Britain's Slave Traders: A Forgotten History by William A. Pettigrew | Hardcover | 400 Pages

This groundbreaking history, led by William A. Pettigrew, the lead investigator behind the Register of British Slave-Traders, reveals the profound and often overlooked significance of the trade in enslaved Africans in Britain's development as a modern nation. Based on a comprehensive, landmark investigation, this book offers a forensic analysis of how slave trading shaped British society, economy, and government.

Key Revelations:

• Uncovers the identities of 13,000 individual investors in the slave trade, from diverse backgrounds including plumbers, politicians, instrument-makers, monarchs, women, immigrants, aristocrats, merchants, playwrights, poets, and artists.
• Details how the wealth, power, and risk appetite of these individuals influenced Britain's economy, politics, science, arts, and institutions.
• Explains the role of slave traders in winning wars, shaping modern industry, and establishing Britain as a global and imperial force.
• Examines how the drive to open up the trade contributed to Britain’s reputation as a freedom-loving nation.
• Highlights how profits from slavery improved the lives of the neediest Britons through the establishment of hospitals, alms-houses, and schools.

Specifications:

• Author: William A. Pettigrew
• Binding: Hardcover
• Page Count: 400 pages
• Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.4 x 3.6 cm
• Weight: 640 g
• Language: English
• Publisher: Bodley Head
• Publication Date: September 24, 2026
• ISBN-10: 1847927904
• ISBN-13: 978-1847927903
• EAN: 9781847927903
• Release Date: 24 Sep 2026

This ambitious, original, and extensively researched work rewrites national history by revealing a previously obscured but vital thread within Britain’s past, offering a vital and necessary correction to our understanding of history.