At once a powerful evocation of his early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice--to both the individual and America at large--The Fire Next Time, which galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil rights movement, stands as one of the essential works of our literature. It remains as relevant today, widely read in classrooms and lecture halls across America, as it was when first published, 45 years ago.