Abolition!: The Struggle to Abolish Slavery in the British Colonies

great condition, and value

The book is a great introduction to the Transatlantic slave trade, from the start till it's eventual abolition. In this concise narrative I got a sense of how the much accepted practice of slavery became discredited. Raised in a Islamic tradition where slavery and female rights is still an issue, this book taught me with tangible methods of how to change public opinions using whatever prevailing narratives are available. I am not suggesting that slavery is practiced in the Islamic world of today but it was once, only to be abolished due to Colonisers. For me this rich Western tradition of raising public awareness campaigns against any gross injustice is a powerful tool which most of the Islamic cultures lack completely.The book was very engaging and kept me captivated, though at times I felt the author giving slight more credit to the black anti slave campaigners which is understandable. The author has done his bit for his native Africans.Until the lions have their own historians, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.

Great condition and perfect for my studies!

This subject is crying out to be told from a black perspective. I was hoping that 'Abolition!' might be that book, which I think it was trying to be, but it ultimately falls short. The best bits of the book provide some interesting and little known details about African resistance to slavery, and about some of the ex-slaves who campaigned tirelessly for the cause of abolition. Kudos to the author for those bits. They're well researched, and well written. As for most of the other parts of the book, I was disappointed.It was probably when the author started talking about Malcom X that he lost my interest. Too many times the book veers off topic like this. The title of this book suggests the focus is on the struggle to abolish the slave trade, which happened in the 18th and 19th centuries, so why the author felt the need to start talking about a radical 1960s civil rights activist/martyr doesn't really make much sense. That's another book, entirely. 'Abolition!' is also too one-sided for my tastes. I like to learn about history by looking at it honestly from all angles, so when people such as Toussaint Louverture are painted only as heroes, it tends to rub me the wrong way. The Haitian revolution was one of the bloodiest and inhumanely violent wars I've ever read about. Both sides - Louverture's rebels and particularly the French - did the most barbaric things to each other. Yes, Louverture was heroic in the sense that he led the way in the establishment of the world's first black nation outside of Africa, but he was no saint; he was so focused on his goal that he could be exceptionally cruel. This book doesn't mention that.If you're looking for a politically biased version of events, this book is for you. If, like me, you're wanting an honest look at the slave trades with Africa and Africans in the spotlight, I'd recommend reading the following list of books instead:Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800 (John Thornton)Slavery and Slaving in African History (Sean Stilwell)The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade (John Wright)The Diary of Antera Duke: An Eighteenth Century African Slave Trader (Behrendt, Latham, and Northrup)Black Africans in Renaissance Europe (TF Earle and KJP Lowe)Untold Histories: Black People in England and Wales during the period of the British slave trade, c.1660-1807 (Kathleen Carter)Hiding in Plain Sight: Black Women, the Law, and the Making of a White Argentine Republic (Erika Edwards)Race and Slavery in the Middle East: An Historical Enquiry (Bernard Lewis)West African Narratives of Slavery (Sandra E Greene)Slave Owners of West Africa (Sandra E Greene)African Voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade (Bellagamba, Greene and Klein)Five Classic Muslim Slave Narratives (Muhammad A al-Ahari)Islam's Black Slaves (Ronald Segal)There are others. Also, the slave narratives by people such as Olaudah Equiano, Mary Prince, and others are worth reading. What would be nice is if the information from all those books was added to an unbiased version of the best bits of 'Abolition!' - then there would be a truly Afrocentric, and honest, retelling of the story of the slave trades. As of 2023, that book is waiting to be written.To end on a positive, another thing I really liked about this book is how it's easy to read. Most of the best books on this subject, including many of those I listed above, are very heavy going and dense. For non-academics like me, we need more books about the subject that are as easy to digest as 'Abolition!' is.

Loved the book

OK - bought for a course - did not find it inspiring.

Britain's involvement with slavery continued for 200 years, and its legacy for another two hundred - in the countries of Africa, among the Affro-carribean community. and in the wealth British society gained from it. This book gives the story of Africa before slavery, its beginnings under the Portuguese, and Britain's leading role in it after the Armada was defeated. The struggle against slavery was strongest among Africans and enslaved people - on board rebellions, attacks on slavers in Africa, and the several successful rebellions in the Carribean; and the work of some highly dedicated and organised people in Britain - Wilberforce, Clarkson, Equiano and the Quakers, who invented the popular political movement - boycotts of slave-produced sugar, parliamentary lobbying, petitions, posters and medallions; which all served to erode Britain's acceptance ofslavery. This is the most balanced account I have read.

Very informative. Must fr Every one In knowing the truth about the transatlantic slave trade especially school children. This awful in history needs to taught effectively.