Freedom Road   (1944)

To the men and women, black and white, yellow and brown, who have laid down their lives in the struggle against fascism.
June, 1944. viii, 263 pp, 21.8 cm, copyright page shows "First Edition", [pale olive cloth, dark blue lettering]. Duell, Sloan & Pearce. New York. ($2.75)* Freedom Road an excerpt in: Negro Digest, October 1944. Bucklin Moon's review of "Freedom Road" New York Times, August 27, 1944 p.5 Foreword by W. E. B. DuBois from the 1952 Blue Heron Press edition Introduction by Howard Fast from the 1969 Crown edition   Duell, Sloan & Pearce printing history (from the 1946 Pocket Book edition and the 1952 Blue Heron Press edition): 1st Jun 1944 2nd Jun 1944 3rd Aug 1944 4th Jul 1945   5th Sep 1945 6th 1946 7th 1948 8th 1949

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1944. (Jun) viii, 263 pp, 21.8 cm, copyright page shows "First Edition", [pale olive cloth, dark blue lettering]. Duell, Sloan & Pearce. New York. ($2.75)* 1944. (Jun) viii, 263 pp, 21.8 cm, [pale olive cloth, dark blue lettering]. (2nd printing) [identical to the first edition, except that it lacks "First Edition" on the copyright page.] Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. ($2.75)* 1944. viii,263 pp, 20.7 cm, [brown linson, gold lettering]. Book Find Club. New York. (George Braziller, President) jacket price: $2.75.* 1944. Book League. (cited in the Blue Heron Press edition) 1944. (Aug) viii, 263 pp, 20.8 cm, [rust, black lettering]. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. (3rd printing) jacket price: $2.75.* 1944. (Oct) Freedom Road in: Negro Digest 2:12(77) Oct'44. (excerpt: pp. 69-94 of the book).* 1945 (May). Labor Book Club. (cited in the Blue Heron Press edition) 1945. (Jul) 288 pp, 11.4 x 16.7 cm, pbk. Armed Services Edition T-26, Editions for the Armed Services, Inc. New York.* 1945 (Jul). 4th printing. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. 1945. (Sep) viii, 263 pp, 20.8 cm, copyright page: "FIFTH PRINTING", [gray cloth, black lettering, changed spine design]. front dj flap: "This book has not been condensed. Its bulk is less because government regulations prohibit use of heavier paper." Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. ($2.75)* 1945. viii, 263 pp, 19.1 cm, book club, Reader's League of America. (pub. date from Blue Heron edition list - copyright page shows © 1944) 1945. 263 pp, 21 cm, Forum Books ed., [dark blue cloth, light blue lettering, top edge red]. World Pub. Co. Cleveland.* 1946. (Jun) 281,[2] pp, 16.1 cm, pbk (1st ptg: June), Pocket Books (382). New York.* Shows first five printings of Duell, Sloan edition (above) on copyright page. 1946. 6th printing. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. 1946. 256 pp, 19 cm, [aqua cloth, dark red lettering] 1st British, The Bodley Head. London. (8s, 6d net)* 1947. 263 pp, 20.5 cm, "Tower Books Edition, First printing January 1947", [dark red pebble boards, yellow printing]. World Pub. Co. Cleveland. * 1948. 7th printing. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. 1949. The Bodley Head. London. 1949. 8th printing. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. New York. 1949. pbk, Crown Publishers, New York.+ 1949. 302 pp, 20.5 cm, [pale blue cloth, gold lettering]. (pp 3-10, introduction in Russian by "Я. Вuкмороє" - marked in pencil in my copy: "pseud"). Foreign Languages Publishing House. Moscow.* The frontispiece is a small portrait of Fast reading 1951. 299 pp, 20.5 cm, [pale blue cloth, gold lettering]. (pp 3-10, introduction in Russian by "Я. Вuкмороє" ). Foreign Languages Publishing House. Moscow.* The frontispiece uses the same portrait, enlarged about 10% and retouched. 1952. 200pp. 13×16.5 cm. (introduction in Russian, notes, glossary). "adapted for the 10th class of the Middle School by M. Rickman." State Text Book Publishing House of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, Leningrad Branch. Leningrad, Moscow.* 1952. 263 pp, 21 cm, [brown cloth, black lettering], Blue Heron Press. New York. ($2.00)* ABOUT THIS EDITION This edition of Freedom Road, with a special introduction by the great American Scholar, Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, is the first in a project to bring into print a collected edition of the works of Howard Fast. At intervals of a few months hereafter, The Blue Heron Press will publish other Fast books which are now out of print. They will be uniform with this edition of Freedom Road, so that by buying them as they appear, one can plan to acquire a, uniform collected works. Freedom Road is also available in attractive, sturdy paper covers; price $1.00. 1952. pbk, 263 pp, 21 cm, Blue Heron Press. New York. ($1.00)* 1954. 10th grade reader. Kiev. 1960. in: Howard Fast: The Howard Fast Reader. Crown Publishers. New York. ($4.95)* 1962. 264 pp, 16.2 cm, pbk, Pocket Books (6128) (2nd). New York. (35¢)* 1964. pbk, foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois. 20.2 cm, viii, 263 pp, Crown Publishers. New York. ($1.45)* 1969. foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois and a new introduction by Howard Fast. vi, 263 pp, 21 cm. [light tan cloth]. Crown Publishers. New York. ($3.95)* 1969. (Sep) pbk, 247pp, 17.8 cm, 1st Bantam printing. Bantam Pathfinder, New York. (SP4670 75¢)* 1970. (nd) Foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois. 264 pp, 20.3 cm, pbk, A Bantam Book expressly prepared for school use and distributed exculusively by Amsco School Pub's. Amsco School Publications (Amsco Literature Series R 82 ALS). New York. ISBN: 0-87720-752-6.* 1971. (Feb) pbk, 2nd Bantam printing. Bantam Pathfinder, New York. 1972. 3rd ptg, (like 1969) Crown Publishers. New York.* 1972. 263 pp, 21 cm, 4th ptg, Crown Publishers. New York.* 1972. (Mar) pbk, 3rd Bantam printing. Bantam Pathfinder, New York. 1972. (Dec) pbk, 4th Bantam printing. Bantam Pathfinder, New York. 1972. forward by W.E.B. Du Bois. viii,246 pp, 21 cm, Severn House. London. 1974. (Sep) pbk, 5th Bantam printing. Bantam Pathfinder, New York. 1976. (Aug) pbk, 6th Bantam printing. Bantam Books, New York. 1978 (May) pbk, 246pp, 17.7cm, 7th Bantam printing. Bantam Books (12010-7), New York. ($1.95) ISBN: 0-553-12010-7* 1979 (Jan) pbk, 246pp, 17.7cm, Scholastic/Bantam. (16043-5) New York. 8th printing. ISBN: 0-553-12010-7* 1979. film: Freedom Road. 1979. pbk. (Movie Edition - 12th Ptg. front cover picture of Muhammad Ali and Kris Kristofferson.) Troll Associates, Inc., Mahwah, NJ. 1979. (Jun) pbk, foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois. [viii], 246 pp, 17.7 cm, 9th Bantam printing. Bantam Books (13290-3), New York. ($2.25) ISBN: 0-553-13290-3* Lists all previous Bantam and other printings. 1979. pbk, foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois. viii, 246 pp, 17.8 cm, Futura. London. ISBN: 0-7088-1519-7.* 1979. pbk, foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois. viii, 246 pp, 17.8 cm, Futura. London. ISBN: 0-7088-1519-7.* 1980. forward by W.E.B. Du Bois. viii,246 pp, 21 cm, Severn House. London. 1983. pbk. ISBN:0708815197 Coronet Books, UK. 1995. foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois, introduction by Eric Foner. xviii, 294 pp, 24 cm, (American History Through Literature). M.E. Sharpe. Armonk, NY. ISBN: 1563244403. (pbk, hardcover)

