Preview
  • Manchild in the Promised Land

  • By: Claude Brown
  • Narrated by: Cary Hite
  • Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (198 ratings)

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Manchild in the Promised Land

By: Claude Brown
Narrated by: Cary Hite
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Publisher's summary

With more than two million copies in print, Manchild in the Promised Land is one of the most remarkable autobiographies of our time - the definitive account of African-American youth in Harlem of the 1940s and 1950s, and a seminal work of modern literature.

Published during a literary era marked by the ascendance of Black writers such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Alex Haley, this thinly fictionalized account of Claude Brown’s childhood as a hardened, streetwise criminal trying to survive the toughest streets of Harlem has been heralded as the definitive account of everyday life for the first generation of African Americans raised in the Northern ghettos of the 1940s and 1950s.

When the book was first published in 1965, it was praised for its realistic portrayal of Harlem - the children, young people, hardworking parents; the hustlers, drug dealers, prostitutes, and numbers runners; the police; the violence, sex, and humor.

The book continues to resonate generations later, not only because of its fierce and dignified anger, not only because the struggles of urban youth are as deeply felt today as they were in Brown’s time, but also because of its inspiring message. Now with an introduction by Nathan McCall, here is the story about the one who “made it” - the boy who kept landing on his feet and grew up to become a man.

©1965, 2005 Urban Audiobooks (P)2019 Claude Brown
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What listeners say about Manchild in the Promised Land

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Get this book!

Amazing read Claude Brown's novel makes you feel like you are right there with them on streets of Harlem.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

TIME MACHINE!!

I can close my eyes and see everything that this book had to offer. I recommend this book for those who need inspiration and historic intelligence.

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Inspiring!!

I read this book when I was about 11 or 12. I’ve read it throughout these 58 years!! Once I saw that Cary Hite was reading it!!! My excitement could not be contained!! Cary Hite can read a story and transport you to the scene of the action!!!

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Fantastic

One of the best books I’ve ever read/listened to. Also, the narrators voice is really good.

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LIFE

Real Life in Plain English. There are parts, I'm sure many will identify with.

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The History of Harlem

Claud Brown bring Harlem streets to life,especially the early drug culture. The struggle Black people faced in the segregated north. How limited opportunities forced young boys to take risks in an attempt to break out of poverty.

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A Slice Of American History!

I was so delighted to see this title here. Brings back memories of my friends and I. Highly recommended, I would love to see titles like this as required reading in schools. Thanks!

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Excellent!

This is one of the best audio books I have listened to. Claude Brown recounts the changes in Harlem after the Harlem Renaissance. His experiences and how he survived "The Plague" are very informative. I enjoyed it very much.

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Powerful and revealing

A great book that I read as a youth in the 80s. Still as enthralling as the first time I read it. A timeless portrait of unchanging and often unchallenged urban ills.

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Brilliant

Engaging story telling with sound effects splashed throughout the book for dramatic effect. Claude Brown brings the reader to the streets of Harlem like noone else can. A tale of debauchery and deep reflection. I will be using many sections of this book to engage black youth in discussions of poverty, parenting, drug use, and rebellion.

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