The Fire Next Time
Sep 2013 · Sold by Vintage
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142 reviews
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About this ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The book that galvanized the nation, gave voice to the emerging civil rights movement in the 1960s—and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. • "The finest essay I’ve ever read.” —Ta-Nehisi Coates
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 from the iconic author of If Beale Street Could Talk and Go Tell It on the Mountain. 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 literature.
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 from the iconic author of If Beale Street Could Talk and Go Tell It on the Mountain. 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 literature.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The book that galvanized the nation, gave voice to the emerging civil rights movement in the 1960s—and still lights the way to understanding race in America today. • "The finest essay I’ve ever read.” —Ta-Nehisi Coates
At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early l...
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Ratings and reviews
142 reviews
BVG GAMER
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June 8, 2026
My Goodness! The Fire next time chronicles an experience still relative this very moment. James Baldwin poetically and challengingly sings through literature. It is a song of an intriguing meeting with a legendary religious figure, a cautionary tale, an assessment, and an elegant scalding of western antics. I read entire book faster than I've ever read anything. So good.
DENISE RELF
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February 17, 2019
This is an incredible read. I am so glad I picked it up. The book spoke of thoughts, feelings, and experiences that still feel very much applicable to this day. This book also provide hopeful suggestions and encouraged people to be genuine, acknowledge, and really love (he even provides an explanation on what he means by love). Page 84 hit home so hard for me! I highly recommend this...its my top read for 2019 so far and now in my top 3 books along side I know why the caged bird sings and white fragility!
43 people found this review helpful
Stephen Hendershot
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February 13, 2025
People are people, and although we have advanced inl technology, we are still mired in the same prejudice and hatred and distrust that has plagued humanity ever since Cane killed Able. It is a sad fact that we have not shed our prejudices and hatred that have plagued our society since mankind first walked upright. This book is a sad commentary on our condition. Unfortunately, our present political condition only mirrors that statement. Unfortunately, we will always find some reason to hate our neighbors, if not by the color of our skin, then by their places of birth, by their religious beliefs, or their sizes of their families. The list can go on and on. Yes, this book is a sad commentary on the human condition. Can I pray 🙏 for our fellow man, or am I not permitted to even do that?
About the author
JAMES BALDWIN (1924-1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his essay collections Notes of a Native Son and The Fire Next Time were bestsellers that made him an influential figure in the growing civil rights movement. Baldwin spent much of his life in France, where he moved to escape the racism and homophobia of the United States. He died in France in 1987, a year after being made a Commander of the French Legion of Honor.
JAMES BALDWIN (1924-1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his essay collections Notes of a Native Son and The Fire Next Time were bestsellers that made him an influential figure ...
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