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Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero
by
Cate Lineberry (Goodreads Author)
Be Free or Die is a compelling narrative that illuminates Robert Smalls’ amazing journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman. It also gives fascinating insight and knowledge into the country's first efforts to help newly freed slaves while also illustrating the many struggles and achievements of African Americans during the war.
It was a mild M ...more
It was a mild M ...more
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A must Read.
I'd come across references to Robert Smalls in quite a few books on the American Civil War in the past, so I was familiar with the bare outlines of his story and keen to learn more. When I came across this book I jumped at the chance to read it, since by and large historians of the period have been content to focus on the bigger picture and more famous names, and passing references to Smalls are often all one can find.
And what a remarkable story it is - born into slavery, he freed himself, his w ...more
And what a remarkable story it is - born into slavery, he freed himself, his w ...more
So when I read these kinds of history / non-fiction / biography books, I generally have three criteria by which to judge them:
1) Choice of subject. Is this a story worth telling? I like to read about people who are interesting or heroic or villainous or otherwise noteworthy but about whom I don't know much. Or, if a book is about someone who's a household name already, does the author have some new insight or a new way of looking about the subject that will cause me to reevaluate what I think I ...more
1) Choice of subject. Is this a story worth telling? I like to read about people who are interesting or heroic or villainous or otherwise noteworthy but about whom I don't know much. Or, if a book is about someone who's a household name already, does the author have some new insight or a new way of looking about the subject that will cause me to reevaluate what I think I ...more
Jun 25, 2017
Ann
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
history,
19th-century,
non-fiction,
biography,
american-history,
theft,
slavery,
nautical,
southern,
african-american,
race-racism,
civil-war,
war,
south-carolina,
writing-style-compelling,
lowcountry,
writing-style-spare,
tone-inspiring,
character-courageous,
writing-style-journalistic,
runaways
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
I'm happy to see Robert Smalls' incredible story told on a national scale. I certainly had never heard of him until I moved to Beaufort. I wish this had been a full biography rather than focusing primarily on the Civil War years, because while the author does a great job of putting Smalls in the greater context of the war, she gets awfully repetitive with information and hammers points so hard that they were distracting from the flow of the bo ...more
I'm happy to see Robert Smalls' incredible story told on a national scale. I certainly had never heard of him until I moved to Beaufort. I wish this had been a full biography rather than focusing primarily on the Civil War years, because while the author does a great job of putting Smalls in the greater context of the war, she gets awfully repetitive with information and hammers points so hard that they were distracting from the flow of the bo ...more
I was prepared to give this book 4 stars until I read the following in the acknowledgements section:
"Michael Trouche, Charleston historian."
WOW.
Calling Michael Trouche a "historian" would be like referring to Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh as "sociologists."
Had the author done a simple search of Mr. Trouche's letters to the our local paper, the POST & COURIER, she would have discovered him to be an ardent racist and a one of the Charleston area's loudest Confederate apologists. The only "his ...more
"Michael Trouche, Charleston historian."
WOW.
Calling Michael Trouche a "historian" would be like referring to Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh as "sociologists."
Had the author done a simple search of Mr. Trouche's letters to the our local paper, the POST & COURIER, she would have discovered him to be an ardent racist and a one of the Charleston area's loudest Confederate apologists. The only "his ...more
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CATE LINEBERRY is the author of "Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero" (coming June 20, 2017). She is also the author of "The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines," a #1 Wall Street Journal e-book bestseller and a finalist for the Edgar and Anthony Awards. Lineberry was previously a staff writer and editor f
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