Buy new:
-24% $14.42
FREE delivery Friday, October 25 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: AasStore
$14.42 with 24 percent savings
List Price: $18.95
The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, October 25 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, October 22. Order within 18 hrs 3 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.42 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.42
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
AasStore
Sold by
AasStore
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$8.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Shipped fast and reliably through the Amazon Prime program! Book may contain some writing, highlighting, and or cover damage. Shipped fast and reliably through the Amazon Prime program! Book may contain some writing, highlighting, and or cover damage. See less
FREE delivery Friday, October 25 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, October 23. Order within 10 hrs 33 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.42 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.42
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Henry Mayer
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery Paperback – February 22, 2000

by Henry Mayer (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.42","priceAmount":14.42,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"42","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"JoIEGjnqJwp2ezqrXmn1f3PvUpHDrHMkwlo6HHyonecFPDEjjeoNtwVL40G6P938ijOyfJGD031cEs774sJfv9LJhBJRpOsJatJVaHlJyZTOzQAqa9OyLCU4JgSbY8GcPdz7VzW1XVIDz4Bt7F9Y3rNlb7f%2B5znc%2FuGk5FwcaUT71cyp6V%2FyY12TiVkVdV1N","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.99","priceAmount":8.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"JoIEGjnqJwp2ezqrXmn1f3PvUpHDrHMkPGZNllCK%2BrHQIYitBbclO936rgBtThYOCfNuRFAmT4DxemZHfFmIGZ%2FK0vSxdgPKAFKyCZLIA5B90%2FI9rFChN%2FLh18vxd5eZDhzDEqjzgkIs0AVNTPmPP1O2%2BAP348jggRS%2F0DH%2BGn9W02WRm4IKnsDenJ2vjZKe","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In All on Fire, William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879) emerges as an American hero, arguably on par with Abraham Lincoln, who forced the nation to confront the explosive issue of slavery.
Mayer maintains that Garrison, a self-made man of scanty formal education who founded and edited the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, not only served as the catalyst for the abolition of slavery, but inspired two generations of activists in civil rights and the women's movement.
Through Garrison, tragically torn between pacifism and abolitionist advocacy, we also meet a rich pageant of great 19th-century historical figures, including Frederick Douglass, John Quincy Adams,and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Mayer's consequential biography will be read for generations to come.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    704 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    St. Martin's Griffin
  4. Publication date
    February 22, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1.75 x 12.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0312253672
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0312253677
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Henry Mayers massive, clearly written, often gripping biography of Garrison is a great story....None of [Garrisons] earlier chroniclers matches Mayers writerly skill and sure narrative sense." -BENJAMIN SCHWARZ, Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Henry Mayer restores to Garrison his rightful place in the American pantheon. All on Fire does an outstanding job of placing Garrison in the context of the great events and issues of the era." -Chicago Tribune

"Superb...[A] richly researched, passionately written book." -WILLIAM E.CAIN, Boston Globe

"As history, as narrative, as moral testament, as witness in a grand, old-fashioned sense that Garrison himself would surely love, [All on Fire is] a spectacular achievement.JONATHAN KOZOL, author of Amazing Grace

About the Author

Henry Mayer, author of Son of Thunder: Patrick Henry and the American Republic, lives in California.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition (February 22, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 704 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312253672
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312253677
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.75 x 12.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Henry Mayer

Henry Mayer

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
55 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book to be deep, with loads of detail and insight about a critically important time. They describe it as one of the best biographies they've read in a lifetime. Readers also describe it as readable, engaging, and essential for those who want to understand history. They praise the writing quality as well-written, talented, and graceful.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
DepthReadabilityWriting quality
7 customers mention "Depth"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book has loads of detail and insight about a critically important time. They say it's accessible to novices and cutting-edge enough for scholars looking for a deeper understanding. Readers also mention the author is open-eyed about the subject and deeply knowledgeable about the times it chronicles.

"...acute; sympathetic but open-eyed about its subject; deeply knowledgeable about the times it chronicles; keenly analytical; gracefully and powerfully..." Read more

"...Lots of history, lots of family love, lots to be proud of. A truly outstanding American character was William Lloyd Garrison." Read more

"So glad this finally made it to Kindle! One of the best biographies ever written...." Read more

"...One of the best biographies I've read in a lifetime of reading biographies, Mayer's 'All on Fire' covers the full sweep of mid-Nineteenth Century..." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book wonderful, engaging, and essential for those who want to understand history.

"...the role of the agitator in democratic politics, it is a book worth pondering and savoring." Read more

"...This is an essential book for those who want to understand our history and many of the courageous people who dedicated their lives to the cause of..." Read more

"What a wonderful book. The author combines impeccable research with empathy born of understanding for William Lloyd Garrison...." Read more

"Easily one of my favorite biographies. Well written, easy and engaging read that illuminates a very intriguing man." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written, talented, and graceful.

"...knowledgeable about the times it chronicles; keenly analytical; gracefully and powerfully written...." Read more

"...Ten years in the making, the book is detailed but not boring. Mayer is a great writer who allows us to see, and feel, the mounting crisis as..." Read more

"Well written, gripping. Tells story of the spark that lead to the beginnings of the battle ending slavery...." Read more

"Easily one of my favorite biographies. Well written, easy and engaging read that illuminates a very intriguing man." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Mark Paul
5.0 out of 5 stars A great American biography for a great American life
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
A few days before his death, Abraham Lincoln said, “I have only been an instrument. The logic and moral power of Garrison, and the anti-slavery people of the country and the army, have done all.” Henry Mayer's All on Fire captures Garrison, and the logic and moral power he gave to his country, as no other work has. It is one of the great American biographies of one of the greatest Americans: psychologically acute; sympathetic but open-eyed about its subject; deeply knowledgeable about the times it chronicles; keenly analytical; gracefully and powerfully written. For anyone who cares about American history, the place of religion in public life, and the role of the agitator in democratic politics, it is a book worth pondering and savoring.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars a great big book to enjoy
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book traces W. L. Garrison's life from boyhood to his demise. His personal story is interwoven with the political events of his life. However, it is not about everything that was transpiring in the 1830, 40's and 50's - only those directly touching on what Garrison thought pertinent in the struggle against slavery.

