grllopez's review against another edition
5.0
My review of Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, and a little American history: http://greatbookstudy.blogspot.com/2015/07/life-and-times-of-frederick-douglass.html
greeniezona's review against another edition
5.0
The story of acquiring this volume is a long story full of sighs. But having read it, it seems silly to complain about anything so trivial.
Reading this book, I wanted to become a Quaker and go on nationwide speaking tours. I wanted to smack a lot of stupid, racist white people. I marveled at both the force of Frederick Douglass's personality and also all the factors that had to fall into place to make his legacy possible. I also marveled at the way he wrote his multiple autobiographies -- not as if posterity would have much interest in him as a person, but that posterity would want to know what this transitional time in history was like. As if 150 years later, it wouldn't be his name looming large, while most of the people he name-checks throughout are forgotten.
An excellent last book for Less Stupid Civil War Reading Group, as it probably goes the furthest into the post-war changes in society.
Reading this book, I wanted to become a Quaker and go on nationwide speaking tours. I wanted to smack a lot of stupid, racist white people. I marveled at both the force of Frederick Douglass's personality and also all the factors that had to fall into place to make his legacy possible. I also marveled at the way he wrote his multiple autobiographies -- not as if posterity would have much interest in him as a person, but that posterity would want to know what this transitional time in history was like. As if 150 years later, it wouldn't be his name looming large, while most of the people he name-checks throughout are forgotten.
An excellent last book for Less Stupid Civil War Reading Group, as it probably goes the furthest into the post-war changes in society.
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