The Black Joke: The True Story of One British Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade

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A. E. Rooks

The Black Joke

The True Story of One British Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade

A. E. Rooks

$39.99

Hardback

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English

Icon Books
17 May 2022

History; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Social & cultural history; Maritime history; Slavery & abolition of slavery

Longlisted for the Mountbatten Maritime Media Awards 2022.

A groundbreaking history of the Black Joke, the most famous member of the British Royal Navy's anti-slavery squadron, and the long fight to end the transatlantic slave trade.

Initially a slaving vessel itself, the Black Joke was captured in 1827 and repurposed by the Royal Navy to catch its former compatriots. Over the next five years, the vessel liberated more enslaved people than any other in Britain's West Africa Squadron.

As Britain attempted to snuff out the transatlantic slave trade by way of treaty and negotiation, enforcing these policies fell to ships such as the Black Joke as they battled slavers, weather disasters, and interpersonal drama among captains and crew that reverberated across oceans.

The Black Joke is a crucial and deeply compelling work of history, both as a reckoning with slavery and abolition and as a lesson about the power of political will - or the lack thereof.

AUTHOR: A.E. Rooks hopes to always be a student of history, though that hasn't stopped her from studying everything else. A two-time Jeopardy! champion with completed degrees in theatre, law, and library and information science--and forthcoming degrees in education and human sexuality--her intellectual passions are united by what the past can teach us about the present, how history shapes our future, and above all, really interesting stories.

By: A. E. Rooks
Imprint: Icon Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 36mm
Weight: 737g
ISBN: 9781785788437
ISBN 10: 1785788434
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 17 May 2022
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: No Longer Our Product

A. E. Rooks is a two-time Jeopardy! champion with degrees in theatre, law, library and information science, and forthcoming degrees in education and sexuality. Their intellectual passions are united by what the past can teach us about the present, how history shapes our future, and above all, really interesting stories. They are based in Denver, Colorado.

Reviews for The Black Joke: The True Story of One British Ship's Battle Against the Slave Trade

An accessible history ... Rooks succeeds in capturing the human dimensions of the story. This is an enlightening take on a lesser-known aspect of the fight to end slavery. * Publishers Weekly * A tale skillfully teased out of the vaults and made vivid by an artful narrative. * Kirkus *