The Fire Next Time

James Baldwin

Vintage International, 1993 - Social Science - 106 pages

A national bestseller when it first appeared in 1963, The Fire Next Time galvanized the nation and gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement. At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document. It consists of two "letters, " written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism. Described by The New York Times Book Review as "sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle...all presented in searing, brilliant prose, " The Fire Next Time stands as a classic of our literature.

What people are saying

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lovely

User Review -

I'm a high school student who was forced to read this book for extra credit. I must say that I am glad that I read it. Baldwin takes us on a journey through part of his life concerning his religious affairs and it really comes alive to me about half way through. An easy, good read.
-Emanuel L. Riggins  

About the author

The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foundation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hardbound editions of important works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torch-bearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inaugurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices.


From the Hardcover edition.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Fire Next Time; Vintage international
• Author: James Baldwin
• Edition: reprint, reissue
• Publisher: Vintage International, 1993
• ISBN: 067974472X, 9780679744726
• Length: 106 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / General; Literary Collections / Essays; Political Science / Civil Rights; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies; Social Science / Minority Studies