Solid addition to the genre of Black Civil War era biographies. While little known outside of scholarly circles, the story of William Still's life is worthy of a look from readers interested in ante and post bellum America.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

This was well written and ever informative, I enjoyed it very much, it tells an important and laterally forgotten story. Highly recommend.

What an incredible story. I loved this so much. I can’t imagine having lived through this time and risked everything to help your fellow man. It was beautiful and terrifying. Absolutely worth the read

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair review. Abolitionist William Still is known as 'The Father of the Underground Railroad' and with good reason. Born a free man in 1821, his mother was an escaped slave. Still himself, a hardworking self-made man, settled in Philadelphia where he helped hundreds of enslaved people like his mother, escape from their masters. He took a job as a clerk in Philadelphia's Anti-Slavery office. It was in this position that he was able to aid hundreds of black people to escape to Canada where they could live freely. His contemporaries included John Brown, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass. Still taught himself to read and write and while helping those less fortunate, he became a successful well-to-do businessman who was respected by both blacks and whites in his community. He kept meticulous records of those former slaves that he helped escape and even visited them in Canada to ensure their well-being. Even after the Civil War when slavery was abolished, he continued to work hard for equality and civil rights such as voting. He was a man of faith, a non-drinker, a non-smoker and encouraged other black men and women to work hard and make a life for themselves. Author Andrew K. Diemer did a thorough job researching and writing this biography. My only complaint was that sometimes this book read like a textbook and many paragraphs were quite long. Other than that, it was a fascinating read. William Still and his many contributions should not be forgotten. Thank you to Mr. Diemer for bringing this important man front and center.

Vigilance is one of the best historical biographies that I have read in a long time.

Andrew K. Diemer creates a fantastic read and helps bring to life one of the greatest historical figures that has been left out of conversations throughout history.

Vigilance overall is a fantastic and fun read that is perfect for historical fans!

A fascinating, in-depth account of the life of William Still. Andrew Diemer does a magnificent job presenting Still's life to the reader. I learned not just about Still, but about his role in the abolitionist community of Philadelphia and the immense impact he had on the Underground Railroad. His life and the times he lived In & through have been overlooked, relegated to maybe a few paragraphs in many history textbooks. Therefore this book is most needed, to bring this illustrious person to the forefront. If nothing else, it will surely make one willing to learn more about him, the Underground Railroad itself, and the history of abolition in America overall. This is a five-star book. Kudos to Diemer for writing it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.