Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup Paperback – September 22, 2010

One of the best books I've ever read. It starts off a bit tediously but after the first few chapters, you just can't put it down. It's riveting. Amazingly, there is a postscript that requires the author to provide verification that he was indeed a slave and not just making up a story. Just in case it's not humiliating enough to be subjected to 12 years of being treated worse than livestock, you have to show proof that you're not making it up, before you can publish your story. And this was in the north where he was a "free man." Excellent read.

Solomon Northrup was a free man in my hometown of Saratoga Springs, NY before he was tricked by white elites as accounted for in his narrative to travel to Washington DC where he was auctioned off, enslaved, transported to the deep south, separated from his family, his religion and tortured for more than a decade. Causasians especially should read this and not rely just on the powerful movie of the same title as this is in his own voice and is not submitted to the screen requirements of Hollywood.

I saw the movie then read the book. The book gives a great deal more information and insight into that period. The movie seemed to downplay the harshness of slavery to some extent. All in all it was good reading. I could hardly put it down.

Saw the film first, then bought the book. A really interesting read.