Enslaved: The Sunken History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

(Paperback)

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A riveting and illuminating explorationof the transatlantic slave trade by an intrepid team of divers seeking to reclaim the stories of their ancestors.

For me,Enslavedis an attempt to give a voice to the millions whose voices were silenced.Samuel L. Jackson, human rights activist and Hollywood icon

From the writers behind the acclaimed documentary seriesEnslaved(starring Samuel L. Jackson), comes a rich and revealing narrative of the true global and human scope of the transatlantic slave trade. The trade existed for 400 years, during which 12 million people were trafficked, and 2 million would die en route.

In these pages we meet the remarkable group, Diving with a Purpose (DWP),as they dive sunken slave ships all around the world. They search for remains and artifacts testifying to the millions of kidnapped Africans that were transported to Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean. From manilla bracelets to shackles, cargo, and other possessions, the finds from these wrecks bring the stories of lost lives back to the surface.

As we follow the men and women of DWP across eleven countries, Jacobovici and Kingsleys rich research puts the archaeology and history of these wrecks that lost between1670 to 1858 in vivid context.From the ports ofGold Coast Africa,to the corporate hubs of trading companies of England, Portugal and the Netherlands, andthe finaldestinations in the New World,Jacoboviciand Kingsley showhow theslave trade touched every nation and every society on earth.

Though globalin scope,Enslavedmakes history personal as we experience the divers sadness, anger, reverence, and awe as they hold tangible pieces of their ancestorsworld in their hands. What those people suffered on board those ships can never be forgiven.Enslavedworks to ensure that it will always be remembered and understood, and is the first book to tell the story of the transatlantic slave trade from the bottom of the sea.

Reviews

For me,Enslavedis an attempt to give a voice to the millions whose voices were silenced. -- Samuel L. Jackson, human rights activist and Hollywood icon
A vast history has been submerged on the ocean floor for centuries. With Diving With A Purpose, Kingsley and Jacobovici share the stories of these people once viewed as cargo so that they will live on with dignity. Enslaved explores the global impact of slavery by investigating the ships carrying those that were enslaved as well as by digging into the history of port towns and the complexity of the illegal slave trade. A necessary, poignant work. * Booklist *
An informative account. Enslaved spotlights Diving with a Purpose, a group of scuba divers who located theLeusden, a Dutch slaver whose 1738 sinking off the coast of Suriname killed 664 enslaved Africans, and the schoonerHome, an Underground Railroad freedom boat that sank in Lake Michigan in 1858, among other wrecks. The authors present a wealth of information and effectively commemorate the two million captured Africans who died en route to Europe and the New World. Readers will be horrified and enlightened. * Publishers Weekly *
"Enslavedilluminates the horrors of slavery in a compelling new way. Built around the recovery of slavery's material artifacts, this book offers powerful reminders of our proximity to the past, of the scars slavery has left on our present, and of the struggles of oppressed people seeking to build new futures." -- Christopher Bonner, author of Remaking the Republic: Black Politics and the Creation of American Citizenship
The spirt and souls of the enslaved peoples buried on the ocean floor and in other unlikely graveyards have not been silenced forever. This book enables descendants of enslaved Africans to better understand who they are and where they have come from. -- Dr. Wilhelmina J. Donkoh, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Praise for Simcha Jacobovici:

"Absolutely fascinating. Many would argue the biggest story or one of the biggest stories of our lifetime. * NBC's TODAY *
"Jacobovici is a maverick, a self-made Indiana Jones." * Newsweek *
Praise for Sean Kingsley:

"Kingsley's bracing tale of religious intrigue grips the imagination." * Publisher's Weekly *
"Readers will find that the thrill of tracing long-buried clues to those tantalizing locked gates is itself a great prize." * Booklist *

Author Bio

Dr. Sean Kingsleyis a marine archaeologist who has explored over 350 wrecks from Israel to America. Off the UK he identified the worlds earliest Royal African Company English slaver ship. Sean writes forNational Geographicand is the founder ofWreckwatchmagazine about theworldssunken wonders.

SimchaJacobovici is a three-time Emmy winning Israeli/Canadian filmmaker, New York Timesbestselling author and an internationally acclaimed journalist. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Religion at Huntington University, Ontario, Canada.Jacobovici was Showrunner/Director of the 6-part series Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade for which he has received numerous awards including two NAACP Image Award nominations. Enslaved is his fourth book. He divides his time between Torontoand Israel.



Brenda Jones is an award-winning political communicator, speechwriter and author who worked in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC for nearly 16 years. She was the primary speechwriter and lead communications strategist for the late Rep. John Lewis.Brenda is the author of a four-book series on American political women called Queens of the Resistance. She collaborated with Rep. John Lewis on the New York Times bestseller, Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change, for which she won an NAACP Image Award.In 2022, Brenda joined the White House as Senior Presidential Speechwriter in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.