Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown [Paperback]

In 1849, Henry Brown escaped from slavery by shipping himself in a three-foot-by-two-foot wooden crate from Virginia to an anti-slavery office in Philadelphia. Twenty-seven hours and 350 miles later, Brown stepped out of his box to begin a new life. This is his memoir, originally published in 1851 in England, as fresh and compelling today as it was 150 years ago. This extraordinary narrative paints an indelible portrait of life in slavery. With a keen sense of irony, Brown examines the peculiar institution --from the hypocrisy of slave-owning Christian preachers, to the system of bribery that forced slaves to purchase the rights to their own belongings, to the practice of separating slave families with no warning. The story also describes one of the most audacious, creative escapes ever completed. A classic slave narrative, it makes for unforgettable reading.

Newman's edition has notes that are not only useful and interesting, but as moving as Brown's story itself. --New York Review of Books

Highly readable and moving in its blunt description of slavery. --Philadelphia Inquirer

The reader who steps into the claustrophobic box occupied by Brown encounters unforgettable reconstructions of the horror--slavery--upon which America itself was built. --Chicago Tribune

What distinguishes Brown's book is its incredible, though brief and uninflected, conclusion, involving one of the most impressive escapes in American letters. --New Republic

Richard Newman has performed a most outstanding and admirable service in restoring this rare and compelling text to a new generation of readers. Brown's story calls to mind in our own generation the determination to achieve democracy by oppressed people throughout the world. --Henry Louis Gates, Jr., from the Foreword

Henry 'Box' Brown's daring escape from slavery is one of the great creative acts in the struggle for black freedom. This is l›