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The Zorg

A Tale of Greed, Murder and the Abolition of Slavery from the Bestselling Author and Pulitzer Prize Finalist

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The Zorg

By: Siddharth Kara
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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A WATERSTONES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR 2026

* History Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown Longlist 2026
* PEN Literary Award Finalist 2026
* New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2025
* Time’s 100 Must Read Books of 2025
* The New Yorker 12 Essential Non-Fiction Reads 2025

From the author of New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Cobalt Red, discover the shocking true story and riveting account of the 18th century slave ship whose journey from the high seas to the High Court sparked the human rights campaign to end the slave trade. Perfect for fans of David Grann's The Wager and The Wide, Wide Sea by Hampton Sides.

In 1781, the Zorg set off from the Netherlands to buy slaves in West Africa to sell in the Caribbean. By the time its journey ended, the Zorg became the first undeniable argument against slavery.

When a series of unpredictable weather events and navigational errors led to the Zorg sailing off course and running low on supplies, the crew's solution was to throw more than a hundred slaves overboard in order to save themselves and the most valuable slaves. The ship's owners then claimed their loss on insurance.

The insurers refused to pay the claim due to the unusually high mortality rate of the slaves on board, leading to a trial which initially found in favour of the ship's owners, with the slaves equated to horses with a compensation value of £30 per slave. Due to the outrage of one man present in court that day who wrote an anonymous letter to the press objecting to the result, a retrial was held.

For the first time, concepts such as human rights and morality entered the discourse on slavery in a courtroom case that boiled down to a simple yet profound question: Were the Africans on board people or cargo?

In this riveting book, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara brings the true horror of the Atlantic slave trade to life.

The case catapulted the emerging anti-slavery movement to one of the most consequential moral campaigns that changed the course of history.

'A horrific tale of the slave trade, destined to become a classic' New York Times

© Siddharth Kara 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 18th Century Americas Black & African American Maritime History & Piracy Modern United States World Sailing Africa
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Critic reviews

Kara’s book reads like a thriller, narrative nonfiction at its finest.
The Zorg effectively illuminates one of the darkest chapters in our history, using powerful storytelling and documented fact to assemble a portrait that haunts the reader long after finishing it.
A book of great importance and one that will likely become a classic.
A compelling, meticulously researched tale told with compassion and clarity, The Zorg reveals the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade and the humanity that led to its demise.
Siddharth Kara has uncovered a story of profound historical and moral importance. The Zorg shines a piercing light on one of the darkest chapters of human history, tracing the harrowing voyage that forced courts and society to confront the fundamental question of whether enslaved Africans were human beings or mere cargo. By unearthing new material and bringing it vividly to life, Kara reminds us that the fight for justice, dignity, and human rights is never won once and for all but must be defended in every generation. This is an essential and powerful book.
Kara blends Grisham-esque thriller elements with the propulsive quality of David Grann’s The Wager and Sophie Elmhirst’s A Marriage at Sea; as a writer he is every bit their equal. There’s a buffet of savory anecdotes; cameos by Benjamin Franklin; Virginia Woolf’s great-grandfather; and the trader-turned-abolitionist composer of Amazing Grace... An epic in miniature, The Zorg is one of this year’s superlative nonfiction books.
This remarkable, riveting book about a famous event of nearly two and a half centuries ago finds a raft of new information that generations of historians (myself included) have missed. And the episode involved was not just one more atrocity onboard a slave ship at sea; it was the spark that helped ignite the greatest human rights movement of all time.
Mr Kara's book stands as a testament to the Africans who perished on the Zorg and to all who endured centuries of exploitation during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The history at the heart of The Zorg is urgent, unflinching, and utterly essential. Siddharth Kara brings overdue attention to stories that demand to be known.
This enthralling and elegant history … is both a harrowing glimpse of slavery’s horrors and an incisive investigation into one of history’s most reviled crimes.
All stars
Most relevant
Not just a fascinating yet horrific illustration of the 18thC slave trade, but a vital step in speeding up the abolition of that trade and eventually of slavery itself. Incredibly worthy, yes; but also a very good listen.

Important story, very well narrated

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Must read. An incredible piece of research and documented political triumph. This is not inflammatory, not do I get the sense of opportunistic writing to gain a woke audience. It is factual, it provides a little judgement, it provides insight into a time in our history we might have cause to be proud of.

My terrifying ignorance of historical events.

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The iconic and cruel crime committed on the Zorg encapsulates the atrocities of the Atlantic slave trade. Essential listening.

Dark and Enthralling

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I loved the book frankly I love history so naturally I love reading history books. I have heard about the Zorg on In Our Time podcast so I went I saw this book I wanted to hear if it will add more to what I knew. Which it did.

The tragedy of the story.

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