What was olaudah equiano book called

This was even before slavery in England was outlawed. By honest trade he made forty seven pounds of sterling. He gradually made money by selling glass tumblers which he bought and then sold for a profit and then other stuff. His master told him that he thought he would run away. Even though Equiano knew that his master expected him to run away he bought his freedom and left honestly.

He helped other slaves. He was cheering. After he bought his freedom once he was paid by his master to take a cargo of slaves to Georgia.

The captain of the ship bragged that he was the best navigator there ever was and kept navigating him off course. They hit some rocks. There was a hole in the bottom of the ship.

The captain wanted the hatches nailed shut to keep the water from draining in and sinking the top of the boat. If the hatches were nailed shut the slaves in the hull of the ship would drown. Equiano told the men not to nail the hatches shut because the slaves would die.

He felt that the reason why they had hit the rocks was because he had sworn about the ship and felt that God was angry. Some of the whites on the ship gave up hope when the ship hit the rocks and got drunk. Equiano nailed a piece of leather over the hole and took the ship's boat and dragged all the men, even the drunkards, in small groups, into the boat. Then they took the boat to a nearby small island. The island was surrounded by reefs.

To get over the reefs they had to climb out of the boat and drag it over with their legs. They would drop the men off on the island and go back to the ship for more. When the ship sunk all the crew and cargo slaves were safe on the island. A few days later some of the men took the boat and off the coast of one of the Bahama islands they found a ship that was out sailing and trying to find wrecks and rescue the people from the wrecks.

So all the people from Equiano's crew and the slave cargo were saved. Jun 04, Marc Kohlman rated it it was amazing. A moving epic autobiography! When I first saw the film "Amazing Grace", Equiano's played by Youssou N'Dour life, trials and accomplishments fascinated me so much that I was very eager to read his story.

His prose is vivid, strong and deep with exquisite details and a human depth. As a person of African descent, I found myself identifying more with Equiano the further I read. All the while, imagining who my ancestors had been, where from Africa they hailed and how they survived the dreaded A moving epic autobiography!

All the while, imagining who my ancestors had been, where from Africa they hailed and how they survived the dreaded Middle Passage. This certainly is a literary work that transcends time and unveils the cruelty, perseverance and courage of the human spirit. A busy schedule drove me to put off reading this book for three years- yet I never lost interest or awe in this incredible story of a man who survived great adversity and bigotry to find hope and change the world.

To be stripped of homeland, family, culture and identity is a pain no person should be dealt. Equiano endured all of these yet they did not kill his drive to learn, live and support the cause of Abolition. While the slave trade has long been abolished, there are nations and societies still rife with human trafficking, subjugation and oppression today.

Just as in Equiano's era, we must take a stand and speak out against these injustices. I suggest everyone to read this book. From the first page to the last, the words will grip you and have you look not only at society but into your own heart. I have read a great deal of literature focused on slavery in the U. My focus has been primarily focused: the abolitionist point of few; the Underground Railroad; challenges to the Constitution to forbid human ownership; John Brown; living in the free states in community after slavery; even how those who once were enslaved or had ancestors, who were, chose to enslave others; I have read a great deal of literature focused on slavery in the U.

My focus has been primarily focused: the abolitionist point of few; the Underground Railroad; challenges to the Constitution to forbid human ownership; John Brown; living in the free states in community after slavery; even how those who once were enslaved or had ancestors, who were, chose to enslave others; the economic implications of slavery and after slavery was dismantled in the south.

This book was so engrossing to me. Olaudah Equiano was a brilliant man, who challenged the believe that blacks were not animals in the sense of being unequal to the Caucasian race. He taught himself to read and write by reading the Bible. He with help of several Caucasians sympathetic to stopping the slave trade by British merchants, supported his court petitions to obtain his freedom. If you don't connect with this man's cry for freedom, please check your pulse. His story is riveting and anguished until he reached those in power with his arguments.

This is a deeply affecting story. Though I read this story 7 years ago, its story has remained in my consciousness. View 2 comments. Aug 08, Monty Milne rated it really liked it.

