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lizicle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
tessisreading2's review against another edition
5.0
Comprehensive, informative, intensely readable. I feel like this is a must-read for anyone who wants to get a sense of the breadth and diversity of life in England in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
mrswythe89's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was excellent -- an eminently readable account of the lives of black people living in Britain in the eighteenth century thereabouts. At one point it pretty much becomes a string of known historical black British people's life stories, but that's the kind of thing I like, so I didn't object. Of course part of the reason why it was so interesting is because it's relatively difficult to find such details of non-white people in history, compared to the vast amount of material that's to be found on white people's lives. Only relatively difficult, though, I should say; there's obviously a fair amount of stuff out there.
Educational and interesting! I liked it. Went on to start reading Ignatius Sancho's letters; he is delightful!
Educational and interesting! I liked it. Went on to start reading Ignatius Sancho's letters; he is delightful!
awhittz's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Very thorough but accessible history.
tstockwell86's review
DNF. This is an unusual one for me in terms of that it's very clearly a well-written book, impeccably researched, and brings to light a little-known section of British history.
However, the style is simply far too academic for my liking. The blurb purports that it "brings history alive" - for me, it was just too much of a slog and I prefer my non-fiction to be either more conversational in tone or almost fictional in terms of how the story is told (think Maya Angelou, or Educated by Tara Westover).
I never felt connected to any of the subjects Gerzina discusses, but perhaps in retrospect that was to be expected, given how scantly black people in Georgian England had their lives documented. For the historians and academics among you who enjoy thorough and meticulously referenced non-fiction, this is for you.
However, the style is simply far too academic for my liking. The blurb purports that it "brings history alive" - for me, it was just too much of a slog and I prefer my non-fiction to be either more conversational in tone or almost fictional in terms of how the story is told (think Maya Angelou, or Educated by Tara Westover).
I never felt connected to any of the subjects Gerzina discusses, but perhaps in retrospect that was to be expected, given how scantly black people in Georgian England had their lives documented. For the historians and academics among you who enjoy thorough and meticulously referenced non-fiction, this is for you.
readingelli's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence and War
tulipvee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0