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 £15 million to promote this important bicentenary.

Presents an account of the Atlantic slave trade which helps us to understand the rise and fall of one of the most shameful chapters in British history.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 Setting these historical documents against Walvin's own incisive historical narrative, the two layers of this extraordinary, definitive account of the Atlantic slave trade enable us to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.