An excellent, monumental biography. David Blight's fluid prose and insights into Frederick Douglass's life and times are tremendous. It took a while to read, but I can't imagine a book that could give me a better grasp of Douglass as a person and the historical moment/s he lived through.

I have to be honest and confess that I’m still working my way thorough this wonderfully written biography of a man I have always found fascinating because while he started his life as a slave and was soon separated from the few family members he could rightfully claim, Frederick Douglass was destined to become one of the greatest orators in the history of our country. I was shocked and moved to tears by the savage beatings Frederick witnessed as a young child, impressed by his love of reading and the transformation that his thirst for knowledge and education brought to his life. This is a fabulous book that every history buff can dig their teeth into and I intend to savor it slowly so that I can absorb all of the tiny details that this author so painstakingly researched in order to write this book. It’s absolutely mesmerizing! I read a complimentary copy of this book provided by Simon and Schuster through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

Takeaway: Well written biography of a fascinating man.

I first came across David Blight when I listened to a podcast of his Yale College History class on the Civil War and Reconstruction. I have not read any of his books previously, but based on my enjoyment of that class and my interest in (but completely lack of knowledge about) Frederick Douglass I jumped on an advanced copy. I did not adequately leave enough time for this very long book and bought the audiobook.

It is hard to be too glowing about Frederick Douglass. Largely self taught, Douglass eventually wrote three autobiographies, was a publisher of two different newspapers for roughly 20 year together. Douglass was the first Black man appointed to a job that required Senate approval. He was later appointed minister to Haiti (roughly equivalent to ambassador). He may have spoken in front of more people than any other single person in the 19th century in the United State. And after the death of his first wife, he married Helen Pitts, a White woman, making theirs the first really prominent interracial marriage.

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom is the only large biography of Frederick Douglass that I am aware of. David Blight is well qualified. He has written introductions to Douglass’ autobiographies. Blight has written about slave narratives (former slaves writing about their history as slaves and/or their escape) as well as the underground railroad. Blight also won the Bancroft Prize (one of the most prominent awards for history writing) for his Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory. That book that is largely about historic memory is especially evident as Blight discusses how Douglass remembers himself and his life and how that changes over time.

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom is not just about an interesting character of history, but it is a complex portrayal of Douglass. One of the points that was made in Harriet Tubman’s biography, Bound for the Promise Land, was that Tubman, as many other historical characters, is easily minimized to the one thing that people know about them. Frederick Douglass is known as a former slave and abolitionist. Some people may know about his autobiographies and maybe even have read one of them. But Blight presents a much more complex character, with Douglass’ strengths and weaknesses. And there are lots of both strengths and weaknesses.

Those weaknesses are probably as interesting to me as the strengths. Some of those weaknesses were personal, some where systemic to the era or his social location. Both Tubman and Frederick Douglass had large extended families that over time they became responsible for. The reality of both pre and post Civil War era was that many Black people (former slave or always free) had almost no ability to provide for themselves. There were many that were injured or aged and could not work for themselves. But also many young and healthy people that were capable of work but were significantly discriminated against. Both Douglass and Tubman worked basically until their death because their prominence allowed them to earn money to support others in ways that others in their circle could not.

Personal weaknesses are interesting to understand as well. Douglass met a free Black woman in Baltimore and encouraged her to leave with him (separately) when Douglass escaped slavery. She joined him soon after he left and they quickly married and established a life together. They were husband and wife until her death in 1882, when she was about 68 or 69. They had five children together. Anna Murray Douglass was the center of their home. But there was significant conflict or at the very least real difference.

Anna never learned to read, but Frederick Douglass was a man of words. Anna rarely traveled, Frederick was often not home. Anna cared for all of the home and family, Frederick seemed to primarily focus outside of the home. During their early life together with young children, Frederick often lived apart from the family even when he was not traveling to speak because of his work. After the completion of his first autobiography Frederick went on a speaking tour of the United Kingdom and was gone for nearly two years. Even later when he was home a bit more, he still was frequently traveling. Because Anna never learned to read, their communication when apart was always through intermediaries, often their children, who would write for Anna and read Frederick’s responses to her.

Frederick Douglas throughout his life had close relationships with White women. Many of them raised funds for Douglass’ paper or other work. There were also several White women that were significantly involved directly in his work. Both now and at the time, Frederick’s relationship with Julia Griffiths and Ottilie Assing raised gossip. Both women were professionally involved with Frederick. Julia, who met Douglass during his UK tour, came to Rochester NY to help with the Douglass’ paper and much of that time lived in the family home. Julia eventually married and moved to Canada and then back to England. Frederick and Julia continued to correspond throughout their lives and Julia continued to raise money for Douglass and otherwise assist him from England.