 

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Gideon Jackson, a strong, honest ex-slave, is chosen by his black neighbors to represent them in the new state government -- once they have learned that a vote is not something you eat. One of 74 blacks among the 124 members of the South Carolina Constitutional Convention assembled in Charleston in 1868, Gideon shakes off the despair bred of ignorance and illiteracy and matures intellectually in a short time. The sulking white gentry and mocking press soon realize the capabilities of determined blacks but they decide to bide their time until they can strike back with force. Returned home, Gideon persuades the poor blacks and whites on the abandoned 22,000-acre Carwell plantation to buy the land jointly and divide it equitably. The miniature agrarian democracy prospers, builds its own integrated school and lives in harmony. A kindly white northerner helps Gideon's oldest son, Jeff, through medical school in Scotland and Jeff returns to doctor to the small community and marry his blind sweetheart. Still under protection of Federal troops, the people build homes and mills; they prosper and they send their beloved Gideon to Congress.    The, with the Tilden-Hayes compromise of 1876, Federal troops are withdrawn and the planter-aristocrat Stephen Holm unleashes the Ku Klux Klan to bring about reaction ("Gentlemen, the nigger will be a slave again, as he has been and as he is destined to be"). Gideon tries to persuade the outgoing President Grant to maintain the army of occupation for another decade but fails. Gideon's army makes its own heroic stand against the KKK, but in the end he, his followers and their miraculous experiment are "expunged." Frank Campenni in his 1971 dissertation, Citizen Howard Fast

 

