Frederick Douglass
14 February 1996
Description
“A masterpiece….[W]ill rightfully assume its place as the standard biography of a truly great figure in the nation’s past.” —New York Newsday
Former slave, orator, journalist, autobiographer; revolutionary on behalf of a just America, Frederick Douglass was a towering figure, at once consummately charismatic and flawed. His Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) galvanized the antislavery movement and is one of the truly seminal works of African-American literature. In this masterful and compelling biography, William S. McFeely captures the many sides of Douglass—his boyhood on the Chesapeake; his self-education; his rebellion and rising expectations; his marriage, affairs, and intense friendships; his bitter defeat and transcendent courage—and recreates the high drama of a turbulent era.
Awards
Joint Winner — Lincoln Prize, 1992
Shortlisted — Pulitzer Prize, 1992
Also By: William S. McFeely 
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: A Norton Critical Edition
Second Edition, E Book, 2021
This revision of the acclaimed and widely-assigned Norton Critical Edition of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography includes key examples of literary and cultural analyses that have engaged scholars...
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: A Norton Critical Edition
Second Edition, Paperback, 2016
This revision of the acclaimed and widely-assigned Norton Critical Edition of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography includes key examples of literary and cultural analyses that have engaged scholars...
Grant
E Book, 2011
"Combines scholarly exactness with evocative passages....Biography at its best."—Marcus Cunliffe, The New York Times Book Review; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Portrait: The Life of Thomas Eakins
Paperback, 2008
"Provocative.... McFeely sensitively chronicles the maturation of this enigmatic Philadelphian."—Matthew Price, New York Times Book Review
Ulysses S. Grant: An Album
Hardback, 2004
A pictorial biography by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian that presents Ulysses S. Grant in new and fascinating ways.