The author admires Garrison, that is plain to see and by the time I was finished reading I admired him very much, too.
I enjoyed sitting down with this book over a span of several days. I was always eager to get back and see what Garrison was up to or what setbacks he was suffering.

Lots of history, lots of family love, lots to be proud of. A truly outstanding American character was William Lloyd Garrison.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
history buff
5.0 out of 5 stars Human rights, the quest of a lifetime
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
Outstanding is a limited word for All on Fire . Not only Garrison's place is restored to its rightful place in history, but Mayer infuses us with the vision and devotion that saw beyond the emancipation proclamation to a world where all humans could live as truly free with rights and mutual respect. This is an essential book for those who want to understand our history and many of the courageous people who dedicated their lives to the cause of human rights.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Brigitte
5.0 out of 5 stars Talented writer!
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2022
Verified Purchase
So impressed by the book and the author!
Helpful
 Report
R. Albin
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent; 4.5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2015
This well written, very well researched, and thoughtful book is an excellent biography of the great abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison. One of Mayer's goals was to rescue Garrison from relative obscurity and demonstrate his central role in the great controversies that led to the Civil War. Mayer succeeds admirably, partly because Garrison is a generally attractive and in important respects modern figure. The child of a father who abandoned his family, Garrison had a somewhat difficult childhood and youth. While he was the beneficiary of the New England commitment to primary education, the talented Garrison was very much an autodidact. Apprenticed to a printer as teen, he acquired the skills that would permit his career as a pioneering abolitionist journalist. Mayer is particularly good on the motivations for Garrison's commitments to human rights; a combination of heterodox and fervent religious beliefs with a Romantic belief in individual capacity. Garrison's expansive view of humanity led him to the anti-slavery cause. One of the few Americans who really believed in the equality of African-Americans, he followed this principles logically to become an early advocate of women's rights.

Mayer shows Garrison's commitment and diligence in what must have appeared initially a hopeless cause. Over the course of decades, Garrison and his colleagues, many of them the first women to be important figures in American politics, were significant factors in the transformation of Northern political opinion. Mayer is particularly good on important and interesting aspects of Garrison's life and the abolitionist movement. Garrison aimed at a moral, not political transformation of American life. His moral perfectionism drove his pacifism, his skepticism towards the established churches that he saw as compromising with evil, and his suspicion of conventional politics. Garrison's famous attack on the Constitution and advocacy of peaceful disunion was a logical result of his perfectionism. Garrison's life, which included participation in spiritualism and anti-sabbatarianism, was in some respects a characteristic manifestation of the radical religious experimentation of 19th century American life. Mayer also narrates the complex internal politics of the anti-slavery movement quite well.

Garrison was not, however, dogmatic. With the outbreak of the Civil War, the life long pacifist supported the Republican government. He saw the war correctly as an opportunity for emancipation. Initially quite skeptical of Lincoln, over the course of the war, he became a de facto Radical Republican. He was, however, deeply disappointed by the failure of Reconstruction and the collapse of the Republican commitment to equal rights for African-Americans. His reputation suffered after the war as an increasingly conservative and racist America came to view abolitionist "fanaticism" as one of the causes of the war.

While this is an excellent biography, I think there is at least one point that Mayer gets wrong. He emphasizes Garrison's role in the gradual transformation of Northern opinion towards slavery. I suspect this is correct but incomplete. In some ways, Garrison's most important audience was not in the North but in the South. Garrison and other abolitionists were regarded with actual fear by many Southerners. The greatest act of censorship in American history was the ban, enforced by the Federal government, on circulation of abolitionist publications in the South. Abolitionists were a fringe political movement in the North but apparently frightened Southerners in a manner out of proportion to their actual influence. Southern insecurity about their Peculiar Institution drove much of the relatively aggressive political behavior of Southern politicians, leading to increasing resentment on the part of the Northern public. The transformation of Northern political opinion was partly an ironic result of abolitionist activities.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Vegan Gal
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and essential for anyone interested in social justice and history
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
So glad this finally made it to Kindle! One of the best biographies ever written. Garrison is an inspiration and role model for anyone interested in social justice, he was preternaturally gifted at both strategy and what we now call media, and so I'm grateful for this in-depth exploration of his life, ideas, views, and achievements, which I reread periodically.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Alan Mills
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring story of a man committed to battle against sin
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2002
Verified Purchase
Garrison decided that slavery was wrong, and devoted his entire life to publishing The Liberator, a newspaper whose only mission was to end slavery. He did so, week after week, often without money, and occassionally despite violent attacks by pro-slavery forces. He refused compromise. He refused to accept "workable" solutions. Slavery was morally bankrupt, and he fought against it, using the power of words alone.
When he began his crusade, slavery was accepted, and most people thought it was here to stay. Garrsison was a voice crying in the dark. When he closed down The Liberator, slavery was over, and the vast majority of the country thought it was wrong.
Anyone who reads, anyone who fights for social justice, and certainly anyone who writes should read this book. It is hard to imagine anyone whose life reflects the axiom: "the pen is mightier than the sword" better than Garrison.
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report