Manchild in the Promised Land

By: Claude Brown

Narrated by: Cary Hite

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

With more than two million copies in print, Manchild in the Promised Land is one of the most remarkable autobiographies of our time - the definitive account of African-American youth in Harlem of the 1940s and 1950s, and a seminal work of modern literature.

Published during a literary era marked by the ascendance of Black writers such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Alex Haley, this thinly fictionalized account of Claude Brown’s childhood as a hardened, streetwise criminal trying to survive the toughest streets of Harlem has been heralded as the definitive account of everyday life for the first generation of African Americans raised in the Northern ghettos of the 1940s and 1950s.  

When the book was first published in 1965, it was praised for its realistic portrayal of Harlem - the children, young people, hardworking parents; the hustlers, drug dealers, prostitutes, and numbers runners; the police; the violence, sex, and humor.  

The book continues to resonate generations later, not only because of its fierce and dignified anger, not only because the struggles of urban youth are as deeply felt today as they were in Brown’s time, but also because of its inspiring message. Now with an introduction by Nathan McCall, here is the story about the one who “made it” - the boy who kept landing on his feet and grew up to become a man.

©1965, 2005 Urban Audiobooks (P)2019 Claude Brown

Powerful and revealing

A great book that I read as a youth in the 80s. Still as enthralling as the first time I read it. A timeless portrait of unchanging and often unchallenged urban ills.

Fantastic

One of the best books I’ve ever read/listened to. Also, the narrators voice is really good.

Love it!!

Man I hate I waited so long to read and also it’s kind of sad that we really haven’t seem to have changed much as a nation or a people. I’m dealing with this now with my son in 2021. Thank you for sharing this Mr. Brown

LIFE

Real Life in Plain English. There are parts, I'm sure many will identify with.

TIME MACHINE!!

I can close my eyes and see everything that this book had to offer. I recommend this book for those who need inspiration and historic intelligence.

a must read

great story narrator was great and sound affects just awesome made the story seem real

Brilliant

Engaging story telling with sound effects splashed throughout the book for dramatic effect. Claude Brown brings the reader to the streets of Harlem like noone else can. A tale of debauchery and deep reflection. I will be using many sections of this book to engage black youth in discussions of poverty, parenting, drug use, and rebellion.

This a must read, I'm planning on rereading

Funny, but relatable. I love the author views on being a boys an becoming a men. The reader has the best ability to draw the pictures of the entire book.

Tough at first

This was hard to listen to at the beginning. Being a white female not knowing anything about Harlem, Black history, it was very enlightening though. You have to get used to the narrator’s voice, it is a little on the monotone side. Once you get through chapter 7 things get interesting. So hang in there, listen or read, it has a really awesome plain & simple message. And the history of what happened is quite eye-opening. Especially for us white folks.

Love the story, hate the sound effects

Great story-read the book in the ‘80’s, so I was excited to listen to it. The narrator is wonderful. But, there are unnecessary sound effects (punches, glass breaking, sirens, gun shots,etc) which really detracted from the wonderful narration. I listen as I commute to work, and several times the sound effects were so startling and jarring that I jumped snd/or slammed on the breaks. It took away from the experience and the essence of the story.