Transatlantic slavery:against human dignity - Book Report/Review Example

? Transatlantic Slavery: Against Human Dignity Transatlantic Slavery: Against Human Dignity Introduction Transatlantic Slave Trade is one of the most significant topics, not only, in the history of Europe, America and Africa, but it is substantially regarded as critical in the history of the World. There are numerous authors who have produced several writings with distinct point of views and dimensions in the domain of transatlantic slave trade. However, the chosen book to be reviewed in this paper is titled as Transatlantic Slavery: Against Human Dignity which has been edited by Anthony Tibbles. Tibbles has immensely deep association with the history of transatlantic slave trade in the perspectives of education and information. He is the keeper in the Merseyside Maritime Museum for the transatlantic slave trade in Liverpool1. It illuminates the excellence of Anthony Tibbles on this event of history and his association with it. The evaluation of his book will be explicated in the following headings. Description of the Book The book is comprised of seventeen articles which are written by numerous distinct writers from different cultures and countries. The diversity in the nature of articles due to its authors designates this book, a culturally vast scope to understand the real negative face of this historic event. All of the essays, including one which is written by Tibbles himself, provide all of the appropriate information regarding the transatlantic slave trade in an analytic and methodical manner. The selections of article and their sequential formation in a book directs towards Tibbles fundamental aim that is to provide his readers with the appropriate tool to assess the underneath happenings of transatlantic slave trade. Tibbles’ underlying argument, which is prominently illuminated not only in his book but also in his title, is to demonstrate the infusion of pain, misery and torture by the, considerably, civilized nation upon the pronounced uncivilized people2. Critical Evaluation of the Argument The underlying purpose and the argument of Tibbles, that is, to demonstrate the brutal occurrences which were deliberately actualized by the Europeans upon the enslaved Africans, conforms to the preceding debates over this event; however, the novelty in this book is present in the form of rationale. All of the essays in the book provide methodic and analytic demonstrations of the occurrences which have its significant impact even in the contemporary world (Tibbles 2005). Europeans have been criticized on this argument from a long time, but this book proposes a slight more intense and a distinguished point of view in which the book also criticizes the historians and the scholars who did not have narrated a holistic description of the event. With all of these associations, the argument of Tibbles to illuminate the grave sins of the civilized Europeans in the form of enslaving and torturing the, so called, uncivilized Africans becomes more informative and captivating for readers3. Significance of the Argument The argument which has been, fundamentally, proposed by Tibbles, in his book, contains a substantially important association with the history of the World. The transatlantic slave trade is one of the most critical chapters of history which has its glimpse persistence in the contemporary societies of Africa, Europe and America. The problem of racial inequality among black men and white men was prominently intensified after transatlantic slave trade4. Europeans and Americans have been criticized for this brutal and inhuman event which has affected several lives of Africans. Slavery is generally considered as a negative entity in almost every culture, religion and society. Europeans and Americans are the most outspoken nations who condemn the persistence of the trend of slaves in their societies. The significance Tribbles’ argument is to be understood in this context. The importance and influence of this historic event makes this argument significant, along with the gap in the ideology and practices of Europeans and Americans in the history which strengthens the significance of the argument of the book. Synthesis of Book with History Many of the essays, in the book, are contained with several authorized and appropriately cited resources which exhibits the presence of facts from the history in a genuine manner. The resourceful articles are sufficient to provide the appropriate concordance of history with the provided information and arguments in the book. On the other hand, there are few articles in the book which do not contain resources5. Lack of resources does direct the readers of this book towards a probable doubt regarding the provided information in those articles; however, Tibbles have acquired the assistance of visual aids in the form of images. These images are being taken mainly from the museum which is authentic and real, as the national caliber of the museum illuminates. As it has been mentioned previously that Tribbles has great association with transatlantic slave trade and he is an official of the national museum. These factors signifies the concordance of information which is present in the book regarding the transatlantic slave trade and European cruelty on Africans with the real history of facts which has been explored till the modern times6. Acquisition of Sources Anthony Tribbles has incorporated several distinct types of essays in his book. Each essay discloses a distinguished factor of the transatlantic slave trade, but the commonality which is present in each of the essays is the perspective. The acquisition of seventeen different articles by several authors from all around the globe provides a vast range in the subject matter of Tribbles, in addition to the authenticity of sources which are illuminatingly present in most of articles from this book. The sources which are acquired by Tribbles are not only comprised of European or American or African facts relating to transatlantic slave trade, but it also incorporates international scholars’ analysis in addition to the influence in contemporary period of this critical event of the world’s history. Deliverance of Idea The idea which has been aimed by Tribbles is highlighted in the previous sections. The major idea of demonstrating the European grave acts of violence and brutality against the enslaved Africans on the basis of power has been delivered in an immensely rational and inspiring manner. The book does not provide every bit of information to its readers regarding the transatlantic slave trade. However, the book is efficient to hatch the curiosity of research in the minds of its readers for the complete acquisition of history. It also provides the direction on which a reader can attain the appropriate facts in details regarding the transatlantic slave trade. It cannot be considered as a complete collection for the inspection of transatlantic slave trade, but it does contain the value of the first right step towards the acquisition of appropriate information. Lastly, Tribbles have also provided associations of transatlantic slave trade with some of the contemporary problems by which the deliverance of idea has become more significant. Conclusion Transatlantic slave trade is an immensely critical historic event, especially for the Europeans and the Americans, which is appropriately addressed in the book by Anthony Tribbles. The basic argument of the book is based on the demonstration of acts which have violated every single human right. It is a critique upon the civilized Europeans for their brutal dominance over Africans who were considered as the uncivilized nation. This book is comprised of several essays in which each author has acquired an unbiased and rational manner to deliver his point view in the light of facts. The book does not lose its fascination over reader’s mind due to its methodic and analytic style of writing. This multicultural and diversely vast book for the transatlantic slave trade does not provide a complete set of information, but it is effective to direct readers’ curiosity in the domain of its subject. It has every appropriate factor for which it can be recommended to a reader to acquire the historic information of transatlantic slave trade. Bibliography Tibbles, Anthony, ed. Transatlantic Slavery: Against Human Dignity. 2nd Edition. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2005. Read More