Thoroughly and authoritatively researched, Kenneth C. Davis writes of the lives of five enslaved people owned by American presidents: Billy Lee, Ona Judge, Isaac Granger, Paul Jennings, and Alfred Jackson. Davis compares the lives of these enslaved people to the words their owners wrote and spoke about freedom and lays bare the complexities of life during slavery. This is a dense but worthwhile read that I believe should be required reading for early U.S. History lovers.