Anyone who reads this book will come to see Douglass as both a brilliant, self-made political visionary and a flawed man who could have difficulties managing his family affairs and who traded in certain 19th-century prejudices on occasion. The best biographies are also ones that are unflinchingly honest and represent their subject matter “warts and all.” Here too, Blight delivers superbly, depicting a Douglass that is more than just a two-dimensional icon. By this qualification alone, Blight’s work is a masterpiece - no mean feat when writing about a man who published three acclaimed autobiographies. I’ve always had a fondness for biographies, the best of which convey the richness of a historical life with near novelistic prose. As a lover of long books, I attempted to make the most of the order to stay home by reading one of the most celebrated biographies of the past few years.Īt over 750 pages before endnotes, David Blight’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom requires a big time investment - one that ultimately pays off for the reader. Some have binged shows or caught up on movies in their streaming queues others have learned a new hobby or baked countless loaves of sourdough bread. Over the past few months, we’ve all had to face the unprecedented challenge of filling long stretches of time while social distancing. Thomas holds a master's degree in History from Georgetown University and is a core member of Facing History's Marketing and Communications team. Guest writer Thomas Simpson offers a review of historian David Blight's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. Each year for Independence Day, students of history read and reflect upon Frederick Douglass’ landmark speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” In recent years, scholars have begun to reexamine the life and legacy of this famous abolitionist and orator.

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