- Paperback: 925 pages
- Publisher: Picador; 1st edition (5 Dec 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 033035437X
- ISBN-13: 978-0330354370
- Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 15.2 x 5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
456,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #56 in Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > Slavery
- #100 in Books > History > World History > 1501-1750
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Hugh Thomas's The Slave Trade takes a big-picture view of New World slavery in its international context. The Portuguese and Spanish who first came to Africa, he writes, arrived in search of gold. They found it, but they also found social systems in which the ransom, buying, and selling of human beings had long been established. These systems had existed in European antiquity, and now they were revived when, shortly after making contact with Africa, the European nations began to establish colonies on the other side of the Atlantic; the horrible traffic continued well into the 19th century. Thomas mines vast archives and previously published histories to make this sweeping and remarkably useful synthesis.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Barbara Stanton "Detroit Free Press" Thomas has taken a sprawling subject and turned it into a disciplined, compelling narrative.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
"VERY EARLY in the morning, because of the heat," a few Portuguese seamen on the decks of half a dozen hundred-ton caravels, the new sailing ships, were preparing, on August 8, 1444, to land their African cargo near Lagos, on the southwest point of the Algarve, in Portugal. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
"VERY EARLY in the morning, because of the heat," a few Portuguese seamen on the decks of half a dozen hundred-ton caravels, the new sailing ships, were preparing, on August 8, 1444, to land their African cargo near Lagos, on the southwest point of the Algarve, in Portugal. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I think Hugh Thomas has done his work well here, maintining an objectivity that few authors achieve when approaching this sometimes sensetive subject. The facts and factors involved in the African trade in slaves and its subsequent exploitaion by Europeans has been documented without bias and served to the interested reader in the plainest of language.
Although the volume is a thick one, it's a must for those who have a vested or general interest in this poignant period of history. Once I picked it up I found it difficult to put down again. I hope whoever buys and reads it finds this publication equally informative.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is probably the best book I have read on the slave trade. Hugh Thomas explores the origins and development of this deplorable enterprise with candour and insight. It is a well researched work, which is not couched in "high" academic speak, making it quite easy to read.
As the author chronicles the trade, sometimes through the words and actions of the principal players, one becomes aware of the moral ambiguities that characterised the trade from the start. By avoiding sweeping generalisations, he dispassionately addresses the mindsets of the slaving and enslaved peoples. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an overview of the slave trade.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a long book: a brick of 900 pages describing and discussing the transatlantic slave trade from the Portuguese start in the mid-15th century to the illegal period in the mid 19th century.
One has to be very interested in history to dwell into Hugh Thomas' immensely detailed historical description of the period. But if one is, this book is a true gold-mine: details about specific shipments and harbours; the lifes of slaves, traders and others who suffered (or benefitted) from the trade; the economic consequences and financial matters; the political and legal implications and debates on abolition. All come to life with an amazing sense of detail! I particularly enjoyed reading the background that got the horrible trade starting, as well as the long debate on its abolition, for which there were already people arguing in the 15th century.
Also, the hypocrisies of the entire trade come to life well in the descriptions, like the arguments of the African slaves being better off as slaves in the Americas than free men in Africa.
Such hypocritical statements are surely what one can learn from today, where there seems to be no less hypocrisy.
Great book, but can be a heavy read if you are only marginally interested in the transatlantic slave trade.
One has to be very interested in history to dwell into Hugh Thomas' immensely detailed historical description of the period. But if one is, this book is a true gold-mine: details about specific shipments and harbours; the lifes of slaves, traders and others who suffered (or benefitted) from the trade; the economic consequences and financial matters; the political and legal implications and debates on abolition. All come to life with an amazing sense of detail! I particularly enjoyed reading the background that got the horrible trade starting, as well as the long debate on its abolition, for which there were already people arguing in the 15th century.
Also, the hypocrisies of the entire trade come to life well in the descriptions, like the arguments of the African slaves being better off as slaves in the Americas than free men in Africa.
Such hypocritical statements are surely what one can learn from today, where there seems to be no less hypocrisy.
Great book, but can be a heavy read if you are only marginally interested in the transatlantic slave trade.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Balloon of hot air devoid of crucial facts
Hopefully this book will not be the last thign written about the Slave Trade. There is still room for much improvement in the study.
1. Read more
1. Read more
Published 14 months ago by gwaan
Review by Military Historian
This is an absorbing, detailed account of the origin and development of the slave trade. Extensively researched and skilfully written. Read more
Published 19 months ago by WARRIOR
Expansive and comprehensive
What more do you need to know about the Atlantic slave trade? This book will certainly have the answer. Read more
Published on 12 April 2010 by Johnny Leichtmann
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