Twelve Years a Slave

By: Solomon Northup

Narrated by: Louis Gossett Jr.

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Official Movie Tie-in Audiobook for the Academy Award's Best Picture and Golden Globe's Best Drama winner.

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller.

In this riveting landmark autobiography which reads like a novel, Academy Award and Emmy winner Louis Gossett, Jr., masterfully transports us to 1840s New York, Washington, D.C., and Louisiana to experience the kidnapping and twelve years of bondage of Solomon Northup, a free man of color. Twelve Years a Slave, published in 1853, was an immediate bombshell in the national debate over slavery leading up to the Civil War. It validated Harriett Beecher Stowe’s fictional account of Southern slavery in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which had become the best-selling American book in history a few years earlier and significantly changed public opinion in favor of abolition. Experience our official movie tie-in audiobook for the award-winning motion picture, directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Michael Fassbender, and Lupita Nyong'o. This audio edition with an accompanying custom map is based on the research of Dr. Sue Eakin, the nationally recognized authority on Solomon Northup who spent a lifetime authenticating his story.

Hard working Solomon Northup, an educated free man of color in 1841, enjoys family life with his wife and three children in Saratoga, New York. He delights his community with his fiddle playing and antic spirit, and has positive expectations of all he meets. When he is deceived by “circus promoters” to accompany them to a musical gig in the nation’s capital, his joyful life takes an unimaginable turn. He awakens in shackles to find he has been drugged, kidnapped and bound for the slave block in D.C.

After Solomon is shipped 1,000 miles to New Orleans, he is assigned his slave name and quickly learns that the mere utterance of his true origin or rights as a freeman are certain to bring severe punishment or death. While he endures the brutal life of a slave in Louisiana’s isolated Bayou Boeuf plantation country, he must learn how to play the system and plot his escape home.

For 12 years, his fine mind captures the reality of slavery in stunning detail, as we learn about the characters that populate plantation society and the intrigues of the bayou – from the collapse of a slave rebellion resulting in mass hangings due to traitorous slave Lew Cheney, to the tragic abuse of his friend Patsey because of Mrs. Epps’ jealousy of her husband’s sexual exploitation of his pretty young slave.

When Solomon finally finds a sympathizing friend who risks his life to secret a letter to the North, a courageous rescue attempt ensues that could either compound Solomon’s suffering, or get him back to the arms of his family.

AUTHENTICATION: Northup’s harrowing first-hand account was authenticated from decades of research by Dr. Sue Eakin, who rediscovered the original narrative as a 12-year old in 1931 and made it her life’s work.

For additional audio clips, background info and images, see our website at www.12YearsASlaveBook.com.

Download your unique free map based on Solomon's narrative.

©2013 Eakin Films & Publishing (P)2013 Eakin Films & Publishing

Critic reviews

“...Gossett infuses the words with a quiet, seething power." ( AudioFile, 2013)

“I can never read his account of his days in slavery, of his independence of spirit, of his determination to be free…without believing that it would make a difference in today's world if our contemporaries knew of such a man as Solomon Northup." (Dr. John Hope Franklin, past president of the American Historical Association, best-selling author, recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom, nation's highest civilian honor)

"[T]he extraordinary narrative of Solomon Northup is the most remarkable book that was ever issued from the American press." ( Detroit Tribune, original 1853 review) "Its truth is far greater than fiction." (Frederick Douglass, famous writer, former slave and abolitionist) "It will be read extensively, both at the North and the South." ( New York Tribune, 1853, published by Horace Greeley)

Fantastic Read

What made the experience of listening to Twelve Years a Slave the most enjoyable?

I really wanted to read it but not time. Always on the go and so the audio version was perfect.

What does Louis Gossett, Jr. bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice is perfect for this book. Just loved everything bout it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did get emotional

Any additional comments?

This is just amazing all together. I have highly recommended it to friends and family. I have also shared it across all my social media accounts.

Incredible

Sometimes hard to listen to because it is a true story of slavery. Love Louis Gossett, Jr. but he is sometimes hard to understand. But overall a very interesting and good listen. I would recommend this book.

Outstanding!

Beautifully written account. Word craft takes you there! Stunning descriptions convey the author's experience in vivid detail. Flawlessly performed!

Producer Note: Louis Gossett and Dr. Sue Eakin

Any additional comments?

I'm Frank Eakin of Eakin Films & Publishing, the producer of this audiobook. We are hopeful that AudioFile Magazine’s outstanding review of Louis Gossett, Jr.’s narration of TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE in early 2013 will be the first of many that will set the stage for a Grammy nomination: “...Gossett infuses the words with a quiet, seething power." Aside from being a world class performer with an Emmy for his role as Fiddler in ROOTS and an Oscar for OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, Lou’s passion for this story and the subject of human suffering drives his riveting performance. He has been a wonderful partner in this venture and his work comes from the heart.

The story of Solomon Northup has a long history in my family. Originally published in 1853, the autobiography was lost to history by the early twentieth century, when a 12-year old avid reader in central Louisiana – the future Dr. Sue Eakin – reached upon the library shelf of a plantation home and discovered a dusty copy of the book that would determine her life's path. She went on write her master's thesis about Solomon’s story and after decades of research, produced the first authenticated edition of the book in 1968. In 2007, at the age of 88, she completed a final definitive edition with over 100 pages of additional fascinating information, never-before-published images and unique maps related to the story that will be released as an e-book and paperback on Amazon soon. This audiobook edition comes with an accompanying copyrighted custom map developed by Dr. Eakin that tracks the story and shows the plantation tracts owned by the slave masters mentioned in the narrative.

For more info, including updates on the 2013 movie starring Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti and Michael Fassbender (directed by Steve McQueen), check out our website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. Also see our Facebook page for Eakin Films & Publishing and the title’s Wikipedia page. Whenever you see Dr. Sue Eakin’s name associated with a book or audiobook related to Solomon’s story, that’s us – and you’ll know that you’re buying a high quality product with Dr. Eakin’s lifetime of research and dedication behind it.

A Journey You Must Take

Would you listen to Twelve Years a Slave again? Why?

I absolutely would listen to this story again. The narrative was remarkable. Louis Gossett at his finest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Twelve Years a Slave?

The recounting of a free-man being stolen away into captivity. It's just riveting. Everyone can imagine the emotions that must have flowed.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is when the family is reunited.

interesting but sad with a happy ending.

Slavery is a horrible fact of US history. It is difficult to understand how men could be church goers but treat humans the way they did. I am glad that this story resurfaced.

didn't read it I return the book it starts slow

didn't read it it starts slow I was not interested in it I returned it

amazing and heartbreaking

Lou Gossett jr. was the perfect narrator for this first-hand account of a man who went from Freeborn to slavery and back to Freedom in the 1840s and 50s. Amazing and quite detailed about the everyday life of hopelessness and abuse. also, an uplifting presentation of his recollections of good people who went quite out of their way to return him to his family. he was amazingly articulate and introspective and was able to take you from feelings of fear, helplessness, Joy, forgiveness, and utter horror.

Historically Detailed and Beautifully Spoken Words

Where does Twelve Years a Slave rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Best story and voice match

What did you like best about this story?

The period style writing spoken

What about Louis Gossett, Jr.’s performance did you like?

Brought forth period images

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Which one? Ther were many!

Any additional comments?

Phenomenal listen.

great perspective

I picked this book up only based on the movie that I had wanted to see but hadn't gotten a chance too yet. I didn't know it was a first hand account written in the time period which provides an invaluable perspective.