Synopses & Reviews
Abraham H. Galloway (1837-70) was a fiery young slave rebel, radical abolitionist, and Union spy who rose out of bondage to become one of the most significant and stirring black leaders in the South during the Civil War. Throughout his brief, mercurial life, Galloway fought against slavery and injustice. He risked his life behind enemy lines, recruited black soldiers for the North, and fought racism in the Union army's ranks. He also stood at the forefront of an African American political movement that flourished in the Union-occupied parts of North Carolina, even leading a historic delegation of black southerners to the White House to meet with President Lincoln and to demand the full rights of citizenship. He later became one of the first black men elected to the North Carolina legislature.
Long hidden from history, Galloway's story reveals a war unfamiliar to most of us. As David Cecelski writes, "Galloway's Civil War was a slave insurgency, a war of liberation that was the culmination of generations of perseverance and faith." This riveting portrait illuminates Galloway's life and deepens our insight into the Civil War and Reconstruction as experienced by African Americans in the South.
Review
"An excellent work of scholarship by a top flight historian. I am deeply impressed by the detective work that went into discovering Galloway's story."--Edward E. Baptist, Cornell University
Review
"Beautifully crafted, exhaustively researched and well-argued. . . . Cecelski provides a clear window into the emancipation process."
-Raleigh News and Observer
Review
"This portrait of an important American will appeal to those with an interest in African American political history during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras as well as those with an interest in North Carolina history."
-Library Journal
Review
"A book that will be important to people who like to read about the Civil War and those interested in the struggle for Civil Rights."
-D. G. Martin, The Mountaineer
Review
"Cecelski's marvelous story of a North Carolina slave who transcended his bondage with flair provides a meaningful way to commemorate the sesquicentennial Civil War anniversaries."
-Publishers Weekly
Review
"A riveting portrait of a real-life African-American icon."
-Kat Williams
Review
"All libraries should purchase this well-written work. . . . Highly recommended. All levels/libraries."
-Choice
Review
"Cecelski has restored Galloway to his rightful place in the historiography. . . . [He] has done a remarkable job of tracing his subject's multifarious contribution to the cause of black freedom and equality."
-American Historical Review
Review
"We are indebted to Cecelski for challenging long-standing analytical frameworks and reconfiguring assumptions about African American participation in the Civil War."
-Journal of American History
Review
"Much more than a biography. . . .
The Fire of Freedom makes an important contribution to Civil War scholarship. . . [and] merits a place on the bookshelves of professional scholars, local history enthusiasts, and Civil War buffs because its author takes a good story and makes it matter. Cecelski joins a clear presentation. . . with deep and broad research as well as a gift for infusing historical moments with humanity and tension."
-South Carolina Historical Magazine
Review
"Cecelski's writing is both passionate and partisan."
-America's Civil War
About the Author
Historian David S. Cecelski is the author, most recently, of The Waterman's Song: Slavery and Freedom in Maritime North Carolina.