Twelve Years a Slave – Enhanced Edition by Dr. Sue Eakin Based on a Lifetime Project. New Info, Images, Maps

If you were, like me, looking to read Twelve Years a Slave and were looking through the various Kindle versions of the book, stop right here -- you've found the version you want. For just a dollar the Eakin "enhanced version" is absolutely loaded with historical features, annotations, and pictures that add tremendous depth and context to an amazing story, and is easily the best version on Amazon. The Northup book itself is, of course, marvelous. As slave stories go, this one is, in my view, without peer. Northup's s captivating tale -- which has gained attention because of the movie that shares the book's title -- is told in exacting detail with an easy prose. He sets the stage masterfully, describing people and places before proceeding into the narrative. Unlike works of fiction, this book is so compelling because, by all accounts, it is true. There is no polemical axe to grind, as with Uncle Tom (a novel at one point wryly referenced by Northup). Here you see both the brutality of slavery and the moments of kindness by slaves and even some slave owners. Solomon tells the story with clarity and intelligence. Because Twelve Years a Slave is in the public domain, I initially searched for free copies elsewhere. Unfortunately, the free versions I found on other sites were pretty badly formatted, so spending a dollar for a polished version on Amazon proved worthwhile. That said, while most of the Amazon versions are while noticeably cleaner than the free site versions, nearly all of the Amazon entries are barebones versions with no extra material, and most of their introductions, such as they are, are done by novelists or movie producers. That's fine, but at the end of the day they're not historians. Sue Eakin is. As a scholar who devoted her life to Northup's story, she fills in the gaps in a way that is honest and easy to follow. She traces Northup's life before the book, brings outside contemporary sources into the picture, and, most interestingly, discusses the mystery behind Northup's life after the book. All of this is done via footnotes and appendices, meaning that they are there if you want them but don't interfere with the book proper. As if that's not enough, the e-book has a website full of great pictures of everything from Epps's house to the ship's manifest that has Northup's slave name on it. It's hard to go wrong with this edition, especially given that it is currently priced the same as the other, far more basic, editions on Amazon. Highly recommended.

Compelling book that vividly descriptions of the life of a slave in the South in the 1850's.The author's devolution from freeman to slave is documented, but in living 160 years later, it seems almost surreal that so much evil persisted in those days. The writing style and verbiage are from the 1800's and are at times difficult to read. Style is simple, verbiage is archaic but understandable . The subject matter, slavery, is well defined in this book, as are it's consequences. Brutality was the call of the day, hard ,endless work with promises of a small piece of salt pork and beans ,your reward for surviving another day of toiling as a slave. The one day off was needed to search for additional food or to grow food in order to survive another week. Everyone should read this book, it will make you think and feel good that you didn't live during these times. I didn't give this book a 5 star rating because of the writing style and verbiage used.

As most people know, your ancestry has a lot to do with who you are as a person. Teachings get passed down and experiences get shared. It all has an impact on your outlooks on life. Although we all have our own individuality as human beings, you can see how a historical background can affect how you walk through this life experience. It cannot be helped. This book is a very powerful look into the life of only one man, but he represents so many. Anyone who is of a color that is not black should read this. If you have a heart that doesn't understand the black experience fully as it has progressed in the world, especially where the abhorrent "owning of human beings" is concerned, you need to read this one (or at the very least, see the movie). You many say, it isn't only African Americans who have been slaves. Yes this is correct, but it doesn't diminish the importance of the knowledge and understanding that reading this book will offer. (Can you imagine being bought and sold and losing a child through a sale? A wife? A husband, a friend, a brother or sister? Wondering forever after what happened to that person you loved with all your heart?) The movie was great with its accuracy and superb acting, but the book has a bonus feature. The author offers up many years of research, insights and transcripts on the life of Soloman Northup both before and after he was returned to freedom. This was of great interest as it had an outside view of who he was as a person and speculations about his own personal frailties. His wife and children were followed a bit too. It would have been nice to see some real life interviews with them, but it was quite a ways in the past and most of the information was in public record, court transcripts, newspaper articles and genealogical offerings from descendants. This made for reading that was a little dry and repetitious (court documents) at times, but interesting nonetheless. The hard fact is, was and remains, that it is never OK to buy and sell human beings for any reason. There is no justification for it. This book is a tearful and 'grit your teeth' snapshot of American history at its most appalling. We as a people have truly made horrendous mistakes.

