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The Interest

How the British Establishment Resisted the Abolition of Slavery

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING

A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR

A riveting narrative history that shows for the first time how the campaign to end slavery divided Britain, convulsed its politics and was almost thwarted by some of the most powerful and famous figures of the era.

In 1807, Parliament outlawed the slave trade in the British Empire. But for the next 25 years more than 700,000 people remained enslaved, due to the immensely powerful pro-slavery group the 'West India Interest'.

This ground-breaking history discloses the extent to which the 'Interest' were supported by nearly every figure of the British establishment - fighting, not to abolish slavery, but to maintain it for profit. Gripping and unflinching, The Interest is the long-overdue exposé of one of Britain's darkest, most turbulent times.

'A critical piece of history and a devastating exposé' Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious Empire

'Thoroughly researched and potent' David Lammy MP

'Essential reading' Simon Sebag Montefiore

©2020 Michael Taylor (P)2020 Penguin Audio Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Europe Great Britain Politics & Government Colonial Period

Critic reviews

Impressively researched and engagingly written (Dominic Sandbrook)
A magnificent book ... riveting (Ian Thomson)
Powerful ... engrossing ... Taylor's potent book shows why slavery took root as an essential part of British national life (Martin Chilton)
Michael Taylor's well-researched The Interest is ... about abolition, but it focuses on the grandees who fought against it, mostly for reasons of greed ... those seeking a catalogue of the country's old iniquities need look no further (Simon Heffer)
Taylor superbly brings to life all the intrigue, machinations, heavy-lifting, rigmarole and chance of the tortuous path to abolition (H Kumarasingham)
Offer[s] [a] fresh perspective on the story of reform and challenge[s] many of the prevailing, at times self-congratulatory, narratives of abolition ... Taylor assesses how far earnings from slavery permeated British society. He names the banks, universities and industries that all benefited directly from the trade ... lessons for today (Kofi Adjepong-Boateng)
All stars
Most relevant
Absolutely essential history for anyone who wants it. It’s got stuff about Canning I wasn’t taught for a level.

Essential for anyone who is interested in British history

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Coherently structured with a readily listenable narrative, - excellent. it's perhaps the sheer extent of the involvement of the hierarchy interest in keeping slavery, resisting abolitionist movements and protecting its own ifimamcial holdings from the very top that's laid to bare and so overwhelming. An important backdrop to anyone who refutes the legacy of slavery today.

stunning in its breadth

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Very informative.
Why were we not taught about slavery at school?
A must read, gripping.

Should be part of the national curriculum

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Finally, the full history of the abolition movement is told. The opponents to it are revealed as powerful figures intertwined with the establishment.

The moral religious and financial aspects of the movement and the resistance to it are explained as is the impact of slave revolts in the Caribbean and internal politics in Britain. The book features key examples of the barbarity of the slave trade and slave holding, while also discussing key aspects of slave rebellions.

In a detailed assessment of the abolition movement the financial interests that formed the opposition to It are discussed at length.

The book concludes with a compelling assessment of the movement for reparations not just in a moral sense but in a practical sense.

The twisted history of abolition

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A Fascinating read from beginning to end, beautifully narrated.The end of slavery clearly illustrated and the major players revealed.

scintilating

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