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The Souls of Black Folk Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.7 out of 5 stars 4,093 ratings

“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” writes Du Bois, in one of the most prophetic works in all of American literature. First published in 1903, this collection of 15 essays dared to describe the racism that prevailed at that time in America—and to demand an end to it. Du Bois’ writing draws on his early experiences, from teaching in the hills of Tennessee, to the death of his infant son, to his historic break with the conciliatory position of Booker T. Washington.

Du Bois received a doctorate from Harvard in 1895 and became a professor of economics and history at Atlanta University. His dynamic leadership in the cause of social reform on behalf of his fellow blacks anticipated and inspired much of the black activism of the 1960s.

The Souls of Black Folk is a classic in the literature of civil rights.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868–1963) was one of the greatest African American intellectuals - a sociologist, historian, novelist, and activist whose astounding career spanned the nation’s history from Reconstruction to the civil rights movement. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Fisk, Harvard, and the University of Berlin, his masterpiece remains his most studied and popular work. Its insights into black life at still ring true today.

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  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 33 minutes
  2. Author
    W. E. B. Du Bois
  3. Narrator
    Mirron Willis
  4. Audible release date
    October 20, 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  7. ASIN
    B0047Z4F2I
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 33 minutes
Author W. E. B. Du Bois
Narrator Mirron Willis
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 20, 2010
Publisher Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0047Z4F2I
Best Sellers Rank #13,946 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#22 in African American Demographic Studies (Audible Books & Originals)
#37 in Black & African American History (Audible Books & Originals)
#81 in African American Demographic Studies (Books)

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4.7 out of 5 stars
4,093 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book essential reading for US citizens, praising its eloquent writing style and compelling history. They describe it as an emotional tale that captures the pain and suffering of the time, and consider the author one of the greatest sociologists of all time. The book is powerful and thought-provoking, with one customer noting its eye-opening account of the legacy of slavery.

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263 customers mention "Readability"263 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a must-read and essential reading for every US citizen, with one customer noting that each chapter is a gem.

"...History is always best when related by someone who lived during that era, and W.E.B. DuBois certainly qualifies...." Read more

"...This was a very interesting read because of the dichotomies presented, nothing felt better than the down to earth descriptions of the reality of..." Read more

"...of circumstances, and reacting differently, I find all the books astonishingly rich...." Read more

"...It is not a good style. His pronunciation is clear, reading is well paced; I wish he’d finish sentences as strongly as he started them...." Read more

213 customers mention "Thought provoking"213 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, describing it as an amazingly insightful and enlightening read that captures the mindset and powerfully addresses historical aspects.

"...In its time (being published in 1903) this book was meant to be persuasive, a tool to help people understand and mollify or change their thought..." Read more

"...By far the essay that was the most informative, and resonated the strongest was the one on Dougherty County, Georgia, at the west end of the “Black..." Read more

"...In this text the author also has captured my inner stirrings that I have wrestled with in dealing with racial issues in America...." Read more

"...from Washington, but this book is written so fairly, with so much insight, I respect it. The writing is academic, the heart is pure...." Read more

138 customers mention "Writing style"105 positive33 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as eloquent and marvelously poetic, with one customer noting its balanced approach.

"...His prose is temperate, the “outrage” is left to the reader to conclude when the circumstances are described in measured terms, which often fully..." Read more

"...However, as I struggled with this text I was able to glimpse the deep love, intelligence and passion the author has for his people...." Read more

"...people then lived a horrifying oppression, yet to me the souls of black folk are beautiful, no matter what is said...." Read more

"...The icing on the cake is W.E.B. Dubois is a marvelously poetic writer whose work gives one a feel for late 19th century America, particular the south..." Read more

13 customers mention "Heartfelt story"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, with one review noting how it provides great insight into the pain and suffering of the time, while another mentions it brought tears to their eyes.

"...Enlightening and sympathetic." Read more

"...I found the stories heartbreaking and enthralling, uplifting, and enlightening. DuBois is not one of our most revered writer models for nothing." Read more

"...the people of color faced each day just to make it another day, saddens the heart...." Read more

"...Highly personal and intelligent, I thank Du Bois for giving voice to my third great grandfathers experiences." Read more

12 customers mention "Scholarly content"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the scholarly content of the book, praising it as one of the greatest sociologists of all time, with one customer noting it provides an eye-opening account of the legacy of slavery.