“Twelve Years a Slave” is a riveting biography by Solomon Northup, an uneducated free black man who was lured from his home in New York state to Washington D.C. where he was kidnapped by slavers. He was transported to the pens of Richmond Virginia and subsequently sold into slavery in Louisiana. His story is short and stark. Although largely uneducated, his miserable life after the kidnapping and for the twelve years he was enslaved is told with clarity and urgency in his yearning for freedom. What makes this story even more appealing is the effort the late Dr. Sue Eakin expended to study the Northup’s written account and provide understanding as to how a free man of color could possibly have his freedom snatched away and then be denied the justice he deserved when the misdeed was discovered. Neither the slavers nor the brutal plantation owners were ever prosecuted. Solomon Northup has provided the description of his live as a slave. Dr. Eakin has used his experience to explore the concept, the manipulation, and the erosion of justice implicit to the practice of slavery. Northup tried to regain his meager life after being returned to his wife and children but his lack of education and technical skills relegated him to a life of spotty employment and indebtedness. Eventually he simply disappeared, leading to much speculation about his fate. Was he kidnapped again and returned to slavery? Was he murdered for his notoriety and highly visible stance on abolitionism? Did he succumb to alcohol and live a homeless life? No one knows, his wife never said, and a gravesite has never been found. This book is fascinating. Northup’s account takes up about two thirds of the volume and Dr. Eakins’ studious research and comments form the final third. Northup’s story has been called the second most influential accounting of slavery in the United States behind Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Solomon Northup’s ghost writer, David Wilson, must have relished the thought of gaining the wealth that Stowe achieved but, although it was published less than a year after Stowe’s 1852 publication date and it sold well, it went out of print in 1856, the victim of plain non-fiction versus heart wrenching fiction. I couldn’t put the book down. The inhumanity of slavery as presented by one who lived it was touching and heartbreaking. Schuyler T Wallace Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

An eye opening and sober rendition of slavery and its affects on individuals and society. Sue Eaken's life long effort to find historical records and references confirmed Solomon Northups story and also provided context for the time period when these events occurred. Like at least one critic of the era, Solomon's story is the real thing. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was a sensation but it is a fictitious novel based on similar true events, while Solomon's story is the counterpoint of truth that confirms how disastrous slavery is for everyone. Having power over another human being and removing that person's humanity to the point that they are not treated as well as an animal is the worst example of humanity. Equally shocking are the bibliographical references and notes by the author that point out aspects of slavery that are not commonly known. It was shocking to read how a black woman, who had been emancipated by her owner, was returned to slavery by the state court and the Supreme Court, because as valuable property she could be sold to pay off her deceased owner's debts. I cannot imagine the level the depths of this woman's fear, anxiety, depression, anger, and loss that this woman would have felt. This book is a must read and I recommend reading Uncle Tom's Cabin first as a way to contrast two books written in the same era.