It is impossible to read this without being moved with a sense of pity at the sufferings the author underwent, revulsion at the institution of slavery, and anger at the injustice and discrimination he endured.

The horrors of slavery are of course well known, but I was not prepared for the breathtaking injustices which continue to be visited on the author even once he gains his freedom. The Law, which was in any case deeply unjust, is discarded with impunity by the white oppressors. As a free man It is impossible to read this without being moved with a sense of pity at the sufferings the author underwent, revulsion at the institution of slavery, and anger at the injustice and discrimination he endured.

As a free man, the author faces beatings, thefts, attempts to kidnap and sell him back into slavery, and every imaginable insult: when he complains to the law, he is either ignored or driven away by the magistrate with beatings and curses.

Not in England though - the worst excesses occur in places like Georgia and the West Indies which are already thoroughly brutalised by slavery. This is not a depressing read, however, because we cheer our author on as he overcomes seemingly insuperable obstacles to achieve friendship, freedom, respect, and a measure of financial independence - as well as a fabulous dress sense, as the front cover illustration testifies.

The author is not a Dumas or a Dickens, and he can be a bit Pooterish, but this adds to his charms. At one point he absent mindedly sticks a candle into a barrel of gunpowder to read by, and only notices just before he blows the whole ship apart Yes, the religious stuff is not to my taste, although I can well understand how he felt he had to hitch his waggon to something.

But the whole thing is only 12 chapters long, and is therefore easily digestible. Aug 12, Elliot A rated it really liked it Shelves: classic-literature , auto-biography. Truth be told, I was confused by this book, this "autobiography". However, I kept asking myself why reading this autobiography felt more like reading Gulliver's Travels than a former slave's account of his life. It was very abridged, leaving out the horrors and tragedy that a slave may have witnessed by the hands of their owner.

I sincerely do not want to sound bloodthirsty or in need of sens Truth be told, I was confused by this book, this "autobiography". I sincerely do not want to sound bloodthirsty or in need of sensational stories, but the nature of the author's abridged narration left much to the imagination with respect to the brutality this person must have witnessed and endured.

At the end, all the reader is left with is a succession of travel logs, mostly describing naval procedures and including naval language that leaves the modern reader at a loss from time to time. As a whole this book was still quite educational, since it provided the narration from the point of view of the sufferer and one, who actually lived during the 's. Overall, I still found it an interesting and engaging read. It is a worthwhile reader to anyone involved in the study of black Atlantic literature.

Describing an intense journey of being captured, enslaved, and freed, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa, The African is a book, which provides firsthand details of the traumatic stronghold slavery held over those directly and indirectly affected by slavery. Olaudah vividly describes each capture, being with various masters, and working aboard various ships.

Eventually, Olaudah accepts his Describing an intense journey of being captured, enslaved, and freed, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa, The African is a book, which provides firsthand details of the traumatic stronghold slavery held over those directly and indirectly affected by slavery.

Eventually, Olaudah accepts his fate, but a burning desire to be a free man replaces his desire to die. Olaudah's narrative embraces a pure reality of the slave and freedman by captivating the reader with a tale of bravery, loyalty, friendship, and struggle.

Olaudah's narratives touches the bones of your soul on every page. For me, the most significant event is Olaudah's desire to live a holy life and to bring people to know, love, and trust God. Documenting his path to developing a relationship with God, Olaudah's paints a picture of having faith. This was well-worth trudging through archaic and often dull language. A look into the life of a man stolen from Africa and his journey from that point.

I loved his thoughtful tribute to his country and his family in the beginning. The middle was a little hard to get through unless you are into sailing.

But the book overall provided a unique look into the life of a slave at that time. And helps build a bigger picture of the realities of that time. A moving slave narrative, a heartfelt confession of faith, a thought-provoking historical record, and a seafaring adventure story all in one. It gets a little slow at times due to the period language, but it's a thoroughly absorbing read. Kidnapped from his home village in West Africa at the age of about 10 or 11, Equiano was traded between a variety of African owners before arriving on the coast to be shipped across the Atlantic.

