Lois 's Reviews > COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War

5 full enthusiastic stars

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Dr. Eddie L. Fields-Black, RB Media, and NetGalley.

This is so much more than a history of the Combahee River Raid. This covers the history of the area from colonization until 1863 and beyond. It also goes over the basic laws that governed the Transatlantic Slave Trade and how that functioned on the West African coast as well as in English colonies and later the United States. To label this as 'thorough' does not do it justice. This is unbelievably meticulous. Dr. Fields-Black outdid herself with this. I'm blown away.

This offers a fascinating look at Harriet Tubman and her family, of course. Also, other Black folks of this era and beyond are discussed: Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth come immediately to mind. This isn't a biography of Tubman. There already exist at least two very thorough biographies of her, as the author herself points out. This does give some biographical information on other participants in the Combahee River Raid.
This really offers a tremendous education not only on this particular Raid but also how chattel slavery functioned during the Antebellum period full stop.

I pre-ordered this in book form as soon as I read about it, though this review is based on the audiobook. After listening to this, I also ordered a copy from Audible. I look forward to rereading this. This is information dense, and I need to return to it to see what it can add to my own personal studies of US chattel slavery. The information is organized in logical ways, and the narrative flows smoothly.
I highly recommend this for my abolitionist friends as well as my history friends. This offers something for everyone.
Harriet Tubman was amazing. She has been a personal hero of mine my entire life. May she rest in power♥️

The narrator of this history book is Machelle Williams. Her voice is crisp, educated, and relaxed. Her skill with narration makes this feel not at all long or like a history lecture. Well done.

Thank you to Dr. Eddie L. Fields-Black, RBMedia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.