The Souls of Black Folk is a collection of essays that Du Bois published in 1903. He had already published two scholarly books and scores of monographs and articles in national magazines. But The Souls of Black Folk brought international recognition to Du Bois. It was praised for literary merit and for its social commentary. It won the highest praise from the recognized master of American Letters. Henry James wrote that "the only 'Southern' book of any distinction for many a year is 'The Souls of Black Folk' by that most accomplished of members of the Negro race, Mr. W.E.B. Du Bois." But Du Bois also stirred up a heated controversy with a chapter on Booker T. Washington. In criticizing Washington's philosophy of accepting the status quo in racial matters, Du Bois brought down the wrath of the "Tuskegee Machine" and those who supported it. It was Du Bois' opening salvo in a bitter controversy that was to change the nature and direction of black protest in America. Since the first edition in 1903, The Souls of Black Folk has gone through several printings totaling over 350,000 copies, has had worldwide circulation, and has been translated into multiple languages.