Fifty Years in Chains; or The Life of an American Slave


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.7 stars; 91 reviews)

This is the story of Charles Ball, an American slave who was born in 1780 and remained a slave for fifty years thereafter. Ball told his story to a lawyer who turned it into this written work. (Summary by Tom Causby) (10 hr 47 min)

Chapters

Chapter 1 27:23 Read by Tom Causby
Chapter 2 43:04 Read by Tom Causby
Chapter 3 41:20 Read by Tom Causby
Chapter 4 30:38 Read by Salma Yasser
Chapter 5 24:26 Read by Salma Yasser
Chapter 6 20:52 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 7 29:35 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 8 7:55 Read by fiddlesticks
Chapter 9, part 1 31:51 Read by James K. White
Chapter 9, part 2 29:41 Read by James K. White
Chapter 10 29:55 Read by Guy Lederfein
Chapter 11, part 1 20:35 Read by James K. White
Chapter 11, part 2 21:35 Read by James K. White
Chapter 12 31:21 Read by Mike Pelton
Chapter 13 23:04 Read by Mike Pelton
Chapter 14, part 1 23:35 Read by Mike Pelton
Chapter 14, part 2 18:42 Read by Mike Pelton
Chapter 15 25:50 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 16 32:10 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 17 24:53 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 18, part 1 23:15 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 18, part 2 24:31 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 19 24:00 Read by Leith Atia
Chapter 20, part 1 19:47 Read by Maria Kasper
Chapter 20, part 2 17:50 Read by Maria Kasper

Reviews

Chapters 4&5???


(4 stars)

Why would anyone allow the lady reading chapters 4 & 5 to be used. At times she could have been reading in English Spanish or German and I would not have known the difference. Amazing book otherwise.


(5 stars)

One of the best books on Llbrivox!

Great Account


(5 stars)

amazing, honest, sad, story

chapter 4&5


(5 stars)

Love this book. but the person who read in chapter 4&5 was painful my ears. I couldn't understand much she was saying. she didn't know how to pronounce some of the words and sounded like a beginner reader. but it was a great book.


(3 stars)

This is a good book and a great account of his life. I however had to skip chapter 4&5 I think it was, because I couldn't understand a word the reader said


(5 stars)

Great account of his life, regardless of chapters 4&5. The reader sounded as though she had a French accent and often times abstruse and ambiguous.

I've just finished chapter 5, and it is an interesting biography


(4 stars)

But chapter 4 and 5 is almost impossible to understand.

Fifty Years in Chains; or The Life of an American Slave.


(4.5 stars)

A deeply disturbing and upsetting autobiography of an American slave. Just when you thought this poor man might finally find peace with his family at the end of this book . . . . . That SOME people could be so utterly cruel to satisfy their greed says a lot about Human nature. Be weary of the greedy and cruel people that exist today and try to protect yourself from their actions. I can only hope and pray for a day of justice for all people.