Since 1853, Solomon Northup has been credited as being the author of the autobiographical slave narrative, Twelve Years A Slave . His name became a household word again in the 21st century with the release of the award-winning film of the same name. His book is hailed as the most authentic account of Southern slavery available to readers. But what if it isn't? Was Solomon Northup actually born a free man? Was he a participant in his own kidnapping? Did he really witness the savage violence depicted in the book? Were the other characters real people? Did he return to New York and weave his experiences into a book? Who was David Wilson? Several years of fact-checking every line of Twelve Years , as well as David Wilson's other books, have led historical researcher Michelle Haas to some dramatic new answers to questions like these. Here is the entire text, with annotations throughout and back stories on all of the characters--even the villains other historians have ignored. This is the story of Twelve Years a Slave , and of David Wilson, the man who really wrote it into history.