The Escapes of David George

An Odyssey of Slavery, Freedom, and the American Revolution

De: Gregory E. O'Malley

Narrado por: Tom Perkins

When most Americans think of slavery, they do not picture the colonial or revolutionary eras. Yet, in fact, one of six inhabitants of the thirteen original colonies was enslaved. The Escapes of David George: an Odyssey of Slavery, Freedom, and the American Revolution reveals a remarkable, untold experience of the American revolutionary period—a Black man's quest for the freedom espoused by our Founders, but denied him and other enslaved people.

In 1762, at the age of nineteen, David George escaped from a plantation in Virginia. Running southwest by night, fording rivers and crossing borders, he embarked on a decades-long journey in and out of captivity that spanned multiple colonies and thousands of miles. George lived among White, Black, Creek, and Natchez settlements, fled to the British Army for the promise of liberty, founded what might have been the first Black Baptist church, helped to hack a settlement for refugees out of the Nova Scotia wilderness, and died as a leader of an experimental anti-slavery community in Sierra Leone.

Piecing together archival records and David George's own brief account of his life—the earliest written testimony by a fugitive enslaved person in North America—Gregory O'Malley presents a thrilling narrative and a unique perspective on our nation's origins, principles, and contradictions.

©2026 Gregory E. O'Malley (P)2026 Tantor Media

Engaging Biography of a Phenomenal Leader

This is a meticulously researched, engaging story of a man born into slavery in early America, who dedicated his life to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. You don’t often see historical accounts of slavery in the US before cotton became king and slavery was concentrated in the South.
Through David George’s own personal narrative, public records, and accounts of others he met, O’Malley has managed to piece together a remarkable portrait of an American pioneer that feels remarkably relevant in the 21st century.
Tom Perkin’s narration is engaging and kept my attention - a difficult task when narrating historical non-fiction.
Read or listen to this book. You will not regret it.