The Forgotten Slave Trade: The White European Slaves of Islam

Deveria ser leitura obrigatória. Todos os povos e etnias, em alguma época, foram ou tiveram escravos. Os mais antigos registros históricos incluem regulamentações a respeito, o que indica que a prática os precede de muito. Pode causar estranhamento a nós atualmente, mas era prática tão normal que nenhum dos textos das grandes religiões que surgiram muito depois a condena.

All should read this book. It provides balance and understanding.

This book is full of things that are bound to make a reader of any race uncomfortable. To be reminded that all races were enslaved (and all races the enslavers) flies in the face of the dominant narrative. The treatment of white slaves by their North African masters is particularly appalling and not something you probably learned about in school. You will also be reminded that the Western word for "slave" is related to "Slav" (slave, esclave, etc.). You will also be reminded why the people of the Balkans hate one another. No, history didn't begin in 1991. Devshirme is the part of the story your history teacher "forgot" to mention. Webb also mentions the scholarship of Robert Davies who calculated that between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were enslaved by North Africans.For those quick to claim "whitewashing" this book has particular value for you. This may be your first and possibly only chance to develop sympathy for people that are different than you. If you really want to learn about slavery, why not study diversity in slavery? Webb is a true scholar who pulls no punches. The book is not written from a political perspective, but rather from the perspective of exposing rarely mentioned and inconvenient truths. If you need a narrative where all of the heroes wear the same color hat (and all the villains wear a different color hat), you may initially be confused by Webb's scholarship, but I have faith that you too, can understand the rich and diverse tapestry of human history.

I listened to this on Audible and ended up purchasing a print copy.I could go on and on about who should read this book or how terrible slavery was (and still is in some places) but I won't. If I could make one wish, it would be that this be made into a documentary. I think more people would watch it than read it and retain the information.One point made early on in the book stays with me...Since the beginning of recorded history it has been basically agreed that theft, adultery and murder are wrong but never has it been recorded that owning a human is wrong. 🤔

I enjoyed the book.It resurrected important facts, long since ignored or marginalised because they don't fit the current woke narrative and thus gave them context and meaning.If I have one minor negative observation it's the use of the Falklands War (p.168) to justify a disingenuous point: Margaret Thatcher didn't launch the Falklands War to win an election or distract the British voter; she merely responded with military force to a war forced upon her by Argentina and its need to distract their masses due to the Juntas' mishandling of the Argentine economy.That aside, this book joins others on my bookshelf which defends the British story in taking on the slavers and puts to the metaphorical sword the notion that slavery was a uniquely white and western undertaking.Those less discerning don't like that fact - but fact it is.