‘Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.’

An instant bestseller on its publication in 1845, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the remarkable story of one man’s fight for freedom.

Born into slavery in Maryland, Frederick Douglass was never told his own birthday. As a boy, he witnessed the abuse of his aunt and lost his mother before he had turned seven. These are just a few of the many cruelties that shaped his childhood – but Douglass refused to let his beginning in life mould his future. In his searing memoir, Douglass recounts his extraordinary journey from slave to abolitionist leader: the needless violence, the secret struggle to learn to read and write, the daring escape that finally won him liberty and the unwavering grit and faith that helped fuel the anti-slavery movement. Beautifully written, moving and eloquent, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass became a powerful force for the abolitionist cause. Today it remains one of the most profound American autobiographies ever written.

Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895) was an American abolitionist, writer and statesman. Regarded as one of the most significant leaders of the African-American civil rights movement, Douglass gained recognition for his incisive writing and speeches on anti-slavery and women’s rights.