Twelve Years a Slave (Library of Southern Civilization) [Paperback]

Solomon Northup (Author), Sue Eakin (Editor), Joseph Logsdon (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1968 | ISBN-10: 0807101508 | ISBN-13: 978-0807101506

“Twelve Years a Slave” is the harrowing true story of Solomon Northup, an educated, free black man from upstate New York. Kidnapped in 1841 by unscrupulous slave hunters and sold as a slave, Northup eventually ended up deep in Louisiana and spent the next 12 years of his life there until he was rescued by a prominent citizen of his home state that knew him. Northup’s narrative, written in his own words, describes the variation in treatment he received at the hands of the various people he met. Some were kinder, some brutal, and one he had to fight twice to avoid being killed himself. Solomon's rescue came when a Canadian drifter who worked as a laborer agreed to mail a rescue note to Solomon's hometown. A few months later Solomon was rescued by a prominent gentlemen from his native New York and was reunited with his family. A powerful and riveting condemnation of American slavery, Solomon Northup’s account is fascinating reading that moves at a rapid pace. Great reading, particularly for those who want to read about slavery as it truly was, rather than in glossed over or politically correct terms.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Solomon Northup (born July 1808, date of death unknown) was a free-born African-American mulatto. He was born in Minerva, Essex County, New York. Kidnapped in 1841, he was taken to Louisiana as a slave, where he was found twelve years later on a cotton plantation near the Red River. It is a story that will break your heart as Solomon was torn away from his family for over a decade. According to a quote from 1853, when Solomon first published his memoirs, "Think of it: For thirty years a man, with all a man's hopes, fears and aspirations--with a wife and children to call him by the endearing names of husband and father--with a home, humble it may be, but still a home...then for twelve years a thing, a chattel personal, classed with mules and horses. ...Oh! it is horrible. It chills the blood to think that such are." And indeed, this story will both chill--and boil--your blood. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807101508
• ISBN-13: 978-0807101506
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Historical Narrative Everyone Should Read, July 20, 2002

By 

G. Snead (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Twelve Years a Slave (Library of Southern Civilization) (Paperback)

In an age when most history that is presented to the masses is whitewashed or made politically correct it is quite refreshing to read a historical narrative "warts and all" about a period in American History that many want to forget about or gloss over.

Solomon Northup was an educated, free black man from upstate New York with a wife and children in the 1841 when through a chain of events ended up being kidnapped and sold into slavery. He eventually ended up deep in Louisiana and spent the next 12 years of his life there until he was rescued by a prominent citizen of his home state that knew him.

What stands out in this book to me are the descriptions of the various people he met and how they treated him from being very kind and gracious to vile and wicked. As a southerner I have often heard that slaves were basically happy and contented and this book will immediately put an end such a notion. Even the most illiterate and uneducated slave Solomon met yearned for freedom, as is human nature to do so. That being said there were several decent southern slave owners described in the book who treated their slaves well. One of them William Ford, almost certainly saved Solomon from being lynched by his new owner.

On the flip side there were many vile slave owners as well. Solomon was owned by a carpenter who mistreated him quite badly and Solomon had to fight him twice to prevent himself from being killed by his owner. After one of these fights he fled into the swamp being chased by his owner and several other slave owners with their bloodhounds. His description of the bloodhounds following him into the swamp and him seeing all of the snakes and alligators was quite interesting. Solomon, beside being literate was blessed with a great deal of "street" smarts and common sense. He knew how to evade the dogs when they chased him into the swamp. The aforementioned William Ford saved Solomon from the carpenter's wrath after this episode.

Solomon then went on to spend the rest of his time in captivity with another brutal slave owner. This owner was drunk half the time and continually mistreated all of his slaves. Solomon's rescue came when a Canadian drifter who worked as a laborer agreed to mail a rescue note to Solomon's home town. A few months later Solomon was rescued by a prominent gentlemen from his native New York and was reunited with his family.

This book was fascinating reading and moved at a rapid pace. Most of the books I read I never bother to write a review on unless I found them to be a good read and this is a good read!

If you want to read about slavery as it was and not in glossed over terms or political correct terms then this book is for you. The truth what a concept!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome indeed, Please Read This Book!, July 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Twelve Years a Slave (Library of Southern Civilization) (Paperback)

I read this entire book in one day. I could not put it down. I came across it while trying to learn more about my town. I was in awe after realizing that all this occured some 15 miles from where I now live. I believe this book would make an excellent movie. The way this free black man was taken and sold into salvery is so sad and if I had not been looking into old new paper articles around the area I would have not believed this story. SO many people want to forget about the history of black people but they shouldn't. I don't think anyone can walk away after reading this book and not feel some sort of compassion for the all the souls lost to slavery.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A painful, enraging read in American and Louisiana history, September 18, 2001

By 

Haiyu (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twelve Years a Slave (Library of Southern Civilization) (Paperback)

This is the story of Solomon Northup, in his own words, a citizen of New York kidnapped in 1841 and taken to Louisiana as a slave, where he was found twelve years later on a cotton plantation near the Red River. It is a story that will break your heart as Solomon was torn away from his family for over a decade. According to a quote from 1853, when Solomon first published his memoirs, "Think of it: For thirty years a man, with all a man's hopes, fears and aspirations--with a wife and children to call him by the endearing names of husband and father--with a home, humble it may be, but still a home...then for twelve years a thing, a chattel personal, classed with mules and horses. ...Oh! it is horrible. It chills the blood to think that such are." And indeed, this story will both chill--and boil--your blood.