"...It is interesting to see the strong aspirations of the freed slaves, and the network of classical schools originally envisioned...." Read more

"Dr. Du Bois was a rare scholar and person of integrity. I first read this book when I was a student at Howard University...." Read more

"...Selma and DC "I have a dream" This book is a real picture of the freeing of the slaves and the horror of their ignorance forced by owners..." Read more

"One of the books pretenders quote but never read. Dubois wrote a great scholarly book, Black Reconstruction, this is largely opinion, but a very..." Read more

8 customers mention "Narrative quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative of the book, describing it as a compelling history, with one customer noting its far-reaching scope and another finding it engaging as historical non-fiction.

"...This is less a book and more a journey - a journey our nation needs today more than ever." Read more

"This book is an important and far reaching narrative into the very meaning of being black in a society that is utterly wicked around it...." Read more

"Amazingly written and entertaining entertaining for historical non-fiction, a truly American masterpiece!..." Read more

"Entertaining and philosophical, deeply moving and sure to leave a lasting impression. The book is a must read...." Read more

7 customers mention "Power"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book powerful.

"...Du Bois argues his points moderately but with great power...." Read more

"Such a powerful and timeless piece of literature." Read more

"Pay attention to chapters 11,12,& 13! Potent and gripping! This also comes in a FREE audio format on iTunes U!" Read more

"Tremendously powerful and eloquent..." Read more

Five Stars
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Currently reading this book and so far it is a very informative and heart felt read.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Dee Arr
    5.0 out of 5 stars History (Both Past & Future) Revealed in this Book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I recently pulled this book up from my TBR pile and was merely going to browse through it until I reached a hotspot where I could download something else. Instead, I ended up reading the book cover to cover.

    In its time (being published in 1903) this book was meant to be persuasive, a tool to help people understand and mollify or change their thought processes. I continued reading the book for an entirely different reason, based upon my love and fascination of history. In today’s world, this is definitely a revealing slice of history. It not only reveals another side to the United States during the 35 years after the Civil War, but also allows an understanding of the evolving issues in the 20th and 21st centuries.

    History is always best when related by someone who lived during that era, and W.E.B. DuBois certainly qualifies. His words seek to enlighten rather than incite, and reading the book will provide the path leading to the incendiary speech of today. While I had some knowledge of the time period, this was my first introduction to the world of the former slaves, and reading the timeline of events from 1865 to 1900 enabled me to draw my own lines form 1900 to the current year.

    There are those who may incorrectly determine that this is nothing more than a treatise, one over a century old that should be allowed to gather dust or molder away. In an era where some think nothing of erasing our country’s history, this is one more example why we need to embrace our history, no matter whether it is positive or negative. Without looking back and correcting our errors, how can we ever expect to move forward? Five stars.
    41 people found this helpful
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  • John P. Jones III
    5.0 out of 5 stars How does it feel to be a “problem”?
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2016
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    Regrettably, for me, this has been a long overlooked classic. I’ve read my share of the works of black American authors, such as James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison and most recently, Ta-Nehisi Coats. Not having read Du Bois seems to have been the functional equivalent of not having read Homer.

    William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois lived a full productive life which spanned the long era of “Jim Crow.” He was born in 1868, and died at the age of 95, one year before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in Accra, Ghana, as a citizen of that country. He was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. His writings reflect a thorough grounding in the Greek and Roman classics, with references that were – at times, frankly beyond me. His prose is temperate, the “outrage” is left to the reader to conclude when the circumstances are described in measured terms, which often fully acknowledges the faults and predicaments of his own race. As the introduction says: “Du Bois achieves in his text a rare combination of pathos and dignity, presenting a portrait of black culture that commands respect.” For many years he would teach at the Atlanta University complex, and writes fondly of the 100 hills of Atlanta, the trees, and the red clay soil of Georgia. His wry introspection is demonstrated in the opening paragraph, where he asks the subject question.

    The vast majority of these 14 separate but intertwined essays concern racial relations in the United States after the Emancipation and the year of publication, 1903. One in particular was not, which was reflective of his own experience, when his first-born son died in infancy. In the third essay he presents his arguments with Booker T. Washington, concerning the education of the Negro in “trade schools,” stressing the need for the classical education which Du Bois had, saying that they had “put up high schools and called them colleges.” “Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission.” Washington asked them to give up three things – “Political power, Insistence on Civil Rights, and Higher Education of Negro Youth.” Du Bois was the one who insisted that all three were “musts.” Separately, Du Bois says: “for the South believed that an educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro.” From my own experience, Du Bois is only looking at a sub-set, since I would add that, in general, anyone who is both educated – and questioning in a substantive way – of either race, South or North, is considered both “dangerous” and “a trouble maker.”