I have had the fortune of reading the book, watching the film and listening to the audio version. The book like the film is a long but easy read. The annotations by historian Sue Eakin though rich in historical detail and other educational facts are rather distracting and do not allow for flowing reading. An enormous amount of shuffling between the footnotes and the story is required and this considerably slows down the reading. Some of the annotations by the celebrated historian are in direct opposition Solomon’s Northup’s account. Almost every time Northup attempts to describe some barbaric act he himself experienced there is a counter foot note to somewhat minimise it. For example if Solomon describes the food or living conditions in unsavoury terms there is a counter footnote to the effect that it was not as bad as described. For all her good and commendable work in providing the historical background she appears determined to show that slaves were treated better than Solomon portrays. It's as if Solomon merely spun a yarn and she felt it her duty to correct it yet the fact is that it is his and not her story.. The film as always for me as in all adaptations failed in its lack and failure to capture the most important details and feel of the book that are better expressed in writing. There is absolutely no way to fully understand and grasp the film without having read the book first. In the quest to convert a book into a film script it has to necessarily lose much of it essence. The instances where this occurred in the book/film are too numerous to mention. The book sells its soul to the Hollywood devils in exchange for much desired and received publicity and status. Admittedly the film on its own was good. The picture was excellent and the directing was spot on and worthy of the acclaim it received. However it waters the book down and it comes out as a rather simplistic disjointed piece only held together by the seriousness of the subject matter. Lupita N’yongo does truly deserve her award for best supporting actress for her captivating performance as Patsy. She really is a good actress and deserving of her award because her role in the book is not at all prominent yet she brings it alive in the film. I recommend the film but only after reading the book. The audio version of the book is even worse and I do not recommend it. It is narrated by actor Louis Gosset Jr who won an Emmy award for Roots. Understandably a black narrator was considered to be the most appropriate narrator to enhance authenticity since the book is in the first person singular. However I am afraid he just did not do it for me and I struggled with it and had to abandon it after a few chapters of sheer struggle and continued reading on my own. He reads well but he sounds rather forced and stilted and his narration style and manner just is not captivating or endearing. I give the book 3 out of 5 stars, the film 2 out of 5 and the audible 1 out of 5. You can upgrade to the audio version for $0.99

I was curious how accurately the recent movie followed the book, the answer being pretty closely. Fundamentally it's a well-written book because I think it conveys the hopelessness and frustration of the slave even better than the movie, and also convincingly shows the institution's corrupting influence upon the owner class (to varying extents depending on the individual). All the details fall into place, and it simply "rings true". Warning: this book is written in a somewhat archaic style by an early-19th-century ghostwriter: there are some old-fashioned and usages, a few words I didn't recognize, and it can be verbose by today's standards. There are also some attempts to pander to the prejudices of white readers of the time, and the sexual predator aspect of slavery is discussed somewhat obliquely due to 19th-century sensibilities. But overall I strongly recommend this book. It's a fascinating historical story, the writing works at the fundamental level, and it's a less brutal experience to read this book than to see the movie, because one doesn't have to imagine every horrifying detail.

I had never heard of Northup's book before seeing the movie, but although the movie strives to do justice to the book, the book is far more detailed and realistic. Its straightforward, honest, unpretentious style details the inhumanity and brutality of slavery -- not in the third person as most of us read in history books, but in first person, up close and personal. It is riveting. Reading the book a century and a half later, one can see why the Civil War was inevitable. One also can easily identify a whole host of southern racist attitudes that the Civil War did not eradicate and that in various forms remain with us to this day. In a somewhat fortunate happenstance, I had recently read "Two Years Before the Mast," by Richard Henry Dana, which was published barely a decade earlier than Northup's book, describing in equally intricate detail - and remarkably similar literary style -- the hard life aboard a merchant ship. (It's a free Kindle book.) Dana, of course, chose his fate, but Northup's and Dana's books, read together, give one a real feel for the nasty, brutish, and short aspects of life in the mid-19th century. I chose to get Eakin's annotated version, and I found the annotations to be well-researched, factual rather than opinionated (and disagree with the reviewer who found them "downplaying" the brutality), and useful if one wants to use Google Earth or a search engine to look at places and peripheral documents and photos. The annotated version costs the same as the unannotated version. The book itself is public domain so it is probably available for free if one wants, but no matter what edition one has, it's a great read for anyone aged 12 and up.