Manchild in the Promised Land

Claude Brown

Sep 2010 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

I read this book years ago when I was in high school because it was introduced to me by my aunt who grew up in Harlem with Claude Brown. my mother also with Claude Brown and was put into the book as sugar. her nickname was sweetie but because she never signed an agreement with him he had to use the name sugar. now for me to read this book and learn about my mother and how she grew up in Harlem was amazing this book will you open me up to learn about my mother and her past. I'm glad I got the chance to read this book and understand where my family came from in Harlem

I read this book as a school project in 1979. It was unbelievable that someone could relate so well to mine and my friends lives , all of the way in the east bay, ca. mind blowing, refreshing, honest, and most of all, so true for so many. The unexposed world becomes aware during their reading and enthralled at the same time. The common privileged person will feel more street smart.Thank you Mr. Brown for such a vivid memory of yours and the lives of so many.

Once upon a time, I couldn't afford to buy books 📚 , so like everyone around me, I borrowed them from our school library. I was fourteen at the time, waiting impatiently as my peers devoured each chapter. Though just paper & ink, something about this book seem to have a captivating, mythical effect upon everyone, afterall, how else can one explain so many of my peers risking being labled "bookworms" - our '60s equivalent of "nerd" - just like me. So, I had to read this book. Finally, it was my turn to become absorbed. That very first paragraph did the trick. Through the author's words, it was "I" who had been shot; his pain became "mine." His description put the bullet into my body. Suddenly, I owned it. You gotta read this book.

About the author

Claude Brown was born in New York City and grew up in Harlem. At age seventeen, after serving several terms in reform school, he left Harlem for Greenwich Village. He went on to receive a bachelor's degree from Howard University and attended law school. He also wrote a book called The Children of Ham in 1976. Manchild in the Promised Land evolved from an article he published in Dissent magazine during his first year at college. He died in 2002 at the age of 64.