    The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, immediately established in the aftermath of the Civil War, and led by Major General Oliver O. Howard, from Maine, who Du Bois describes as: “an honest man, with too much faith in human nature, little aptitude for business and intricate detail” was another topic I was totally unfamiliar with. Du Bois describes the initiative of mainly white female teachers from New England as “the 9th Crusade” for their efforts in establishing schools in the South, for both blacks and whites, after the Civil War. When the Freedman Bureau died, Du Bois describes its child as the Fifteen Amendment to the Constitution.

    In other essays, he describes his experience as a student at Fisk University in Nashville, and his subsequent experience teaching in very rudimentary log cabins for black students, and how he was housed in the homes of the student’s parents. In another temperate essay, he enrages the reader with the story of my “namesake,” John Jones, a black who had serious problems, both North and South. In NYC, he purchased an expensive ticket to see an opera, was seated, enjoying the performance when an usher, every so apologetically explained that the seat had been previously sold, and he would have to move (he was seated next to a white woman, and her husband had complained). Of course we will refund your money the usher explains. Jones decides to return to his native South, where the people seem more honest in their bigotry. There is a telling scene where Jones went to see “the Judge” who claimed he had “done so much for your people,” but Jones makes the mistake of going to the front door, and is rebuked for bringing those “uppity” Northern ideas back home.

    By far the essay that was the most informative, and resonated the strongest was the one on Dougherty County, Georgia, at the west end of the “Black belt” in that state. In the 1880’s-90’s the population was approximately 10,000 blacks and 2,000 whites. Du Bois describes in detail the economics of growing cotton in that county, with its impact on the humans, and the mechanisms that were used to keep everyone in debt, and therefore under control (today, many a college graduate would understand well). Consider just one fact: Cotton was 14 cents a pound in 1860 and 4 cents a pound in 1898. In the early ‘70’s I would travel to Dougherty County on business on a monthly basis, and was utterly oblivious to these central historical facts. ‘Tis more than a bit embarrassing. And then there is the matter of those formative experiences with two of the progeny from Dougherty County, each living on a different side of what Du Bois would call “the Veil.” Further heightened embarrassment that I did not know. Better late than…

    6-stars for Du Bois seminal perceptions.
    266 people found this helpful
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  • Jason Mensah
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless classic
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2020
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    Reading this book was difficult for me. The ideas and yearning of the author is broad and deep. I had some challenges with his robust prose and literary license as he moved from fiction to non-fiction and delved into psychology, sociology and economics to study the veil of the color line.
    However, as I struggled with this text I was able to glimpse the deep love, intelligence and passion the author has for his people.
    In this text the author also has captured my inner stirrings that I have wrestled with in dealing with racial issues in America.
    Amazingly, the author through his study of history has identified multiple challenges that people of African descent still face in the world. I feel this book should be mandatory reading for the upper level high school student and college student to begin having a true and honest dialogue about race in this country.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • PG
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quintessential author on African American history and perspective.
    Reviewed in Australia on October 13, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    To truly understand race relations, we should look from as many perspectives as possible, even where it may feel hurtful or against your own narrative and the narratives we are presented in our daily interactions. Du Bois captures not just the feeling of the day, but how even in todays progressive society, we still have so far to go.
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  • Marcelline G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Livre qui mérite d’être plus connu
    Reviewed in France on November 20, 2023
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    Le livre est arrivé en bon état, et assez rapidement. Donc je suis satisfaite !

    Ce livre, pierre angulaire de la littérature afro-américaine, est très bien pour s’instruire sur les intellectuels dont on ne nous parle jamais ou alors bien trop peu ! Très intéressant, très bien écrit. Je recommande !
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  • FABIOLA
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this
    Reviewed in Italy on December 13, 2020
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    It was so difficult for me to find this in Italy, so I turned to Amazon. It was the best choice and I was happy to finally read this masterpiece.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless yet revealing of the plight faced by 19th and 20th century Africans in the western world
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2020
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    Timeless as this amazing piece highlights the consistent themes of difficulty faced by Africans living in the western nations. Brilliantly written with extensive metaphors, statistics and correlations to explain the battle for identity and progress faced by Africans living in a European nation
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  • moomin
    5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST of any student of American culture
    Reviewed in Japan on November 3, 2018
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    A MUST of any student of American culture.
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