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The Fire Next Time Audiobook
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(4.00) - 6,098 listener ratings
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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.
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"I feel that this is a great book that every person should read. This was the first book by Balwdin that I read, so this style, at first, was hard to get by. Once I became accustomed to his style I was then able to glean the nuggets of gold between the lines. Baldwin poignantly and accurately describes the racial dilemma of his time. It is very interesting to see how his environment helped to reach some of his conclusions. These essays attach the racial issue at the forefront of the problem (The heart and mind).This book is a timeless book that can be applied to today."
— Leroy (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Basically the finest essay I’ve ever read…Baldwin refused to hold anyone’s hand. He was both direct and beautiful all at once. He did not seem to write to convince you. He wrote beyond you.”
— Ta-Nehisi Coates, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“Actor Jesse L. Martin effectively re-creates the tone and tenor of the author’s view of America at the beginning of the 1960s. Martin chooses to eschew accents and flowery modulations and sticks to the story…Most striking is Baldwin’s reference to Robert Kennedy’s prediction that a black man would become the nation’s president sometime in the next forty years.”
— AudioFile -
“So eloquent in its passion and so scorching in its candor that it is bound to unsettle any reader.”
— The Atlantic -
“The Fire Next Time is ultimately a hopeful and healing essay…Baldwin clearly paid in sweat and shame for every word in this text. What’s incredible is that he managed to keep his cool.”
— Amazon.com -
“Part memoir of a Harlem childhood and part examination of racial injustice. James Baldwin gave voice to the growing Civil Rights Movement…This book will increase your awareness, empathy, and conviction that something drastic must be done.”
— BookRiot -
“For such a famous book, it may surprise some to realize that The Fire Next Time contains only two essays…The first essay is a letter to Baldwin’s 14-year-old nephew, and it explores how race has shaped America’s ugly, brutal history. The second is an examination of the interplay between race and religion, particularly the black Christian church and the fast-spreading Islamic movement at the time.”
— Shondaland
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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An Indie Next Recommendation
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An Audible.com bestseller
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A BookRiot Pick of the Best Short Nonfiction in Audio
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An Electric Literature Pick of Books That Celebrate the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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A Shondaland Pick of Best Books for Black History Month
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A Goop Pick of Anti-Racism Books
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A BuzzFeed Books Pick of Essential Books about Anti-Racism
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Town & Country Magazine Pick of Books about Racism
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An Esquire Magazine Pick of Books to Learn about Racism
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A Huffington Post Pick of Adult Books about Anti-Racism
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An Oprah Magazine Pick to Help Educate Us on Racism in America
The Fire Next Time Listener Reviews
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Calvin, 2/6/2021
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" By chance I found this book at a local thriftstore for ten cents and it has changed my life forever. It took so much of my strength to finish it, because the truth in it was so painful. I recommend all Americans to read this book, too. It is essential for our country's survival and for true peace among our people. This work is one of the most important documents on racism I have ever read. Enlightening. "
— Silvia, 2/19/2014 -
" I read this for Great Books in college. It is one of my favorite books read through that beloved colloquium, by golley. I've got to read this again sometime. "No more water, the fire next time"...Classic! "
— Brett, 2/14/2014 -
" An excellent and unexpected critique of race in America. "
— Kate, 2/2/2014 -
" My chains feel off when I read this book... "
— Vern, 1/9/2014 -
" As I mentioned in my other reviews, I read everything that Balwin wrote in my teens and early twenties. I need to re-read this in order to provide a review. "
— P., 1/7/2014 -
" "But it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime." "
— Zigforas, 1/1/2014 -
" As always, Baldwin is incisive, direct, and pitch-perfect in his essays on race, religion, and humanity. He is one of my favorite theologians. "
— Wade, 12/31/2013 -
" He says, it is not necessary for the people to be cruel but that they be spineless. It was hard to read yet I could not put it down. "
— Kristin, 12/28/2013 -
" Excellent James Baldwin but also short - so you can always have time to read it. "
— Zahreen, 11/11/2013 -
" the gifted writer narrates the reality of being black in America, from his personal experience. james baldwin is a brilliant wordsmith, an amazing storyteller, and a political clairvoyant. a fast, powerful and enjoyable read. "
— Alex, 6/2/2013 -
" I would describe this book as a thorough examination of race in America by a brilliant mind at a time when the overthrow of America seemed imminent. Amazing writing style in addition to compelling content. "
— Sarah, 5/27/2013 -
" The score is more a reflection on being distracted while I was reading than Baldwin's skill as a writer. "
— Weston, 5/11/2013 -
" Another side of the american quilt. "
— Brian, 5/3/2013 -
" Lovely book that discusses race conflict in 1960's Harlem in a really personal and passionate way. Rhetoric that is really readable and genuine, and ideas that are worth grappling with! "
— Hannah, 2/25/2013 -
" I loved this essay! It was beautifully written and it was also a necessary book. James Baldwin is an Artivist! "
— Judith, 2/22/2013 -
" Just re-read this book after 8 years or so. It was just as moving the second time and a good reminder that the "problem of the 20th century" is still with us in the 21st. "
— Von, 12/18/2012 -
" One of the best narrative essays I've ever read, possibly one of the most important for this country. "
— Laura, 9/5/2012 -
" excellent audio book, unabridged, excellent summary of race and need for community. need to read more by baldwin. "
— Jose, 10/28/2011 -
" read and re-read. nonpareil. and sadly, still completely relevant. "
— Vanessa, 8/3/2011 -
" The essays where honest and telling of the era of the US. I learned of life styles, political issues, and race differences. Baldwin's writings inspire any reader how to write with true grit and honesty. "
— Emma, 5/6/2011 -
" Sadly, Baldwin's analysis is still extremely politically relevant. (And spot-on.) "
— Scott, 4/11/2011 -
" Breathtaking, relevant and crucial. A must-read. "
— K.I., 3/23/2011 -
" A very powerful little book. Though our society has moved pastmany of the worst offenses Baldwin details, the emotional and financial toll racism takes is as relevant as ever. I found his flirtation with the Nation of Islam particularly fascinating. "
— Teresa, 1/2/2011 -
" I am in love with James Baldwin. "
— Valentina, 12/5/2010 -
" wow. i just really love james baldwin. "
— Megan, 11/10/2010 -
" A book I will read again and again. "
— Shanika, 9/29/2010 -
" Another side of the american quilt. "
— Brian, 9/12/2010 -
" Wisdom on every page of this book. "
— Dave, 8/16/2010
About James Baldwin
James Baldwin (1924–1987), acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, was educated in New York. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, received excellent reviews and was immediately recognized as establishing a profound and permanent new voice in American letters. The appearance of The Fire Next Time in 1963, just as the civil rights movement was exploding across the American South, galvanized the nation and continues to reverberate as perhaps the most prophetic and defining statement ever written of the continuing costs of Americans’ refusal to face their own history. It became a national bestseller, and Baldwin was featured on the cover of Time. The next year, he was made a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters and collaborated with the photographer Richard Avedon on Nothing Personal, a series of portraits of America intended as a eulogy for the slain Medger Evers. His other collaborations include A Rap on Race with Margaret Mead and A Dialogue with the poet–activist Nikki Giovanni. He also adapted Alex Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X into One Day When I Was Lost. He was made a commander of the French Legion of Honor a year before his death, one honor among many he achieved in his life.