He comments that prior to this he had never heard of either Europeans or of the sea, and he vividly describes the psychological shock of being taken aboard the slave ship. Equiano is quite open in saying that his time as a slave, if bad enough, was a less horrifying experience than for most of those taken on the Middle Passage.

He was initially bought by a naval officer, and in the company of this officer he saw action against French ships during the Seven Years War. Having been taken from his own parents at a young age, Olaudah seems to have transferred some of his need for parental affection to his owner, who treated him reasonably well, and he expected to buy his freedom from the share of prize money from captured French ships he had earned as a crew member.

Sadly, without the least compunction his owner simply gave him away to another officer who in turn sold him to a businessman in the West Indies. This new owner utilised Equiano in his shipping business, a role that allowed him to do some buying and selling of his own between the various islands. From the book we get an idea of how the life of a free black man was extremely precarious in the West Indies and in the southern states of America.

On several occasions Equiano narrowly escaped being kidnapped and sold back into slavery. It must have been unbearable to live like this, and Equiano moved to England, where the chances of being kidnapped were very much reduced though they still existed. Strangely enough, he then seems to have suffered from some sort of depression, and contemplated suicide. It is sometimes said that the achievement of a long-desired goal leads to a temporary ecstasy followed by a let-down, and perhaps this is what happened here.

Equiano brought himself out of depression by becoming a passionate Christian. His achievements were extraordinary when you consider how much the odds were stacked against him, and no modern reader can fail to be outraged at what he describes. I still found this a fascinating read. The Interesting Narrative was required reading on a Black Atlantic and slavery module on my course. I have never read an autobiography before, let alone a slave narrative, so I was unsure what to expect going into this.

The Interesting Narrative recalls Olaudah Equiano's life and journey starting in Africa, where he was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. Equiano recorded his story to bring about the abolition of slavery, alerting his readers to the horrific situation endured by those who The Interesting Narrative was required reading on a Black Atlantic and slavery module on my course.

Equiano recorded his story to bring about the abolition of slavery, alerting his readers to the horrific situation endured by those who were enslaved and Equiano is effective in doing this. Towards the end of the narrative, there was a growing emphasis upon religion and spirituality, something that became important to Equiano throughout his life, but I personally found it to be a little drawn out and not particularly interesting either.

There has been some debate about whether Equiano was really from Africa and if the journey he describes is truthful or not, but the horrors he writes about are important whether it was experienced by him personally or not. Once I got into the narrative, the writing was not too difficult. However, as my reading pace slowed towards the end, it became more of a struggle to get through.

The descriptions were also a little jumbled, making it difficult to clearly picture what was happening. Overall, it was an interesting read, especially as it addresses an important part of history that must be remembered and learned from. I cannot say that I particularly enjoyed reading this considering the serious issue it addresses, but I would still recommend it especially to those interested in this topic.

Jan 09, Nicholas Whyte rated it it was amazing. This is the autobiography of an 18th-century slave, sold from his home in West Africa as a child to work on the West Indian fleet and around the Anglophone Atlantic shores, before becoming a freeman, missionary and political activist. It's an absolutely riveting first-hand account, not only for the awful conditions of slavery and indeed for freed blacks in the British empire of the day, but also because of Equiano's unabashed enthusiasm for naval combat reminiscent of Patrick O'Brien, with the important difference that Equiano was actually there and his conversion to a fairly open-minded but pious evangelical Christianity.

I see that some recent scholars have been trying to assert that Equiano was actually born in South Carolina, but I find his narrative of Africa and the Middle Passage completely compelling, and he comes across as a completely honest witness even if sometimes a bit scatty on long-ago detail. One point that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere is that as far as I can tell, Equiano was one of the first people to use the phrase "human rights". He uses the phrase twice, both times in descriptions of slavers brutally breaking family ties, rather than in talking of any of the other numerous abuses he witnessed.

Anyway, this is an amazing book whose title rather under-sells it to a modern audience. Mar 31, Joel rated it liked it Shelves: black-authors. The autobiography of an 18th-century slave primarily a sailor, not a plantation hand , starting with his capture as a boy in west Africa. The striking thing about Equiano's narrative is that, in many ways, it reads as a best-case-scenario of what life as a slave could be like.

