Capitalism and Slavery connects the economic rise of the Western world as we know it, with the exploitation of enslaved people. The author’s thorough research along with their persuasive arguments reveal how slavery was integral to the development of capitalism, challenging traditional historical narratives. The writing can be dense at times, but its insights make it a rewarding and enlightening read, especially providing stark insights into the interplay between human rights and economics. This interplay is something that will remain with me long after reading the book.

This book, though short, is filled with wisdom, insight, and raw facts.

It is a must-read for anyone concerned about the current state of the world, and the people who inhabit it.

I wanted to learn more about slavery and how it impacted on British development, as an Australian this is not something we were taught in schools so I wanted to learn more. This is an interesting read and like all books of a similar nature I took a while to read it, re-read it before finishing.

This has been well researched and written.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This was a fascinating read. As a student of English Literature I have long been exposed to post-colonial theory in various forms and from various periods - this was a valuable addition to the corpus that helped me to reflect on how thought on this crucial subject was refined over the course of the twentieth century (and continues to be).

This was a dense old read about, you guessed it, capitalism and slavery. Published originally in 1944, it was reissued earlier this year – and I find it fascinating how so many ideas put forward in this text have still eluded people's understanding of slavery and racism today.

I wouldn't say I enjoyed this book, as parts of it were very dry and there was a LOT of facts and figures being thrown around, but I do think it is an excellent look at how slavery – and therefore racism – only exists because of profit, and that slavery – but sadly not racism – was only dismantled because it was no longer useful to the British empire, not because of humanitarian concerns. It is extremely well-researched, and knowing that such a persuasive academic book was putting these points forward in the 40s really does make you think about how strange it is that people are still going about defending the empire. Things that I found particularly interesting: the extent of the empirical evidence showing that racism was a product of slavery; the observation that people can never know what ripple effects their actions will have a hundred years later, and just how powerful those individual actions can end up being; and just how much people were driven by greed and profit. Love to see that nothing's changed!

An interesting update and probably realistic view on the "real" main drivers behind the rise and fall of the slave trade, in Britain and the wider slaving world. Really questions the motives for Britain's apparent leading role in the abolition movement. Mr Williams clearly explains the interdependence of the Caribbean plantation states, British growth and industrialisation. The arguments are compelling, and backed with many detailed figures from many sources.
The horrors of slavery a dealt with with a light hand, the emphasis being on the economic drivers ration that the lack of humanity.
Very interesting. The writing style, is very academic, and doesn't make for light reading.

Smart and readable at same time as its being comprehensive .. argues brilliantly is case of connection of ownership of other humans and necessity of economy transactions to create wealth. Worth its slightly degree prose ...

This is not an easy read. It is dense with facts and the narrative is dry and academic but the story is fascinating. Our modern capitalist system is based on slavery. This is mainly about Britain and Colonial holdings. It is, at times, quite shocking at how people were considered ‘goods’ and their trade was no different to any other marketable commodity. Then when the wealthy needed to make more money, they created consumers by freeing the slaves - or some of them. It does not paint a very good picture of capitalism’s development or the cynical way black people were used and abused.

The British attitude to their slaves was wider than some others as they mocked countries who just saw labour to cut sugar etc., And they conveniently forgot that the slaves themselves had hearts and minds and knew exactly what was in their best interests.

The book was written some time ago but the history remains valid and the visceral reaction to how we treat our fellow human beings is still as stark. I’m glad I read this as I learned so much about where wealth came from and how it was derived.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

This book does what it says on the cover. It critically analyses the link between capitalism and slavery. Many of these thoughts and perspectives I have never heard before. Eye opening

Interesting but disturbing read about how human beings were systematically mistreated in the slave trade. The book is very informative, educational, and describes the origins of British slave trade and racism which has a direct impact still in modern day. It's interesting that "Capitalism and Slavery" was written by Eric Williams before he became the first prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago. I highly recommend reading this book.

Challenging but very interesting read. A mixture of economics and history linking the world of slavery to the industrial revolution and the development of cities such as London, Manchester and Liverpool. An interesting book for students of this era but for others like myself with little knowledge can be somewhat confusing. It reads more like a thesis and contains a lot of fact and figures that can at times seem somewhat random.
I read it to improve my own knowledge but found I had to research many items to get a better picture. If this is a republishing it might be improved by including a preface explaining and comparing values to todays.

Certainly worth a read but prepare to study earnestly.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This was absolutely fascinating, as someone who didn't know a great deal about the slavery other than the school teaches our education just about allows this blew my mind.

A challenging and at times difficult read. Reminded me of the textbooks that I read for History A Level, full of facts but not really telling the story. The narrative was interesting and compelling, but the intertwined nature of slavery supporting capitalism and vice versa didn’t always come across. Thought-provoking and at times difficult, this book is less accessible an everyday read for the at-times non-fiction reader, but more suited to academic audiences. Nevertheless it was an interesting read but not the easiest!

A completely absorbing book, which I think merits a second reading as I'm sure there were lots of things I didn't take in the first time as it is so packed with information. The writing style shows the age of the book, but because the topic is so relevant it is definitely worth persevering. I have recommended this book to all my friends.

Whilst it was generally an interesting and educational read, I was definitely not the target audience for the book which lessened my enjoyment of it (although this is probably my own fault). I found this book more suited towards academics/historians and regular non-fiction readers rather than the non-fiction novice that I am. This was partially to do with what I found was sometimes difficult writing and language, but also because of my prior lack of knowledge around slavery and capitalism which I think would have definitely benefitted me.
I also found that the two topics of capitalism and slavery were sometimes dealt with more separately by the author, rather than exploring the relationship between the both.

In “capitalism and slavery,“ you will read about the very beginning of Western slave trading that started with the Portuguese and ended with America. They have different chapters that delve in to almost every aspect of slavery in the north this was a disgusting and sad part of our history but one that should be told mr. Williams talks about the pioneers who fought the stop this not only an every day life but also in the parliament he talks about the want to get rich off of slavery and how it affects the economy. I think this is a great book it should be taught in schools as it is a fair in balanced look at an unfair practice. This should be mandatory reading. I was given this book by Nat Gally for free but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

As Williams says in his conclusion, the 'title 'British Capitalism and Slavery'' would be 'pedantically more accurate', but the characteristics of slavery were universal. A tough read, extremely dense and full of so much information that I doubt I'll remember half of it. The start is incredibly interesting and strong, Williams talks in the abstract about slavery and its roots. Most interestingly is his argument that racism is a product of slavery, not the other way around. The middle of the book is an uncompromising look at the triangular trades, sugar, cotton, and is filled with dates, statistics and figures. Perhaps ignorantly, I was hoping for a more abstract ruminations, but Williams writes the facts, and at times this book felt like a textbook. Maybe that's what it's supposed to be. I can't fault the amount of knowledge and information in here. This is actually a classic text on slavery, originally published in 1944, but Penguin only published it in England for the first time in February this year. Thank you to them for the copy in exchange for a review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4802273985?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Just the facts.
*****

A welcome re-edition of this classic of economic history, in which Williams, through the simple process of laying out carefully-studied statistic after carefully-studied statistic, demonstrates that the abolition of slavery in Britain and its colonies was, rather than the product of enlightened conscience, a simple matter of economic expediency.

Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC

This book was a revelation and I am so leased to have had the chance to read it. Eric Willians writes with clarity and vision.

This is SUCH important reading! Yes, it's history, but it's history that has strong ramifications on our present. Thank you for the ARC, I'm sure I'll be recommending it to others!