A review by remjunior
The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World by Greg Grandin

5.0

I really enjoyed the intertwining of the history and literature. Grandin retells the story of a slave revolt that was later retold in a work of "fiction" by Herman Melville. And the result is a mix of beautiful and revolting. There are some oddities about this book and it does wander all over the place, from a history of slavery to sealing to Charles Darwin. But it all comes together as part of the story, the backdrop, for this particular story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about slavery, especially the slave trade that occurred in South America. The other parts, especially the weaving in of Melville's literature and philosophy, is a treat and compliments what would otherwise be a straightforward historical novel.

This was definitely one of my favorite books of the year.