Be Free Or Die
"A stunning tale of a little-known figure in history. Robert Smalls' astounding heroism during the Civil War helped convince Lincoln and the country that African Americans were extraordinarily capable of fighting for their freedom. Lineberry has produced a triumph in this heroic story that illuminates our country's ongoing struggles with race." —Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Professor in American History Harvard University and Executive Producer of Finding Your Roots “Be Free or Die makes you want to stand up and cheer. Cate Lineberry has done us all a great service by telling this incredibly moving, thrilling, and important story about an American hero who deserves to be remembered, and admired.” —Candice Millard, author of Hero of the Empire Facing death rather than enslavement—a story of one man's triumphant choice and ultimate rise to national hero It was a mild May morning in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1862, the second year of the Civil War, when a twenty-three-year-old slave named Robert Smalls did the unthinkable and boldly seized a Confederate steamer. With his wife and two young children hidden on board, Smalls and a small crew ran a gauntlet of heavily armed fortifications in Charleston Harbor and delivered the valuable vessel and the massive guns it carried to nearby Union forces. To be unsuccessful was a death sentence for all. Smalls’ courageous and ingenious act freed him and his family from slavery and immediately made him a Union hero while simultaneously challenging much of the country’s view of what African Americans were willing to do to gain their freedom. After his escape, Smalls served in numerous naval campaigns off Charleston as a civilian boat pilot and eventually became the first black captain of an Army ship. In a particularly poignant moment Smalls even bought the home that he and his mother had once served in as house slaves. Be Free or Die is a compelling narrative that illuminates Robert Smalls’ amazing journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman. This captivating tale of a valuable figure in American history gives fascinating insight into the country's first efforts to help newly freed slaves while also illustrating the many struggles and achievements of African Americans during the Civil War.
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I first heard about Robert Smalls in (believe it or not) a Facebook meme where his achievements are described. The creator said he would love to see this as a movie, compared to the thousands of reboots we seem to be getting from Hollywood these days. Then, when I saw this book on Audible, it seemed like as good a time as any to read it. I had hoped that I could add it to the growing pile of excellent non-fiction I've read this year. Sadly, this novel was not as awesome as I had hoped it would be, as it is often full of information that I already know, rather than the story of Robert Smalls himself.
The story of Robert Smalls is one that bares repeating, if for no other reason than he managed to do so much at a time when African Americans were so restricted in America. He escaped from slavery in South Carolina by capturing a Confederate steamship loaded with cannons and supplies. He ran said ship past heavily armed Confederate fortifications and surrendered to Union forces, all without getting shot at. Then, fighting for the Union, he would pilot many different ships, until ultimately being bestowed the rank of Captain and allowed to lead the very ship he used to escape Confederate waters.
After the Civil War, he returned to South Carolina and purchased his former Master's house. Then he served in both National politics and State politics and invested in numerous business ventures to help African Americans who had gained their freedom.
All of this were things I had heard of, and it is excellent to read about in this book. The author, Cate Lineberry, has clearly done her homework and uses the available papers, and accounts to her fullest advantage. This makes for a fun story when reading about Smalls.
The only issue is that he really shows up very little in this story. A majority of the time, the reader will read about conditions surrounding Smalls during the Civil War, like how Lincoln was reluctant to allow African Americans to fight for the Union, how and why the Confederates lost the Civil War, and the development of Reconstruction at the end of the book. Normally, I would not have a problem with this. After all, one must understand the context of history, as much as the event they are reading about. But, for me, the major problem is that this extra information takes up a fair majority of the book. This makes the actual sections about Robert Smalls very small indeed.
Then there is the portion of his life during Reconstruction when he was in politics. It takes up a very small portion of the book, as this novel focuses solely on his time in the Civil War. Perhaps the author thought she could not write politics well, or maybe she could not find enough sources to corroborate her story, but, to me, this makes the story of Robert Smalls feel incomplete. I really wonder why this book was not a cradle-to-grave, so to speak, biography of Robert Smalls, when he did so much in his life.
Then there is the audiobook narration. J.D. Jackson has a voice that some may find fine, but, for me, his narration was too calming and monotone. Oftentimes, I found my mind wandering during his performance, and found myself being forced to re-listen to stuff I should already know.
In the end, this text does a disservice to the subject of Robert Smalls. You may like this text, and I do recommend it for someone who is not aware of their Civil War history. As for me, however, I am going to keep an eye out for a more conventional biography of Robert Smalls. I give this a two out of five.
