Barco de Esclavos

Barco de Esclavos is a gripping account of life on board 18th-century British and American slave ships. Historian Marcus Rediker sheds light on the darkest corners of this period, revealing the crucial role these vessels played in shaping global capitalism.

Based on thirty years of research in maritime archives, court records, diaries, and first-hand accounts, Rediker reconstructs a world almost lost to history: the "floating prisons" that gave rise to African American culture and the forgotten link in the chain of slavery. For three centuries, these ships transported millions of people from Africa's coastlines to the Americas across the Atlantic.

This book humanizes the drama unfolding on board, exploring the lives, deaths, and terrors of captains, sailors, and slaves alike on a "prison ship" surrounded by sharks. From a young African boy kidnapped from his village and sold into slavery to an aspiring priest who takes up work as a sailor on a slave ship, Rediker tells a story of tragedy, terror, and resilience.