Freedom Road

by Howard Fast

Book Overview

"Howard Fast makes superb use of his material. ... Aside from its social and historical implications, Freedom Road is a high-geared story, told with that peculiar dramatic intensity of which Fast is a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• ISBN: 055310148X
• ISBN13: 9780553101485
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Reconstruction's Freedom Road

Even though this fictional book was assigned for a class in Civil War history, it turned out to be an enjoyable assignment. It is a very readable account of Reconstruction from 1865 to 1877. The book describes how well Reconstruction was working for recently emancipated slaves in South Carolina, and how bad it was going for the elite southern whites there. It does an amazing job of portraying the positive struggles of African Americans, and some working class whites, and how they were succeeding, until the final withdrawal of Union troops from the South. This book is fun to read in the beginning, but the sad consequences of Reconstruction bring it to the inevitable conclusion. This does not detract from the book's accurate portrayal of what really caused Reconstruction to fail. This is an excellent book that you will have no trouble reading in one sitting. If you read this book, you will understand what really happened during Reconstruction, and the real facts that they failed to tell most of us in high school. This book was published in 1944, long before most US historians recognized how southern historians had distorted the country's view of Reconstruction. Thanks to recent historians, we now have a much more accurate picture of this era.

EXCELLENT BOOK

To not feel emotion while reading this book is impossible. The reader falls in love with the main character, Gideon Jackson. His enemies become the reader's enemies. His struggles break the reader's heart, because they've grown so close to Gideon. The reader becomes angry, sad, and just upset at how the people and the America that so many people fought for, can just turn its back on these poor black slaves. The hatred and the evilness portrayed by the Klu Klux Klan is unbearable and the reader realizes how unfortunate these times were for the black American. So if you want a very dramatic, but historically true novel this is the number ONE choice!

Wonderful Book!

THis book was my assignment for US History. At first, I thought it was going to be boring. But I just couldn't put it down after I started.After reading it , I had a better understanding to the difficulties of rebuilding the peaceful society between the blacks and white, especially under the presence if KKK.It is a truly touching and sad book.

Freedom Road

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have found books about the Civil War. This is one of the few books I read that deal with its after-math. It gives a well written illustration of the Reconstruction. The reader becomes the free slave, carpetbagger, poor white and bankrupt plantation owner. As each character meets Gideon Jackson each person discovers their importance in the development of humanity.

Great Book!

I thought this was one of the best books I've ever read, right up there with To Kill A Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath,and Black Boy. Howard Fast's writing style was a little different than what I am used to, but it is very effective. The story of Gideon Jackson is amazing and shows the power of education. I found that I became very passionate about this book. The way that Mr. Fast traces the rise of Gideon with the rise of the KKK is remarkable and the final chapters will leave you not wanting to put the book down. I highly recommend this book.