Review of Rediker The Slave Ship for Library Journal

 http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6557367.html?industryid=47111&q=christopher+rager+slave+ship

Rediker, Marcus. The Slave Ship: A Human History. 11 CDs. unabridged. 13 hrs. Tantor Audio. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4001-0479-6. $39.99, 2 MP3-CDs. ISBN 978-1-4001-5479-1. $29.99. HIST
In Slave Ship, University of Pittsburgh history professor Rediker employs the slave vessel as the central metaphor in the exploration of the African diaspora, the roots of capitalism, and the creation of race. As a scholar of “history from below,” Rediker juxtaposes the horrific machinations of the slave trade with, as the book’s subtitle indicates, the daily dramas of the industry’s participants—captain, sailor, and slave. The strength of Rediker’s narrative—beyond the gruesome explication of the ship’s inherent terror—is the use of the ship as representative of a factory that commodifies humanity and a dungeon of racial subjugation that creates a subspecies. As a result of the Atlantic journey, the slave is dehumanized and therefore ready for use as an implement of industry and agriculture. This work is carefully and intelligently read by David Drummond, a former winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award. His succinct enunciation, warm tone, and precise yet subtly compassionate interpretation enhances Rediker’s already exemplary book. Strongly recommended for libraries of all sizes and an integral addition to any collection focused on the history of the African slave trade. [An LJ Best Book of 2007; also available as downloadable audio from Audible.com.—Ed.]—Christopher Rager, Pasadena, CA