Shurtleff's research is. During the five years I've conducted the research for my Free Men and Dreamers series, I've covered many of the issues, places and people that fill "AM I NOT A MAN?" Mere weeks ago, I returned to Point Comfort where Dred Scott fought during the War of 1812, and then, as I read Shurtleff's account of that battle, I was impressed with the care and attention to detail the author took with this small chapter in Dred Scott's life. That level of historical integrity permeates the work.

"AM I NOT A MAN?" is not an easy read--literally or emotionally. In his effort to incorporate all the wonderful history he has uncovered, the author frequently becomes a historian instead of a novelist, shifting time periods and interjecting long passages of fascinating background info that slow the read for those who come merely seeking a historical novel. Emotionally, the story is painful and graphic in places, perhaps necessarily so, but parents should be advised before handing the book to a younger reader.

None of these issues trump the value or importance of this book. It is a painful story that chronicles the best and worst in man, compelling the reader to place themselves in the shoes of Dred Scott or his brave benefactors. We leave determined to seek and defend liberty at any cost, and that's what makes "AM I NOT A MAN?" one of the most important books I've read this year, and a novel I highly recommend.

Hardcover: 534 pages
Publisher: Valor Publishing Group; 1st edition (November 3, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935546007
ISBN-13: 978-1935546009
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches

I had a hard time getting into the book, but I'm glad I kept reading. Sometimes it takes me a while to get a feel for and identify with different writing styles. And be warned that this is a book about history--it's overflowing with historical details on every page. As you read this book, you will come to know Dred Scott from his very origin to his growing years until he becomes a father and a free man.

I had difficulty following the timeline of the story because it jumps around a lot, back and forth from historical happenings when Dred was born to 50 years later, etc. The version of the book available to the public has a timeline so that should make it a tad easier to follow.

Even though I had a hard time getting into the book and at times felt like I was reading a history book instead of a dramatized history book, I still want you to read it. I think you will enjoy it. I think this book is of vital importance because it reminds us of where we have come as a nation and that we cannot stand idly by and allow atrocities to exist in our midst. It isn't slavery today in The United States of America that we have a problem with--it's many more things that are terrible, yet on the rise.

As you read this book, you'll come to know the Blow family and their amazing fortitude when it came to helping their friend and former slave, Dred Scott.

Once you immerse yourself in the life of Dred Scott you'll be just like me, rooting for him with every turn of the page, crying at the injustices that men placed upon other men because of the color of their skin, and asking yourself--How did I not know this before?

I learned so much from this book and to me that allows the book to soar pretty high in my personal ranking because I have a love of learning. I'm grateful to Mark Shurtleff for compiling the magnificent amount of history that he put into this book and for making it come to life.

I remember just a little bit about the Dred Scott case from my American History classes. The Supreme Court at the time ruled that a negro slave was essentially less than a human being. Unfortunately, the instructor just barrelled on to the American Civil war without getting into Dred Scott's story. Mr. Shurtleff goes much deeper, putting flesh and blood on the bones of an old court case, breathing the harrowing story back to life.

The story of Sam Blow, aka Dred Scott, would contain sufficient hardship, struggle and hard-earned reward all by itself. Shurtleff goes beyond Dred Scott's story in this new historic fiction novel. He reaches back into colonial times for the story of Peter Blow, the first of a family of Virginia tobacco planters that eventually succumb to the temptation of owning slaves as a source of labor. Shurtleff interweaves the lives of those who would help decide Dred's fate such as U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Taney, and the members of the Blow family who grew up regarding Dred as an older brother. Even Abraham Lincoln's story comes to light as Dred's lawsuit for his freedom stretches out for years.

Shurtleff asserts that without Dred Scott's legal fight and the damning opinion written by Judge Taney, Abraham Lincoln may not have had the political ammunition to win his race for the presidency of the United States. Shurtleff's case is certainly well constructed, as one would expect from a state attorney general. Shurtleff holds up Dred's fight for freedom in the courts as not just an individual's assertion of equality, but a turning point in the struggle of a whole people to gain recognition as human beings worthy of respect and equal treatment under the law.

Gripping and thoughtful, this is a good escape for history buffs.

By the end of this book I was teary and felt both the pain and the triumph of Dred's story. This brave man renewed my gratitude for my ancestors and the trials they underwent to insure the freedom of their posterity. And I'm grateful to Mark Shurtleff for researching Dred's life and gifting us all with his story.

"Am I Not a Man?" This may probably by one of the most famous lines spoken in history. This line came out of the mouth of Dred Scott. He was a black slave. Dred first won his freedom and the freedom of his wife and than later they lost it.

Dred Scott fought to regain his freedom, stating "Am I not a Man?" He took his fight all the way to United States Supreme Courts. This lawsuit would be known as the Dred Scott Decision. A decision made by the Supreme Courts that any African descent living as a slave had no rights as a US citizen. Dred Scott would lose his case but he would pave the way for one of the biggest changes that would rock history. Dred Scott's story struck a heart string with President Abraham Lincoln who created the emancipation proclamation.

