A Short History of Slavery

Publication timed for the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1807 – the Heritage Lottery Fund is making awards of over e15 million to promote this important bicentenary.

As we approach the bicentenary of the abolition of the Atlantic trade, Walvin has selected the historical texts that recreate the mindset that made such a savage institution possible – morally acceptable even. Setting these historical documents against Walvin’s own incisive historical narrative, the two layers of this extraordinary, definitive account of the Atlantic slave trade enable us to understand the rise and fall of one of the most shameful chapters in British history, the repercussions of which the modern world is still living with.

Author Biography

James Walvin taught for many years at the University of York where he is now Professor of History Emeritus. He also held visiting positions in the Caribbean, the U.S.A. and Australia. He won the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize for his book Black and White, and has published widely on the history of slavery and the slave trade, including more recently Black Ivory. A History of British Slavery. His book The People’s Game was a pioneering study of the history of football and remains in print thirty years after its first publication.