Ottilie Assing left an enormous amount of correspondence and her correspondence with others make it clear that she wanted Douglass to leave Anna and marry her. She tried to get him to come to Europe with her (she was German) but while they had a close professional, and personal relationship (and maybe an intimate one) Douglass did not leave his wife for Ottilie, although she did frequently live at their home for long periods of time.

It was not just Frederick Douglass’ personal life and systemic cultural issues that were weaknesses. Douglass made bad decisions at times. Before the Civil War Douglass had slavery as the enemy to point to. After the Civil War, Douglass knew that former slaves needed education and jobs and voting rights and many other things. But as a practical matter, there were limits to what could be done. One of the bad decisions I think in hindsight was to ask women to delay their right to vote until later. Douglass was not wrong that the vote needed to be extended to former slaves and freedmen in order to protect their rights. Douglass had been a strong proponent of women’s rights prior to the Civil War. But after the Civil War Douglass was afraid that if he put his weight behind women’s suffrage as well as Black suffrage, that neither would get the right to vote.

The era was an era of corruption and graft. And the was expected as part of the system of payment. Until it was too much and there was a backlash. That backlash against Black office holders was an excuse. Because White office holders had been corrupt and part of patronage systems and nepotism long before there were Black office holders. Douglass suffered his share of problems because after the Civil War, the federal government was one of the few places that could be a reliable income. Douglass and many others moved to Washington DC and entered government service. It does not appear that Douglass was part of any large system of corruption, but he did not seem to see the winds changing and supported Grant and other Republicans that were involved in large systems of corruption.

I could keep going on and on about Frederick Douglass’ life. Because any part of his life would likely be enough have made him famous. There is more than enough material for a 900 page biography. I actually finished wishing several parts of his life had more detail. Blight suggests that Douglass may have had more photographs taken of him than any other 19th century figure. And in many ways that is probably true about much of the documentation of Douglass’ life. It is amazing how much detail is retained. But there are areas that are virtually empty. Anna is hard to document because she did not write any letters and Douglass wrote little about her. There was much about Douglass’ faith, but I wanted more. There was much about the problems of his family and even with the significant detail, I did want more.

Douglass outlived 10 of his 21 grandchildren and two of his five children. The 19th century was still an era of many early deaths. Douglass lived a full life. But still it was a life that felt like it could have held so much more. As with any good biography I finish this very long book wanting more.

This is a very comprehensive and meticulously researched biography of an absolutely fascinating man. This book is a true joy to read for every history buff. Must-read, even.

The author brings us an incredibly detailed analysis and thought-provoking insights into Douglass' life and times, and sadly, also shows us that some of the attitudes he struggled against his entire life are still relevant today.
This is by no means light reading, but it is oh so very interesting. The reader's full attention is required to keep abreast with the many people important to Douglass and/or the 19th century US & world at large, not to mention all the political strife and machinations of that turbulent era.

I very much enjoyed David W. Blight's writing style. He has a real gift for the written word, sounding almost literary at times and creating clear and dramatic scenes in my mind's eye. Very much bringing home the emotional impact of certain key moments in Douglass' life. I really liked that the author doesn't shy away from Douglass' character flaws or less sympathetic moments, not idolizing him, but painting us an objective picture of a great, though not perfect, man.

The many quotes from letters, as well as from his autobiographies, especially held my interest and I also loved that the book has so many photographs in it, of Douglass, his family and contemporaries.

It's a pity that we have so little information about Anna Murray, Douglass' first wife. More insight into Douglass' feelings for her or Julia Griffiths, Ottilie Assing or Helen Pitts for that matter, would have been wonderful and would have helped us discover more of Douglass the man, be it as a husband or lover, rather than Douglass the public figure.

As a European who only just discovered him, I have to admit that I'm left awestruck by the courageous and complex man that was Frederick Douglass.

I read this biography because I have not read one about Frederick Douglass although he has been indirectly addressed in an number of other books that I have read. This is a very detailed and exhaustive biography. That said, it is well written making it an engaging read. The author frequently refers to passages from the three autobiographies writtten by Douglass himself which provides a unique perspective to the book. While history has lionized the man, this biography points out his failings along with his successes.

I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the the life of Frederick Douglass and the role he played in the development of our country.