I had never heard of Dred Scott till I read this book. I found his story to be amazing. He never gave up, even when others turned their backs on him and shunned him. While I did like this book, I do have to admit that there were times when the story line and characters would pull me in and than other times when I would lose interest and start skimming the pages. Though I do have to say that if you are looking for something interesting to read than this book is a quick read.

Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story by Mark L. Shurtleff

This awesome debut by Mark Shurtleff, Utah's Attorney General, goes deep into telling the story of Dred Scott, the little 5'4" giant of a man. Dred was born Sam Blow on a Virginia Plantation, but when his brother dies, he takes on his name. Dred, even though he is a slave and is treated very badly at times, he treats others with a humbling dignity missing today. Early in his young life, he is asked of his owner, a doctor, to go out in the middle of a river, to stake a squatter's claim and he almost drowns, but has a total change in his life that changes him for good. During his early years, he was friends with Nat Turner, but because of his odd behavior, he didn't stay friends long and Nat ended by taking another path than Dred, as Dred was a very spiritual man, could quote scripture beter than some who could read. When Dred and a former owner were down on a riverbank, he overheard people shouting to Winfield Scott, Commander, "Great Scott." Dred liked the sound of the words and the man, so from then on, he went as Dred Scott.

When the love of his early life, Sarah, gets sold at an auction, it totally devastates him, but later, he does find the woman who loves him the way a wife should and that is Harriet, who was raised on a plantation and treated as one of the family. She and Dred had two girls, Eliza, known as Gypsy Girl and Lizzie. When Dr. Emerson, who Dred worked for, died, his widow took him to court. She had mistreated him terribly, much worse than her husband had. Dred had moved from a slave state to a free state with Dr. Em erson, so if you return to a slave state, you were considered free as the saying went "Once Free, Always Free." When Dred won his ca se in the lower courts, he was happy, but the decision was reversed, so he decided to sue at the highest level The Supreme Court and lost. It was a landmark case, and was the reason Abraham Lincoln was our 16th President, that if not for Dred Scott, Abraham Lincoln would not have been our President.

One of the things I really liked about this moving story was the bantering back and forth between Jefferson and Madison. And, when Dred gets so excited when he learns to "spell" his name in Morse Code. What an experience that must've been for him!!! Since I've had my ARC for awhile and have discussed this book and Dred Scott with friends and family, it has surprised me how many people do not know much about our Country and its history. And, for this, I'm sad. For those who read my review who have never heard of Dred Scott or his case, please do yourself a HUGE favor and read this most important story. I knew about Dred Scott, but learned so much and came away touched to have learned what a great man he was. No man should be abused the way he and hundreds of thousands of blacks were treated. We are all created by God as equal men and women, regardless of color. Mark, hats off to you!!!

Forever Friends Rating A HUGE 5 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.

Valor Publishing Group
Pub. Date: 3 November 2009
ISBN: 978-1-835546-00-9
534pp

This book was so much more than I expected. Shurtleff wove an incredibly detailed, personal and factual story around the Dred Scott case. His ability to describe the emotions of the people involved, paint with vivid detail the physical environment, and keep the reader focused on what the Dred Scott case meant to our country quickly made "Am I Not A Man" a book I didn't want to put down.

Book had problems in the printing process. Some chapters were duplicated while other chapters were left out. Vendor did offer to refund the cost of book and shipping. The author of the book actually sent me an autographed copy. Great Book that everyone of all ages should read.

Finally..... a work that provides true meaning to a tragic portion of our history, and yet avoids the modern revisionist historian's prolific penchant to trash great men of the past, (a penchant no doubt based in their desire to justify their own moral lapses). In this great piece Mark Shurtleff brings the reader into the emotional, even spiritual, perspectives of those who suffered under great injustices, and provides a rich menagerie of the various moral responses to those injustices, presented by outsiders looking in. His writing allows the reader to believe in heroes again, not just heroes standing out against those evil minions of their own majority race, but heroes who, though they are in the minority and suffering untold pains, willingly submit to and suffer inhuman torture, then almost unbelievably withhold retaliation for the sole reason of protecting the ones they love. Heroes who allow a dream of freedom to temper vengeance, who trust in God's mercy and long to see it applied among the institutions of men. If you feel there are still heroes among humanity or if you are one who longs to act in such a way as to change the course of the future for the better, then this book will definitely inspire you.

Additionally, Shurtleff masterfully reveals the myriad of intertwined connections between those involved with the "Dred Scott" Supreme Court decision and numerous famous personalities of history. In fact, by the end of the book the reader will be convinced that so many connections are much more indicative of divine intervention then a report of mere coincidence or happenstance.

Finally, after reading this book I actually felt a deep regret that I had never had the privilege of knowing or speaking with Samuel (Dred) Scott and I still hope as I write this, that one day I may be afforded that privilege ......Perhaps on the other side of Jordan.

A pivotal time and place in the history of the US. AG Shurtleff opens our eyes to a man who risked it all.
A book not to be missed. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend for summer reading!