This book goes back into the history of slavery from the Slavery in the classic world, slavery in medieval Europe and slavery in Islam up to abolition and emancipation.

Story Time:

When I was in Lisbon, Portugal, I went to visit their history museum. In this museum was a library. I walked into the library looking specifically for their history books on Portugal's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. I was shocked to find nothing except one book that only had art illustrations of freed African slaves from the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique based in Portugal along with Cabo Verdeans.

I asked the librarian if they had any books on the history of the transatlantic slave trade involving Portugal and Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cabo Verde and Brazil. The librarian said they did not. I looked at her in disbelief and asked her why not? That this is an important part of Portuguese and African History. Why are there no books in your library, especially this particular library in your history museum. The librarian looked at me embarrassed and shrugged her shoulders and said 'sorry'. I looked at her and shook my head in disappointment.

I sat down and went through the art illustration book and about 10 minutes later the librarian walked towards me with a big book and said to me 'I found this book here in our library that will interest you'.

The book that she gave me was thick with a lot of pages (which I expected). It went into a lot of detail on the slave trade between Portugal, the African countries that were under Portuguese colony and Brazil. It was the ONLY book that was available in this library.

Links:

Escaping slavery in Libya

Cameroon: Migrants Tell of Libya Slave Market Hell

The Plight of Migrant Worker in Qatar

Documentary on migrant workers in Qatar

Song: Modern Slavery

My review of the book 'Black Like Me' by John Howard Griffin about segregation in America's Deep South. Published in 1961.

I review a book written by Lemn Sissay on his childhood experiences of being in foster care, children's home and eventually in an 'assessment' centre, that seemed like more of a juvenile detention centre.

My review of John Steinbeck's book 'Of Mice and Men'.

WARNING: Parental Advisory: This episode contains explicit descriptions.

I had read a couple of books by James Herbert back in the 1980s.

Was this book just as good as his other books that I had read previously?

Find out in this episode

Reviewing a book pamphlet that belongs to Shazziah who is one of the librarians in my episode published at the end of February.

That particular episode is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nETJEVh6UV1qUXHzI3T6A?si=hLwVE0s4SnS_CYU69It4pA

Shazziah recommended that I read this pamphlet, so I have read it and have given my review of it in this episode.

This pamphlet is about six individuals who changed the course of history for British workers, particularly the Black British working classes.

1. Olaudah Equiano - a former child slave, he rose from slavery to become a writer and one of the most prominent campaigners ever against human bondage.

2. Robert Wedderburn - of mixed-race descent (British-Jamaican) a revolutionary firebrand of Regency London who fought for the abolition of slavery.

3. William Cuffay - the son of a former slave, he became the leader of the London Chartists during the Victorian times.

4. Shapurji Saklatvala - an Indian born British communist activist and MP for Battersea, (he was the first Indian person to become a British MP). He was jailed during the 1926 General Strike.

5. Claudia Jones - a Trinidad and Tobago political activist and journalist powerful figure who gave hope to Britain’s beleaguered black population of the 1950s. She also helped launch the Notting Hill Carnival in 1959.

6. Jayaben Desai - An Indian born UK based Trade Unionist whose lead the strike against the conditions of the workers Grunwick film processing factory in London in the 1970s.

My review of Animal Farm by George Orwell

This is the full audio edition of my adventures in Romania and Moldova in April 2024.