Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Genre: History, World History, Sociology, African History, American History, Economics, Non-Fiction.

Book Review:
In ''Slavery: A New Global History,'' the prolific historian Jeremy Black delivers a sweeping and incisive account of one of humanity's most enduring and brutal institutions. This is not merely a history of the transatlantic slave trade, but a truly global examination of slavery from the ancient world to the present day.

Black's scope is impressive. He begins with slavery in the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, including the famous revolt led by Spartacus. He then moves through the medieval period, exploring slavery in the Islamic world, India, and Africa. The book's core, however, rightly focuses on the rise of the Atlantic slave trade, which saw millions of Africans forcibly transported to the Americas. Black analyzes how this trade fueled colonial economies, shaped the societies of the New World (particularly the United States and Brazil), and became inextricably linked with the rise of the West.

Importantly, Black does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, including the complicity of some African powers in the trade. He also gives voice to the enslaved themselves, using their testimonies to convey the sheer horror and dehumanization they endured. The narrative then traces the long, hard-fought campaign for abolition, highlighting the courage and determination of activists on both sides of the Atlantic.

What makes this book particularly valuable and sobering is its final section, where Black brings the story into the 21st century. He demonstrates that slavery is far from a historical relic. In the form of human trafficking, forced labor, bonded labor, and child soldiers, it persists in many parts of the world today.

''Slavery: A New Global History'' is a comprehensive, thoughtful, and deeply disturbing account of a crime against humanity. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the dark underbelly of global history and the ongoing struggle for human freedom and dignity.