White gold: the extraordinary story of Thomas Pellow and North Africa's one million European slaves - Hardcover

Milton, Giles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340794690 ISBN 13: 9780340794692

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton, 2004

Synopsis

In the summer of 1716, a Cornish cabin boy named Thomas Pellow and 52 of his comrades were captured at sea by the Barbary corsairs. Their captors - fanatical Islamic slave traders - had declared war on the whole of Christendom. Thousands of Europeans had been snatched from their homes and taken in chains to the great slave markets of Algiers, Tunis and Sale in Morocco to be sold to the highest bidder. Pellow was bought by the tyrannical sultan of Morocco, who bragged that his white slaves enabled him to hold all of Europe to ransom. The sultan was constructing an imperial pleasure palace of enormous scale and grandeur, built entirely by Christian slave labour. Thomas Pellow was selected to be a personal slave of the sultan and he would witness first-hand the barbaric splendour of the imperial Moroccan court, as well as experience of daily terror. For 23 years, he would dream of his home, his family and freedom. He was one of the fortunate few who survived to tell his told. Drawn from unpublished letters and manuscripts written by slaves and by the padres and ambassadors sent to free them, this shocking and extraordinary story reveals a disturbing and forgotten chapter of our history.

About this title

About the Author:

Giles Milton is a writer and journalist. He has contributed articles for most of the British national newspapers as well as many foreign publications and specialises in the history of travel and exploration. In the course of his researches, he has travelled extensively in Europe and the Middle East.

Review:

Acclaim for NATHANIEL'S NUTMEG: 'A magnificent piece of popular history' -- Independent on Sunday 'The thoroughness and intelligence of his research underpins the lively confidence with which he deploys it' -- Times Literary Supplement 'Milton has created a truly gripping tale...His research is impeccable and his narrative reads in part like a modern-day Robert Louis Stevenson novel.' -- The Sunday Times 'Milton's story could scarcely be more action packed ... If what you want from your history is violent action, exotic locations, a colourful villain and a resourceful hero, you'll find them in this book' Sunday Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0340794690
• ISBN 13: 9780340794692
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352