Donna E. (impossible) reviewed Twelve Years a Slave (Library of Southern Civilization) on + 3352 more book reviews
An important book to read. Fully annotated to back up the facts in this account. You need to lay aside the tendency to think you would do better, face the fact that even a modern person could be beaten in submission and read this account for the truths it can tell us not only about slavery at its worst but also how a free person can lose his freedom overnight.
Jan T. (jantalk) reviewed Twelve Years a Slave (Library of Southern Civilization) on + 36 more book reviews
Surprisingly good book. When I saw all the footnotes, appendixes, etc. I was afraid that it may be too much like a textbook, but it wasn't. This account of Mr. Northup's life from freeman to slave and back to freeman was very interesting. It was a straight forward account depicting his slave owners as the people they were - good and bad- and of his life for those 12 years.
Good story, very historical, footnotes were very valuable.