Imprint
- W&N
- W&N
Caribbean islands, Colonialism & imperialism, Slavery & abolition of slavery, Black & Asian studies
The story of the slave uprising that took place in the British colony of Demerara - now Guyana - in the Caribbean in 1823, and its momentous consequences
When Thomas Harding discovered that his family had profited from slavery, he set out to interrogate the choices of his ancestors and Britain's role in this terrible history. His investigation took him to Demerara (now Guyana), the site of an uprising by enslaved people in 1823, the largest in the British Empire and a key trigger in the abolition of slavery. Charting the dramatic build-up to this landmark event through the eyes of four people - an enslaved man, a missionary, a colonist, and a slaveholder - Harding lays bare the true impact of years of unimaginable cruelty and incredible courage and asks how those who benefitted from slavery can take responsibility for the White Debt.
More books by Thomas Harding
Praise for White Debt: The Demerara Uprising and Britain s Legacy of Slavery
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Brilliant . . . Striking . . . Full of details that will send a chill down your spine. Harding delivers a masterclass in how authors of history can play an active role, for good and for bad, in how these moral questions are framed - GUARDIAN
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A deep dive into colonialism and enslavement, with personal legacies that continue to resonate today - a deeply affecting and forensically elegant book for our times
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This well-researched history of the 1823 slave uprising in Demerara is a page-turner . . . Harding lays out what happened with novelistic (but still assiduously researched) flair - DAILY TELEGRAPH
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The Demerara episode graphically reveals the hidden cruelties of colonialism, not to mention British myopia towards the atrocities. Harding tells the story with impressive drama and detail - THE TIMES
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Authentic, bold and poignant, WHITE DEBT is a captivating tale of resistance and an urgent antidote to our collective amnesia
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