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.	(*) The Blue Heron Press (1952) edition states that Freedom Road "...has also been published in the following languages: Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czechoslovak, Danish, Dutch, French, Georgian, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Ukranian, Urdu, Uzbek, Yiddish".
1980.	Hsiang wang (Xiang wang). (Chinese, tr. by Chang Shih) 336 pp, 21 cm, "Huang kuan tsung shu; ti 714 chung Tang tai ming chu ching hsuan; chih 5". Huang kuan chu pan she, min kuo 69 (Huang Guan chu ban she). Tai-pei shih (Taibei).
1951.	Frihedens vej. (Danish, tr. by Sv. Möller) 266 pp, København.
1949.	De trek naar de vrijheid. (Dutch) 261 pp, Pegasus. Amsterdam.
1979.	La Route de la liberté. (French, tr. by Christian Holter) 329 pp, 24 cm, cov. ill. col. Presses de la Renaissance (86-Poitiers: impr. Aubin). Paris. ISBN: 2-85616-155-3.
1980.	La Route de la liberté. (French, tr. by Christian Holter) 329 pp, 25 cm, Club pour vous Hachette. le Livre de Paris (86-Liguge: impr. Aubin). Bagneux. ISBN: 2-245-01356-5.
1950.	Straße der Freiheit, Roman. (German, tr. by Doris Brehm) 382 pp, 20.5 cm, Universum verlag. Zürich.
1982.	Straße der Freiheit: Roman. (German, tr. by Karl A. Klewer) foreword by W.E.B. Du Bois. 267 pp, 19 cm, pbk, rororo (4925). Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag. Reinbek bei Hamburg. ISBN: 3-499-14925-7.
1948.	La via della liberta. (Italian) 368 pp, 19.5 x 13 cm, 1st Italian edition, Giulio Einaudi. Torino.
1950.	La via della liberta. (Italian, tr. by J. Jannelli) 367 pp, 20 cm, Collana I Coralli numero 18 (3rd edition), Einaudi. Torino.
1954.	La via della liberta. (Italian) 363 pp, 20 cm, 4th edition, Giulio Einaudi (coralli). Torino.
1960.	La via della liberta. (Italian, tr. by Jole Jannelli Pinna Pintor) 258 pp, 20 cm, A. Mondadori (bosco). Milano.
1975.	La via della liberta. (Italian, tr. by Jole Jannelli Pinna Pintor) 301 pp, 20 cm, Einaudi (Nuovi coralli). Torino.
1951. 自由の道 Jiyuu no michi. (Japanese, tr. by Yamada Atsushi) 346 pp, 18.6 cm, pbk, Seidousha. Tokyo.*
1950.	De rider om natten. (Norwegian, tr. by Per Wollebæk) 258 pp, Tiden. Oslo.
1979.	De rider om natten. (Norwegian, tr. by Per Wollebæk) 282 pp, (etterord av Haagen Ringnes). Den Norske Bokklubben. Oslo. ISBN: 82-525-0562-7.
1955.	Droga do wolnosci; powiesc. (Polish, tr. by Ludwik Grzeniewski) 297 pp, Biblioteka Laureatow Nagrody Stalinowskiej za Utrwalanie Pokoju miedzy Narodami. Panstwowy Instytut Wydawniczy. Warszawa.
1984.	Caminho da liberade. (Portuguese, tr. by Carlos Evaristo M. Costa) "Grandes sucessos". Abril Cultural. Sao Paulo.
1950.	Frihetens väg: Roman. (Swedish, tr. by Arthur Magnusson) Forward by Paul Robeson. 315 pp, Arbetarkultur [Seelig]. Stockholm.
1982.	Hurriyet yolu. (Turkish, tr. by Semsa Yegin) 287 pp, Oda (Oda Yayinlari; 6). Istanbul.

 

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Atlantic Monthly 174(127) Sep'44. Edward Weeks. The Atlantic Bookshelf.

Book Review Digest, Oct'44.

Book Week, Aug.13'44 p.1. A.C. Spectorsky.

Booklist 41:21 Sep'44.

Boston Globe, Sep.6'44 p.17. J.M. Powers.

Canadian Forum 24:165 Oct'44. Eleanor McNaught.

Catholic World 160:92 Oct'44.

Cleveland Open Shelf Jun'44 p.12.

Commonweal Oct.20'44 p.21.

Hornbook 20:499 Nov'44.

Kirkus Jun.1'44 p.236.

Library Journal, 69:650 Aug'44. L.D. Reddick.

Masterplots 2779-2782. Pasadena, CA Salem Press. John Evans. Freedom Road.

Nation 159(219) Aug 19'44. Diana Trilling.

New Republic 111(196) Aug 14'44. George Mayberry.

New Yorker, Aug.19'44 p.58.

Newsweek, 24:84 Aug 21'44.

NY Times, Aug.27'44 p.5. Bucklin Moon.

Saturday Review of Literature, 27:11 Sep 23'44. N.L. Rothman.

Springfield Republican, Aug.27'44 4d. E.M.B.

Time, 44:102 Aug 21'44.

Weekly Book Review, Aug.20'44 p.2. Jennings Rice.

Yale Review 34:192 Autumn'44. Orville Prescott.

 

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1945.	Ottley, Roi. New World A-Coming 30,31. (Citywide Citizen's Committee on Harlem). audio tape (radio show), (25 min each) based on Freedom Road. dir: Mitchell Grayson. Hilda Simms and Frederick O'Neal. WMCA (radio station). New York.
1988.	narrator: Norman Dietz. audio cassette, (7 cassettes, 585 mins., analog) unabridged. Recorded Books (88350). Charlotte Hall, MD. ISBN: 9998310563.

 

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