I received a free Kindle copy of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight courtesy of Net Galley  and Simon and Schuster, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazonand my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

This is the first book I have read by the author.

An interesting look into Frederick Douglass. I haven't really read much about him previously so this had plenty of information that I didn't know about previously. I definitely find this to be a very interesting read.

An interesting book about Frederick Douglass. Blight brings out interesting points and different aspects regarding Douglass's life and experiences as an abolitionist. Although I haven't read any of Douglass's autobiographies, my exposure to his life experiences has been through documentaries. Definitely enjoyed this book.

2.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks go to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the DRC, which I received free in exchange for this honest review.

Douglass is a key figure in American history, and Blight has made his career largely through his expertise on Douglass’s life. I expected to be impressed here, and indeed, the endnotes are meticulous and I would be amazed if there was a single error anywhere in this work. But aspects of the biography rub me the wrong way, and ultimately, I realized that the best way around this is to go back and read Douglass’s own autobiographies again.

Whether we read what Douglass tells us, or what Blight (or any credible biographer) has to say, there are two impediments that stop me short, and because I have never been required to start at the beginning and end at the end to complete a scholastic or professional assignment, I tend to read the beginning; recoil; abandon; and then return in an undisciplined, skipping-around manner that is uncharacteristic of my usual methods.

First we have the Christian aspect. Douglass was tremendously devout, and during his time it was much more common to discuss religion publicly and even in daily conversations, sometimes at length. It repels me. So that’s my first problem. It’s not Blight’s problem, but it’s one I have to deal with.

The second problem—again, not Blight’s, and it’s inherent in reading about Douglass—is that slavery was horrible. Douglass actually had a slightly better life than most of his peers, gaining an education and living in the master’s house, but it was nevertheless traumatic. It is unavoidable to see what he endured and not reflect on exactly how hellish life was for the four million that endured life in this dehumanizing, degrading system. After I read a certain amount of it, I feel as if I need to take a long shower to wash away the stain.

As for Blight’s book, there are some good moments here, and I learned some things. Who helped Douglass on his road to freedom? Free Black people did. Who knew that there were vastly more free Black folks in Maryland than there were slaves? The textbooks and other materials used to teach adolescents about slavery and the American Civil War overemphasize, to a degree amounting to deception, the participation of kindly white people, largely Quakers, and provide only a fleeting glimpse of the occasional African-American.

But I find that the eloquent passages that I highlight as I read this are not Blight’s words, but quotations from Douglass himself.

Meanwhile, the obstacles to appreciating this book are consistent and irritating. Blight makes much of inconsistencies in Douglass’s three autobiographies, and when he refers to the differences there is a superior, smirking quality to his prose that doesn’t sit well. I wouldn’t like it coming from any writer, but when the writer is a Caucasian, it adds an extra layer of insult. No matter how long Blight publishes, no matter his standing in the Ivy League, he will never be fit to polish Douglass’s boots. If he once knew it, I suspect he has forgotten it. So that’s a problem, and it’s hard to read around it.

The other issue, a more common one, is the tendency to guess at what is not known. This makes me crazy. The narrative will flow along in a readable, linear fashion, and then I start seeing the speculation, which is barely visible. Might have. Must have. Likely. It makes me want to scream. If you don’t know, Professor Blight, either don’t put it in, or address the unknown in a separate paragraph explicitly addressing the possibilities. Weed out the unimportant guesses and deal with the more critical ones head on. When these inferences are salted randomly into the text, we come away with tangled notions. Apart from the key events in his life, which of the finer details were fact, and which were surmise?

Excuse me. I need to find a nice brick wall so I can slam my forehead against it.

So there it is. For all I know, Blight may gain half a dozen prestigious awards from this work; it wouldn’t be the first time a book I’ve complained about went on to garner fame and glory. But I call them like I see them, and what I see is that it’s a better plan to read what Douglass says about himself, even though Blight appears to consider himself a more reliable resource than his subject.

If you want this thing, you can have it October 2, 2018.

Frederick Douglass by David W. Blight is not a boring biography but the story of a man who lived his beliefs. I enjoyed reading about the people who shaped his life by force and others he chose to affect him even more deeply in his spirit. This biography portrays Douglass realistically with an in depth look at his family, contemporaries and fellow workers. Frederick Douglass learned from his experiences and changed the lives of others with his spirit, beliefs and work to abolish slavery. I recommend this book to anyone interested in abolition, slavery and United States History. My thanks to the author, the publisher and netgalley for making this book available to read and review.