Certainly he recounts many tales of ill treatment; some suffered by himself, some which he only witnessed. But, unlike most slaves, he had opportunities to receive education; become literate; and earn his own money on the The autobiography of an 18th-century slave primarily a sailor, not a plantation hand , starting with his capture as a boy in west Africa. But, unlike most slaves, he had opportunities to receive education; become literate; and earn his own money on the side, enough to eventually purchase his own freedom.

As such, this book may be the strongest possible rebuke to the apologists out there who try to argue that slavery wasn't really so bad, or that slaves were somehow "happy" in their condition. To read Equiano's work is to see clearly that even those slaves who lived the best lives still yearned desperately for freedom and suffered keenly in their captivity.

The book is written in a stilted, very 18th-century style, which makes unenjoyable reading for most modern readers. I should also note that, in the latter parts of the book, it turns quite religious. I'll not criticize him for this, except to note that those readers such as myself who don't share his beliefs will find these parts of the book tedious at best. Despite its flaws, its historical value makes it required reading for anyone interested in firsthand accounts of slavery.

Readers also enjoyed. Biography Memoir. About Olaudah Equiano. Olaudah Equiano. Also known as Gustavus Vassa, Olaudah Equiano was one of the most prominent Africans involved in the British movement of the abolition for the slave trade. Although enslaved as a young man, he purchased his freedom and worked as an author, merchant, and explorer in South America, the Caribbean, the Arctic, the American colonies, and the United Kingdom.

Books by Olaudah Equiano. Mahogany L. Equiano, who was allowed to engage in his own minor trade exchanges, was able to save enough money to purchase his freedom in He settled in England in , attending school and working as an assistant to scientist Dr. Charles Irving. Equiano continued to travel, making several voyages aboard trading vessels to Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Jamaica, Grenada, and North America.

In he accompanied Irving on a polar expedition in search of a northeast passage from Europe to Asia. It went through one American and eight British editions during his lifetime.

Following the publication of his Interesting Narrative, Equiano traveled throughout Great Britain as an abolitionist and author. He married Susanna Cullen in , with whom he had two daughters.

Equiano died in London in Volume I opens with a description of Equiano's native African culture, including customs associated with clothing, food, and religious practices. He likens the inhabitants of Eboe to the early Jews, and offers a theory that dark African skin is a result of exposure to the hot, tropical climates.

In so doing, Equiano hints that Africans may be the indirect relatives of Christian Europeans through their Jewish ancestry and argues against slavery as an affront to all humans: "Let the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature make them inferior to their sons? Every rational mind answers, No" p. Equiano's journey begins when he is kidnapped from his village with his sister, from whom he is eventually separated.

He describes a long voyage through various African regions, marked by brief tenures as a slave to "a chieftain, in a very pleasant country" and a wealthy widow who resides in "a town called Tinmah, in the most beautiful country I had yet seen in Africa" pp.

Ultimately, Equiano is sold back to traders who bring him "sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through different countries and various nations, till. His descriptions of extreme hardships and desperate conditions are punctuated by his astonishment at new sights and experiences.

The narration occasionally reflects the childish wonder of the young Equiano at the time of his journey, but it also highlights his culture shock at his introduction to European culture and European treatment of slaves. In his autobiography, Olaudah Equiano writes that he was born in the Eboe province, in the area that is now southern Nigeria.

He describes how he was kidnapped with his sister at around the age of 11, sold by local slave traders and shipped across the Atlantic to Barbados and then Virginia. In the absence of written records it is not certain whether Equiano's description of his early life is accurate.

Doubt also stems from the fact that, in later life, he twice listed a birthplace in the Americas. Apart from the uncertainty about his early years, everything Equiano describes in his extraordinary autobiography can be verified.

Equiano travelled the oceans with Pascal for eight years, during which time he was baptised and learned to read and write. Pascal then sold Equiano to a ship captain in London, who took him to Montserrat, where he was sold to the prominent merchant Robert King. While working as a deckhand, valet and barber for King, Equiano earned money by trading on the side.

In only three years, he made enough money to buy his own freedom.