Up from Slavery

By: Booker T. Washington

Narrated by: Noah Waterman

Booker T. Washington fought his way out of slavery to become an educator, statesman, political shaper, and proponent of the "do-it-yourself" idea. In his autobiography, he describes his early life as a slave on a Virginia plantation, his steady rise during the Civil War, his struggle for education, his schooling at the Hampton Institute, and his years as founder and president of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which was devoted to helping minorities learn useful, marketable skills.

He gives an account of his travels, speeches, and meetings with various leaders, including Theodore Roosevelt in the White House. Employing a didactic tone, Washington deftly sets forth his belief that the Black man’s salvation lies in education, industriousness, and self-reliance. This is the true-life story of a man of real courage and dedication.

Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856-1915), founder of Tuskegee Institute, was a leading educator, author, and statesman who rose from slavery to become internationally famous.

Public Domain (P)1995 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Remains one of the most important works on such an influential African American leader." (Professor Delia Crutchfield Cook, University of Maryland)

"This book is a must-[listen]." (Professor Warren C. Swindell, Indiana State University)

Excellent Autobiography! Highly Recommend

This was an excellent account of the life of Booker T Washington, very inspirational and informative - definitely a good read. I did not find the narrator very effective, but the story is so interesting that I learned to get used to him. This is a wonderful historic account of self determination, hard work, and true rags to riches - B T Washington is an inspiration to all and his story is full of life lessons useful to all! Highly Recommend.

Inspiring and relevant

It is no exaggeration to say that Booker T Washington stands out as one of the great people in the history of the United states. What he accomplished with his boundless optimism and hard work is incredible and wonderful. Listening to this biography has been a rare pleasure. I'm reminded of the poem IF by Rudyard Kipling: Such lines as "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;" and "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch," and "If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone," describe this great man so well. This is a must listen audio book about a person born into slavery who became a shining light that inspires us all.

Narration is outstanding.

A must for most of us.

I really liked this book. It opened my mind up to a lot of information.

The only negative is the speed of the reading by the speaker. I had to concentrate on the words as he spoke.

At a slower pace he sounded like he was under the influence of drugs.

Message to college students

Every college student should read this book and remember to be grateful for room, board, and the opportunity for an education.

fantastic and enlightening

I loved everything about this book. Truly enlightening and highly recommend. You'll appreciate the lengths to which Booker went in order to attend school. His thirst for knowledge and then to share knowledge is tremendously admirable.

A book everyone should read regardless of race.

uplifting enlightening and encouraging words from a remarkable man. I struggled a bit with the narration but the story more than made up for it.

Mr. Washington would be horrified

This man had such high hopes of eventual equality of the races in 1901, and today people STILL judge others and treat others differently based on skin color. A fascinating read, a good performance by Noah Waterman, whose delivery fit Mr Washington's style of writing perfectly!

As pertinent today as it was 100 years ago

Poor narration but a very moving story. Booker T Washington was born as a slave. His autobiography covers his life as a child slave, his freedom, and his ongoing pursuit of education for himself and his people. He earned respect from those who could easily have been his former owners through his humility and eagerness to work. As president of the Tuskegee Institute he required his students to learn skilled trades as well as books and letters. He knew his students would have to provide a valuable product when they went out into he world before their gift of knowledge would be accepted. He led by example and taught his students to do the same.

A Shinning Example of a Man

I knew little of Booker T. Washington before I listened to this book. I'd heard his name referenced in history class once or twice, but that's about it. So, I went into this book blind... and I was completely BLINDSIDED. Booker T. Washington is an amazing man. What surprises me most is how relevant his thoughts and ideas are for today. Many people want the government to provide everything for mistreated people, not Booker T. Booker T. Washington wants to build men and women into to capable individuals who can provide everything they need for themselves. I really appreciated hearing his deep held beliefs on developing one's own abilities.

This is an excellent biography. The narrator is very stiff, but you get used to it. I would highly recommend this to everyone.

As a Teacher in 2018

A s a teacher, wife and mother, i found this book to be very eye opening and sad as well. so many similarities even though there is so much time between us. I honestly want to quite my job and home school our children. only if the education system was constructed in a way that every person had a skill that he could bring back to his community.