This biography of Fredrick Douglass was well written an very informative. I learned a lot about him that I didn't know. If you are interested in history and Fredrick Douglass, I highly recommend this book.


I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

This book proves that a lengthy in-depth footnoted biography can be interesting as well as informative. Included are pictures which complement the well-written text. The author tells not only the story of Douglass’s life, but also about the time period in which he lived and people he encountered along the way.

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom is an interesting read. I give this book four and a half stars. I recommend it for those who want to learn more about this important man in history.

this is an excellent, incredibly thorough biography of Douglass. I am trying to learn more about pre-WW2 US history, and Douglass is a major role player in that period.

This was a good look into Fredric Douglas as more than just the legend or the activist, but more a look at the man as he started, what he did and who he became. It tells his story as it unfolded, and like many people he changed over the course of his life-as did his story. This book was amazing at showing us who he was and why. I would definitely recommend this, as long as you are willing to question the man who was with his legend (self created and propaganda built).

While I had of course heard of Frederick Douglass before reading this book, my knowledge of him was spotty at best, consisting mostly of fuzzy, half-remembered elementary school lessons detailing how he cajoled white children into teaching him to read as a young slave. He then went on to become a prominent abolitionist as an adult after escaping slavery. This was the beginning and the end of my knowledge of Douglass. 

Blight's biography brings Douglass into sharp focus, not just as a historical figure, but as a man. The regal looking figure we can see in photos today was once a small boy, treated as property by the Auld family. He was heartbroken when he was emotionally rejected by his mistress, Sophia Auld, who had begun his education before her husband convinced her it was dangerous to educate a slave. He had a granddaughter who liked to braid his hair. His love of music was bordering on the spiritual. 

He also, like all of us, had flaws. He may have been unfaithful to his wife. His emphasis on self-reliance was so extreme that it at times felt like a blind spot. He was a self-made man who pulled himself up out of slavery to become a highly influential figure and seemed at times almost disdainful of anyone who couldn't or wouldn't do the same. But that single-minded determination was perhaps his defining trait; he fought for equality quite literally up to his dying day. Douglass had a speaking arrangement scheduled for the evening of his death, before a heart attack took him unexpectedly. 

"Slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot."

Blight's recounting of the life of Frederick Douglass is intensely researched and thorough. It was not quite as readable as other biographies I've read, such as Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton biography, but there's something to be said for valuing substance over style. Reading this was an infinitely valuable education experience, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in American history and the beginnings of the civil rights movement.  

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This is a big book that held my interest for most pages.
The book traces the life of Frederick Douglass in a linear progression. The early chapters on his years in slavery depend mostly on his autobiographies which is not surprising given the lack of other written sources. The best chapters related to the civil war and its aftermath. Again this is not surprising given this is the author's chosen field.
At times the book sunk into a lot of detail which would be only for the determined fan.
The author has an easy style which has produced a five star effort that provides an honest, and extremely well referenced, biography of a much needed man of his time.

As a young man Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) escaped from slavery in Baltimore, Maryland. He was fortunate to have been taught to read by his slave owner mistress, and he would go on to become one of the major literary figures of his time. He wrote three versions of his autobiography over the course of his lifetime and published his own newspaper. His very existence gave the lie to slave owners: with dignity and great intelligence he bore witness to the brutality of slavery.

Initially mentored by William Lloyd Garrison, Douglass spoke widely, often to large crowds, using his own story to condemn slavery. He broke with Garrison to become a political abolitionist, a Republican, and eventually a Lincoln supporter. By the Civil War and during Reconstruction, Douglass became the most famed and widely travelled orator in the nation. He denounced the premature end of Reconstruction and the emerging Jim Crow era. In his unique and eloquent voice, written and spoken, Douglass was a fierce critic of the United States as well as a radical patriot. He sometimes argued politically with younger African-Americans, but he never forsook either the Republican party or the cause of black civil and political rights.

In this remarkable biography, David Blight has drawn on new information held in a private collection that few other historian have consulted, as well as recently discovered issues of Douglass’s newspapers. Blight tells the fascinating story of Douglass’s two marriages and his complex extended family. Douglass was not only an astonishing man of words, but a thinker steeped in Biblical story and theology. There has not been a major biography of Douglass in a quarter century. David Blight’s Frederick Douglass affords this important American the distinguished biography he deserves

Very interesting biography on someone that I thought I knew more about than I actually did know! I found Douglass' opinions about the Abolition War to be extremely interesting and relevant. Mr. Douglass was a very interesting man and the author of this biography captured his life in such a brilliant manner.