This 1853 memoir and slave narrative is the harrowing account of a black man who was born free in New York State but was betrayed, drugged, kidnapped and sold as a slave in the pre-Civil War South. This is the true, shocking story of the twelve years Solomon Northrup spent toiling under numerous cruel masters and experiencing the violence and degradation of life as a slave while clinging to the hope that he would someday regain his freedom. It is a testimony to the strength of one man’s spirit and his remarkable will to survive. This is also the book behind the film of the same title which won the 2014 academy award for Best Picture.